HO - Host entrepreneur

 

 

1. How did you discover EYE?

   I am involved in Erasmus programmes and I am informed of the trends.
    

2. Why did you choose to participate in this programme? 

   Because I got asked by a possible participant, she wanted me to be her host.
    

3. When did you set up your company? 

   Olde Vechte is a foundation. It is a training center for non-formal learning and group accommodation since 1966. I am the director.
    

4. How many years of experience do you have? 

   About 35.
    

5. What were your expectations before starting the programme?

   To be able to give adequate context, information, practice and mentoring that the participant who came here to learn.
    

6. Provide examples of activities carried out by the NE during the exchange (administrative activities, conferences, other)

   Shadowing how we are creating content for online marketing, what platforms are we using, how we are presenting the content and sustaining the marketing strategy. Shadowing and participating in meetings, workshops and training we have with youth. Creating swot analysis of the target group and adjusting it to NE business needs.
    

7. What did you learn from the exchange? 

    That in order to give NE what she needs I had to provide her not only with my mentorship, but with other, different mentors as well. Each mentor was an expert in the field she was exploring at a particular time.
    

8. How did the NE help?

   She helped a lot in giving us a new perspective while she was shadowing all the processes we habitually go through and we adjusted some of them thanks to her.
    

9. Are you going to incorporate new ideas and methods proposed by the NE?

   Yes
    

10. How will the exchange benefit the companies? New opportunities: Further partnerships? Cross-border trade? 

    This exchange will benefit a lot in further partnerships. I learned that even though when we are offering learning and shadowing experiences to others, we can enhance our working processes and business from it. I would recommend this programme to all NEs and would like to participate again.
     

NE - New entrepreneur

 

 

1.  Why did you choose to participate in the programme? 

   Because I believed it was the perfect time to boost my business with the expertise the HO has.
    

2. Did you and when did you set up your company (if relevant)? 

   I have set it up in November 2015.
    

3. What were your expectations before starting the programme?

   To gain exactly what I have written in my business plan but I gained much more!
    

4.   How does the HE run his business? How did you actively participate in the day-to-day activities?

   My work log depicts in detail what I did on a day to day basis and I can say that the HO runs his business with patience, big picture overview and very professionally. He has hierarchically organized structure that works long term and has clear 1, 2 and 3 year plans.
    

5. Provide examples of activities carried out by you during the exchange (administrative activities? Conferences? Other?)

   Shadowing how they are creating content for online marketing, what platforms they ere using, how they are presenting the content and sustaining the marketing strategy. Shadowing and participating in meetings, workshops and training they have with youth. Creating swot analysis of the target group and adjusting it to my business needs.
    

6.  What did you learn from the experience? Do you feel more confident about your  business start-up? Would you encourage other would-be/new entrepreneurs to participate in the programme? What is your overall feeling about the programme?

   I learned that the needs and habits of the target group I want to implement in my business are changing all the time. Young people are flexible, unpredictable,  and want to feel valued, so me and my products need to give them that. I would encourage other NE to go through this because apart from the expected knowledge they would like to acquire, they can gain much more. I love this programme.