If Yohei Shibasaki hadn't previously worked for Sony Corp., the giant that once dominated the global electronics industry, his 7-year-old human resources firm might not have grown so fast.

"Don't just look at the Japanese market, but always target the global market. Offer innovative products that others have never created before. And the feeling of 'Wow!' is very important. Those are the things I learned from Sony," said Shibasaki, CEO and founder of Fourth Valley Concierge Corp.

Shibasaki brought much of what he learned during nearly a decade at the electronics giant to Fourth Valley when he set it up in 2007.