Brilliant Work

Free webinar on the digitization voucher - Tuesday, May 27, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
2025-05-27 10:30 - 11:30 (CEST), 2025-04-12 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
Join the free webinar on the digitization voucher on Tuesday, May 27.
Storm Heerink (digitization and marketing expert) and Lizanne Jakobs (founder of Brilliant Work) present this webinar and answer all questions together with Elham Mohseni (digitization and marketing expert).
As a ZZP or SME entrepreneur, you can benefit tremendously from digitization. The only problem is that it can cost a lot. But did you know that you can get all kinds of subsidies for digitization? With these you can finally improve your website or webshop, build a customer portal or really get your social media strategy off the ground. There are several pots available for companies in Gelderland with 1 to 250 employees.
These three experienced business coaches from Brilliant Work will tell you all about it:

What kinds of issues you can take up with this grant
which companies it applies to
What subsidy amounts are involved
how to apply for it
and what we can provide in this

They understand the challenges you face as an entrepreneur in the digitization area like no other and provide information about the possibilities and can help you further.
Don’t miss this information and register now!
The free webinar is available online on Tuesday, May 27, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Free workshop and lunch - How to get more out of your team
2025-04-24 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
As your company grows, not only the amount of people you need changes, but also what skills, motivation, roles and experience they have. During this lunch Lizanne Jakobs will be speaking about this topic that many of you might find challenging or very interesting; How to lead and develop your team. In this workshop you will learn find out more about:

planning ahead in terms of staffing
motivating your team
avoiding the most common team issues as you scale up
changing your own leadership role
applying for grants that can help build the right team

Your own background is mostly likely not as a leadership expert, so getting tips and tricks on how to do this can be very useful.
Lizanne Jakobs is the founder of Brilliant Work, and a well known public speaker and experienced business coach. She has a great deal of expercience in working with complex start ups and scale ups. Brilliant Work has been named the best coaching and consultancy firm for small to medium enterprises in the Netherlands 4 times in a row. Most of their coaching engagements are done on a subsidized basis.
Good to know
This workshop is facilitated in English and is free of charge including lunch.
Location:
World Food Center Ede
Friso Barracks (to find the correct building check out the map at the bottom of this page)
2 D42 New Barracks Avenue
Ede, 6711 JC Netherlands
Please register here to join us during this lunch.

Workshop | Setting goals and priorities in collaboration with Startclub Arnhem
2025-04-14 07:00 - 08:30 (CEST), 2025-03-04 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
Please note this workshop has been moved to: Monday, April 14, Lizanne Jakobs gives the free workshop “Goal setting and prioritization” at Startclub Arnhem.
because as an entrepreneur, it’s important to have those “vague” ideas and “hopeful” goals clear! Only in this way can you chart a focused path and determine concrete plans for the future of your business.
Without clear goals for your business, it becomes difficult to separate main and secondary issues. What do you need to do and when to get the results you would like? This gives you peace of mind to do business from there.
During this workshop you will learn how to set specific and measurable goals for the coming years and display them in a visually appealing way. Then we’ll talk about how you then plan your priorities or activities for the next 12 months so that you’re working sufficiently “on” your business and not “in” it. This workshop is suitable for just starting entrepreneurs as well as those who have been running their own business for some time.
Presenting is Lizanne Jakobs, founder of Brilliant Work and well-known partner at Start Club Arnhem. This coaching and consulting firm has been voted Holland’s best for SMEs several times. Lizanne has been an entrepreneur, business coach and speaker for 14 years and can explain complex issues very simply. She and her colleagues are accredited by both the provinces of Gelderland and the government, to provide consultancy programs for ZZP and SME with 50-100% subsidy. In her workshops you will learn very practical things.
Bring: pen and paper or a digital medium to write on!
Participation is free. Registration is required, however.

Sell more without pushing
2025-04-14 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
Together with Startclub Arnhem, Lizanne Jakobs gives this workshop.
Whether you have a lot of experience with sales calls or none at all, this workshop is very useful for anyone who ever needs to try to bring in a client.
In it, we discuss how:
– you ask potential clients for an interview
– you can surface the information you need to close the deal
– you can best tell them about you and your company
– and then how to bring in the client
You will learn what questions are best to ask and how to persuade without sounding like a hollow script from a call center. After this workshop, you will know how to get much more results with less effort and less stress!
Participation is free. Don’t miss this opportunity and register now!

