What Lies Beyond the Challenge? The Candid Voices of SMiLE Business Contest Finalists

I have seen many franchise owners struggle with staff shortages. The reasons vary widely, but some continue to run their stores despite not having enough staff.
Through SMiLE, I began to feel that perhaps we could help resolve this issue of labor shortages.

I am responsible for supporting part-time recruitment for franchise stores. Labor shortages often arise when the working hours desired by stores and those sought by job seekers don’t align well.
What I feel on the ground is that while there are stores struggling with staff shortages, there are also many people who are eager to work. When I wondered if there was a way to bridge that gap, I remembered a story shared by a certain franchise owner.
The owner stayed connected with former employees, who would come back to help whenever the store was short-staffed—so they had never experienced a labor shortage. That made me think: what if a system like this could be accessible to everyone? That’s how "Sukimatch" was born.

There are truly many people who want to work at 7-Eleven. I currently oversee employee training support for franchise stores, and recently I’ve been hearing comments like, "7-Eleven job listings are appearing on popular spot-work services, so I want to gain experience there."
That made me think—if that’s the case, why not create our own spot-work service exclusively for people with 7-Eleven experience? That’s how I began developing the idea for "SebuSpo!"

Many of the stores I oversee are already using spot-work services. However, the idea of systematizing it within Seven-Eleven Japan itself had never occurred to me.
If talent could move within the group, that would definitely be a logical approach. It made me realize that what we’re looking for is often closer than we think.

Hirata’s "Green Table" is a perfect example as well. We often hear about the issue of food loss, but I was truly impressed by the decision to focus on production facilities.

The idea came to me during a factory tour I joined this past May. While speaking with the plant manager, I learned for the first time that a certain amount of waste inevitably occurs at production facilities. Even products with no issues in freshness or taste are discarded or repurposed as animal feed simply because there is a discrepancy between supply and order quantities.
While I understand that this is done to ensure safe and reliable products for customers, I couldn’t shake the question from my mind: "Is it really okay for this to be thrown away just like this?"

I’ve heard that, despite your busy schedule visiting stores, you proactively reached out to business partners and customers outside the stores as well. I’ve also worked as an OFC, so I understand very well just how challenging those efforts must have been.

It’s true—since it was a business contest, we were technically rivals. But in reality, it felt more like we were teammates building something together.

The "Open Mentoring" session held one month before the final judging was especially significant. In front of the other participants, we delivered our pitches to the mentors just as we would in the actual finals, and then received direct feedback. That setting was incredibly motivating and inspiring.

Since the mentors were external experts, they evaluated our business plans without any bias or favoritism. Some proposals received high praise, while others were given tough criticism. In a good way, it was the kind of experience that really lit a fire under us.

It was an incredibly valuable experience—but definitely nerve-racking. I learned so much from both Kanaya’s and Fukuda’s plans. I believe we were able to elevate the quality of our ideas in such a short time precisely because we built strong connections with one another as finalists.

Because my proposal focused specifically on a spot-work service limited to those with 7-Eleven experience, one factor may have been that the discussion remained centered on Seven-Eleven itself.
Another point is that I may not have fully articulated how the idea could contribute to store sales. I believe that positive, comfortable customer service can directly lead to an increase in customer traffic—but I wasn’t able to express that potential clearly enough.

Since it was a business contest, the key question is whether the idea is worth investing in. I think the potential for scalability and future growth of the business is also an important factor. Perhaps that was the area where my proposal fell short.

I completely relate to that…! With "Green Table," I presented the concept of a buffet-style restaurant using fresh ingredients that would otherwise be discarded—but that’s really just one of many possible applications.
Reducing food loss could potentially lower costs, which might allow stores to offer lower retail prices or even improve profit margins. Not being able to fully demonstrate that broader impact was likely where I fell short.

For me, SMiLE was like "youth." The older we get, the fewer opportunities we have to devote ourselves wholeheartedly to something we truly care about for six months. Being able to focus so intensely on an idea I had conceived myself has become an irreplaceable treasure.

Of course, there is some frustration. But through SMiLE, I was able to have honest conversations with factory managers, daily manufacturers, and people from various departments within the company.
Those encounters were possible precisely because I advanced to the final judging, and I truly feel they have become a tremendous asset.

These past six months were a time of truly facing myself. There were moments when I struggled with feelings of inadequacy.
At the same time, it was a period in which I gained tremendous insights from people I would not normally have the chance to meet in my day-to-day work. As someone based in a regional area, I also have a desire to expand the possibilities of my own future career. In that sense as well, this experience meant a great deal to me.

I enjoy coming up with new ideas, so I might apply again next year. I think taking on the challenge as a team next time is one option, and helping to support the operation of SMiLE also sounds interesting. Whether as a challenger or as someone supporting from behind the scenes, I’d love to continue being involved with SMiLE in some way.

I’d like to use this sense of frustration as motivation and take on the challenge once again. I feel there’s still plenty of room to refine "Sukimatch," and I’m also nurturing new ideas from a different angle.
Of course, I would be happy to help support the SMiLE team as well—but for now, I still want to remain a challenger.

To be honest, I don’t have a clear "this is it" idea right now. But I still carry a sense of regret, feeling that I could have done better—and one day, I’d like to take on the challenge again. Even if I don’t compete myself, I would like to stay involved in SMiLE in a supporting role. I wouldn’t have made it this far without the support I received. That’s why, next time, I want to be the one supporting someone else.