First things first: gathering a team! Together with fellow students Kristof Goossens, Robin de Groote and Stéphane Lapière, I formed a team. After a brainstorm session we had 4 business ideas to elaborate on. Only 2 weeks later, we needed to pitch the best 2 ideas in a first presentation. After that presentation we had our business idea but our team was a person short. We needed a dreamcoach. This person needed to be our experience, our voice of wisdom and had to challenge us to think bigger and better! But who could we ask to take up this role?
As a team, we decided we wanted someone we already know. Not all of us have bosses we talk or work with, or have even met in person. I was the only one who has “bosses” (although we do not like to call our partners like that) who work in services, started a very successful business only 10 years ago, and have entrepreneurship in their core values! I knew what I had to do! Convince our Belgian CEO Jan Delaere to be part of the team. And it worked, we were complete!
Our business plan got the name HOE (how). After studying our market, setting up an image, our vision and financial plan, our business plan was born. Our business?
“Process optimization and training in basic computer skills, completely tailored to the client”
In the whole process our dreamcoach proved to be our help, our critic and our mentor! Exactly what we needed and wanted, a challenge! We kept our business plan, but the advice and experience were golden in keeping our vision. When setting up a business it’s very important to keep your goal, your core business in mind. Especially if you want to build a sustainable business.
To thank our amazing dreamcoach, we gave him a certificate for best dreamcoach.
But we didn’t stop there. There was a ”best dreamcoach photo” competition and we entered Jan with this photo, and again we won!
So to all CEOs out there, if you ever get asked to be a dreamcoach, please keep this in mind. If you support the next generation you might get a great story out of it yourself!
Entrepreneurship is in the hands of the future, not just the now. We had a great time and a fantastic experience, and for those of you who are wondering: despite the great facts and figures, and the possible high success rate of the business plan, for now, HOE will not start up.
If you had a great SPB, or would like to know more don’t hold back and contact us!
Author: Inge Timmermans. You can follow Inge on Twitter (@IT8205) or connect with her on LinkedIn