Free webinar: Develop, retain and find the right staff using grant funding
2025-04-07 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
Attracting, retaining and motivating good staff is a challenge these days. A competitive salary alone is no longer enough to get loyal and motivated employees and to ensure that they actually do what you want to do, so that you have a successful business. In September you can again apply for subsidies for coaching and advice in this area.
In our free webinar, we will be happy to tell you more:

Which grants up to €25,000 you can use for this purpose
How and when we do the application for you
What the requirements are to participate
How much (or little) time you have to put into this yourself
What Brilliant Work does substantively in such a process with your company upon approval of the grant
How that is different from other agencies
And all your questions around this topic will be answered

Who is this webinar for? Entrepreneurs, directors, managers and HR staff of companies with 2 to 250 employees, or who want to scale up with staff soon.
About the presenter Lizanne Jakobs: Lizanne is the founder of Brilliant Work, an agency that has repeatedly been voted the Netherlands’ best coaching and consulting agency for SMEs. With her team she carries out numerous (subsidized) programs in the field of business growth and personnel development. Lizanne is known for her interactive and accessible presentation style, explaining complex topics clearly and with humor.
Don’t miss this opportunity to also take your team to the next level and take advantage of available grants.
Sign up now!

Breaking through to the big neighbor | opportunities and threats in the German market
2025-04-02 10:30 - 11:30 (Africa/Abidjan), 2025-02-13 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
With more than 80 million inhabitants a short distance from the Netherlands and 21% share of the European economy, Germany offers countless opportunities.
But beware: Germany is not a market to enter unprepared. The country struggles with inflation and bankruptcies. In addition, laws and regulations and the business culture differ from those in the Netherlands. Still, there are plenty of growth opportunities in a market where customers are loyal, provided you prepare well. Short- and long-term success starts with a strong strategy.
In this online seminar, Lizanne Jakobs and Nicki Welchering will take you through and walk you through:

Legal structures and business forms
Laws and regulations to consider
Commercial strategy for Germany
Subsidies around exports
Business Culture

Speakers:
Lizanne Jakobs is founder of Brilliant Work, the coaching and consulting company for self-employed people and SMEs in the field of business growth and export. As a former international sales manager, drs in International Business Communication and export coach, she has extensive experience in doing business with Germany.
Nicki Welchering is one of the German attorneys on the Dutch Desk team at ALPMANN FRÖHLICH. His expertise is German Company Law, Business Law and International Economic Law. He studied in Münster and partly in Nijmegen and speaks fluent Dutch in addition to German and English.
How it works
The online seminar will take place on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Upon registration, you will receive a link that will allow you to access the online seminar. You can participate via this web link.
Participation is free.
The online seminar will be held in Dutch.

Focus on what really matters - goals and priorities in your business
2025-03-12 08:00 - 09:30 (CET), 2024-11-25 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
How will 2025 be successful for your business? By deciding what you want to achieve with your business, what you will do for it and what you will leave out. In short, setting concrete goals and priorities and creating a plan of how you will do that.
About the workshop
Why is that important? So that you don’t get distracted by things that don’t contribute to the success of your business or the pleasure of working in it. And instead invest your time, budget and energy in what really moves your business forward.
What those exact steps are is different for each company and each industry. What is the same for everyone is how to set your goals and priorities. How to make that visual. And how to make sure you keep your focus only on what’s important. In this workshop, you will learn how to do just that.
Finally, Lizanne will also talk about the various grants you can use again this year to strengthen your business, from start-up assistance to export advice or staff development. There will be more than enough room for questions during the workshop or to talk further with Lizanne afterwards.
About the speaker
The workshop will be given by Lizanne Jakobs, founder of Brilliant Work and well-known coach at StartUp Nijmegen. They have been voted Holland’s best coaching and consulting firm for SMEs four times. Lizanne lived in the United Kingdom for years and was voted one of the 50 best business consultants there. Brilliant Work is a 15-strong team that advises, coaches and trains ZZP and SME clients, often using 12 different types of grants.
Planning:
Walk-in: 08:45 a.m.
Start: 9:00 a.m.
End: 10:30 a.m.
Attending the workshop is completely free, for everyone. So also for (starting) entrepreneurs and students who are not affiliated with StartUp.
You can sign up through this link.

