Dear B==
I am just a tactical planner for Japanese SMEs. I am not a specialist of SME funding. My comment here is not the direct answer for your question. I apologize in advance.
> I’ve been seeking funding to get into distribution
> and open a retail location here in the city as well,
> but just been running into dead ends.
So you are seeking for funding for past one year but in vain. Reading what you wrote above, I came up with one question. Is there any other way to grow your business without 6 mil yen funding? One year is a long time span to wait. Did you do some other thing to efficiently grow your business while you look for the funding?
Let me illustrate the case of my past client, who is a young sole proprietor specialized in Asian exotic furniture (mainly made of rattan).
He first came up to me saying that he wanted to import furniture to sell but that he had no money. Then he added that he wanted to open a small shop with no money either. So I asked him, “Which is your objective, to open a shop or to make your living with handling Asian furniture?”
I told him to first be a professional purchase representative of exotic furniture. He opened a website that minutely explained Asian exotic furniture. Then he sent DMs to rich people according to the lists he got. He obtained several clients that asked him to purchase Asian furniture for them. He then started to render tour escorting service for the clients, in which he traveled to South East Asian countries with the clients to purchase this kind of gorgeous furniture. Later on, a large furniture chain shop offered a funding to him and he opened a shop.
So if you have funding, that’s good. You had better exploit the asset and let it earn much. But even if you don’t have funding, there’s always other way of growing your business.
I know this might not be happy news to you. But if you are interested in my way of seeing microbusiness, I can set a time to chat with you as I will be in Osaka in March 15.