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Starting your own business: the ultimate adventureContinuation of page 5International Business Development. But after a year, I decidedI could do better on my own. It struck me that people in Romaniawere generally not very skilled in communication and cooperation.It was also obvious to me that some serious training efforts wouldbe required to implement the necessary behavioural change. Thatwas the opportunity I saw, and I’ve managed to benefit from it,even though things did not work out quite as I had imagined.”“I don’t think you can ever be fully prepared to start your own business.What you need is a good concept and lots of energy to get youthrough the initial period. If you focus on what you want to achieve,you have a better chance of making it. The first year was the hardestfor me, particularly because of the enormous amount of bureaucracyinvolved. It took me four months (plus the required change underthe table) to set up my company. That was, by the way, very quick forthose days. The process generally took up to an entire year.”“A foreign country presents you with extra challenges and handicaps:a different culture, language, customs, mentality and environment.It’s difficult to find a good and reliable business partner abroad. Atfirst, there were many people who wanted to start a joint venturewith me. But most of them simply wanted to capitalise on myWestern image and aura of success. It was sometimes difficult tokeep them out, but I managed to retain my friendly composure andto launch other cooperative proposals which did not put me at risk.In the end, I found a partner in Viorel Panaite, after we had first testedeach other extensively in various projects. I needed a Romanianwho would understand the Romanian mentality, and Viorel neededa brand name, as he was not big enough by himself to tackle thelarger projects. We make a very successful team.”“When I started, I was one of the first. Now there are over 40 seriouscompanies that offer training services. We’ve managed to maintainour position in the top three. We’re something of a pioneer in theRomanian market: we make a habit of launching new products.We were the first to introduce Leadership – according to the modelpropagated by the American Ken Blanchard – and we also workwith marketing guru Tom Peters. We invite these people to givepresentations, which has generally been very successful. HumanInvest now employs 11 people, and we continue to grow and investin people and ongoing development.”Photos: Sacha RulandBe smart - be a highflying starter!Janneke Brouwers works as a consultant at theBusiness lessonsCompassand know what entrepreneurship is all about.StartersCentrum Zuid-Limburg. Her portfolioThe advice may be free, but it does cost a fairUM alumnus Steven Goetstouwers supportsThe added value component lies primarilydoes not include all that many university grad-amount of work. “Starters have to write theirBrouwers’ arguments in favour of the Hoog-in the mutual exchange of ideas anduates. “They don’t generally think they need toown plan, in which case they’re forced tostarters programme. He was formerly theexperiences. Goetstouwers: “The groupsask others for advice,” explains Janneke Brouw-organise their thoughts clearly and logicallyproject leader for Hoogstarters Maastricht andconsist of students, graduates and peopleers. “They already have a good idea as well ason paper. Not all brilliant ideas are also com-is now project leader for TechStart, an exten-who have started their own business. Youa network from their student days. They oftenmercially feasible. It’s better to figure that outsion which enables participants to translatecan learn a lot from each other, especiallyalso have the financial resources to purchasesooner rather than later, and to avoid an even-their ideas into reality. “At Hoogstarters, you in-since the people are involved in totallyconsulting services, for example from an ac-tual business failure. This applies to universityvestigate your potential market in quite somedifferent sectors and ideas. Together, youcountant. In such cases, they tend to skip overgraduates as much as it does to bricklayers.”detail. Where is your target group located,work on translating an idea into reality.the StartersCentrum, perhaps because they’reJanneke Brouwers actually prefers to referwhich direction do you want to take, and howOn your own, it would take you a lot moreafraid of losing time or think we have noth-potential starters with a bachelor’s degree inwill you finance it? It’s all about structure andtime, and you might not even succeed.”ing to offer them.” That’s not always a smarttheir pocket to the Hoogstarters Maastrichtinterrelationships. That’s what you write downMaastricht University, the Maastricht citydecision, according to Brouwers. “Universityprogramme, where university graduates getin the business plan. Besides being intendedcouncil, the provincial council of Limburg, andContinuUM | Year 5 | number 2 | December 2006graduates often think they already know it all.After all, they’ve already had advanced training,can think strategically and switch gearsquickly, are often internationally oriented, andhave learned to anticipate developments. Butif they approach a bank for a loan, they’ll stillhave to submit a business plan. In such cases,they often go to a commercial consultant, whowill prepare one for them at a fairly stiff price.If they come to us, we do the same for free.”three to four months of high-level businesslessons. “It’s a very valuable experience,” saysJanneke Brouwers, who is also one of theteachers at the programme. “You get somevery good basic preparation for starting andrunning your own business. The participantsdiscover that there is more to the world thantheir own network.”for external consumption, it’s primarily aninternal tool. It will serve as your point ofreference and measuring instrument for years– it’s your compass.”Learning from one anotherThe Entrepreneurship & Business Planningmaster class lasts for three to four monthson average. Each week, a meeting takes placewith several teachers who are experiencedthe European Fund for Regional Developmencooperated in launching the HoogstartersMaastricht scheme in 2000. The project hadtwo goals: retaining knowledge in Limburgand creating jobs. The project has alreadyexpanded throughout Limburg. In additionto Maastricht, similar training opportunitiesare now being offered In Venlo. The projecthas led to the creation of 60 new companies,some of which are based in Limburg.