Masterclass Grants and Cash Flow for Your SME Business
2025-03-11 11:00 - 12:30 (CET), 2025-02-10 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
Ensuring that there is always enough money in your business is not easy, especially when you’re starting, growing, or innovating. Did you know that Dutch companies have plenty of opportunities for money that doesn’t need to be repaid? In the form of subsidies and free services, especially for smaller and medium-sized businesses. For example, you can get up to €25,000 in subsidy for employee development if you apply for this in March. But how?
It would be great if you could just walk up to the chamber of commerce and pick up a big pot of money, but it’s rarely that simple. The subsidy landscape is very fragmented. And in addition to subsidies, you also have loans, investors, customer funds, and more.
Lizanne Jakobs from Brilliant Work will guide you through this maze of opportunities. She will cover, among other things:

Which topics you can get funding for and where
When to choose a loan, investors, subsidies, or other funding sources
Which areas provide subsidies and free government services
How much money is available
How to apply for this funding
What you need to access these funds

There will also be room for your questions on this topic, and a free lunch! As a highly sought-after speaker in the entrepreneurial world, Lizanne can explain this simply, engagingly, and with the right knowledge. She is the founder of Brilliant Work, which consists of a team of 17 experts in business growth and professionalization and is a partner at the World Food Center. Brilliant Work works with 12 different subsidy programs and has been named the best coaching and advisory agency in the Netherlands for SME’s four times over.
Good to know
The Masterclass is facilitated in English and is free of charge including lunch.

To register please click here.

Grants and funds for your SME enterprise.
2025-01-30 08:00 - 2025-01-31 16:00 (CET), 2024-11-04 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
On Friday, Jan. 31, our own Lizanne will teach the workshop “Grants and Funds for Your SME” during the 2-day workshop fest.
Did you know that as a ZZP or SME ‘er, you have several opportunities for support that you don’t have to pay back? In the form of grants, funds and free services, often for specific projects. Lizanne tells you what the opportunities are, in what areas and how you can get involved.
On Thursday 30 and Friday 31 January 2025, Mark Reinders of Netwerkwerken.nl is organizing this 2-day Workshopfestijn. You can then attend two days of interesting workshops for a competitive price.
There will be a total of 8 blocks of workshops over two days and they will cost you only €175. A bargain for two days full of valuable information, so sign up and take advantage!

Workshop Making Strategic Choices for a Successful 2025!
2025-01-21 14:00 - 16:00 (CET), 2024-11-14 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
Briskr and Brilliant Work are co-hosting this workshop.
How will 2025 be successful for your business? By deciding what you want to achieve with your company, what you are going to do to reach it, and what you will choose not to do. In short, setting concrete goals and creating an action plan to achieve them.
Why is this important? So that you don’t get distracted by things that don’t contribute to your company’s success or that you don’t enjoy working on. Instead, you focus your time, budget, and energy on what truly drives your business forward. The exact steps to take will differ for each company and sector.
What you will learn in this workshop is:

How to set your goals and priorities
How you make them visual
And how to ensure that you only focus on what is truly important and not get stuck in day to day work
Lastly we will discuss the different subsidies you can take advantage of in the coming year to strengthen your business operations, from startup support to export advice and employee development.

There will be plenty of time for questions during the workshop, or to continue the conversation with Lizanne afterwards.
Good to know
The workshop is facilitated in English and is free of charge.
Participation in the workshop is free for everyone, including drinks and bites. However, for cancellations within 24 hours prior to the event, we will charge a fee of 15 euros (excluding VAT) to cover incurred expenses.

Free workshop: The ideal sales pitch
2025-01-13 09:00 - 10:15 (CET), 2024-12-06 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
Do you want to know how to sell your service or product really well? And this without coming across as too eager or with sweat on your back? Then come to this free workshop on January 13 at Startclub Arnhem. Whether you have a lot of experience with sales calls or none at all: this workshop “selling” is really useful for everyone who wants to bring in a customer.
We’ll discuss how to:
✅ ask your potential clients for an interview
✅ make sure you stay nice and relaxed and yourself during the interview
✅ get the information you need to surface to close the deal
✅ best to tell them about you and your business
✅ and then how to bring in the client
You will also learn which questions are best to ask and how to sound convincing that it sounds like a hollow script from a call center. There will also be plenty of time for your questions and comments. After this workshop “selling” you will know how to achieve much more with less effort and less stress.
Presentation is in the hands of Lizanne Jakobs, founder of Brilliant Work and well-known partner at Start Club Arnhem. In her workshops you will learn very practical things that really help you further and that you can apply immediately. The trajectories she and her colleagues execute are usually possible with 1 of 10 different grant options.
Walk-in: 10 a.m.
Start: 10:10 a.m.
End: around 11:15-11:30 a.m.
What others thought of this workshop:
“I received very concrete and useful tips. The examples used were really based on the business ideas of the participants present.” – Marjean Movrin of Reorgaco
“The workshop gives tools for the sales conversation and a piece of structure. Some of it was already familiar to me, but it was very nice to hear it in a structured and constructive way.” – Nadia van den Heuvel of Ictoria
“Practical, relatable and ‘encouraging.’ Nice that above all the message is to listen.” – Babette te Winkel of Project Compassion

Sell more without pushing - Free workshop - Learn about the ideal sales pitch
2025-01-09 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Ondernemerslab Arnhem, Bovenbeekstraat 10, Arnhem
Together with Startclub Arnhem, Lizanne Jakobs gives this free workshop.

Whether you have a lot of experience with sales calls or none at all, this workshop is very useful for anyone who has to try to bring in a client at some point.
Herein we discuss how:
– you ask potential clients for an interview
– you can surface the information you need to close the deal
– you can tell the best about you and your company
– and how to then bring in the client
You will learn which questions are best to ask and how to persuade without sounding like a hollow script from a call centre. After this workshop, you will know how to get much more results with less effort and less stress!
Participation is free. Don’t miss this opportunity and sign up now! During the workshop you will learn how selling becomes easier without pushy come across.

Free webinar: Making strategic choices for a successful 2025!
2024-12-16 11:30 - 12:30 (CET), 2024-10-28 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
Brilliant Work is hosting the free webinar “Making Strategic Choices for a Successful 2025!” on Monday, Dec. 16.
How will 2025 be successful for your business? By deciding what you want to achieve with your business, what you will do for it and what you will leave out. In short, setting concrete goals and making a plan of how you will do that. Why is that important? So that you don’t get distracted by things that don’t contribute to the success of your business or the pleasure of working in it. And instead invest your time, budget and energy in what really moves your business forward.
What those exact steps are is different for each company and each industry. What is the same for everyone is how to set your goals and priorities. How to make that visual. And how to make sure you keep your focus only on what’s important.
Finally, she will also talk about the various grants you can also use again next year to strengthen your business operations, from start-up assistance to export advice or workforce development. There will be more than enough room for questions during the webinar or to talk further with Lizanne afterwards.
Your webinar host is Lizanne Jakobs, founder of Brilliant Work. They have already been voted the Netherlands’ best coaching and consulting firm for SMEs 4 times. Lizanne lived in England for years and was voted one of the 50 best business consultants in the UK there. Brilliant Work is a 15-strong team that advises, coaches and trains ZZP and SME clients, often with the help of 12 different types of grants.
Walk-in: from 12.25
Start: 12.30
Finish: 13.30
Registration is via this link.

MKB Zevenaar | Business Market
2024-11-15 12:00 - 16:30 (CET), 2024-09-23 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
On November 15, the day of the entrepreneur, MKB Zevenaar is organizing a business market.
An afternoon of knowledge sessions with inspiring speakers, including Tom Coronel, Anne Berndsen, Kees van der Veer and Manon Kummer.
Lizanne is hosting no less than two knowledge sessions this afternoon.
At 3 p.m. she is going to tell you more about positioning and customer acquisition.
We are all inundated with advertising and people trying to sell you something. How do you put your company, service or product super powerful and clear? What differentiates your company? How do you conduct the ideal sales conversation? How do you get (more) customers?

At 3:45 p.m., the second knowledge session will follow. This session’s theme is: harness the potential of your staff.
How do I get more out of my people (human resource management and leadership)? How do you keep your staff motivated? The right people are in the right place and they can develop further.

Participation in this afternoon is free.
More information about this afternoon’s program and registration can be found here.

Mercator lunch (EN): How to lead and develop your team
2024-11-05 11:00 - 13:00 (CET), 2024-09-23 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
Join Lizanne for lunch organized by Mercator Launch
Lizanne Jakobs is founder of Brilliant Work, Radboud University alumnus, well known public speaker and experienced business coach. She has a great deal of expercience in working with complex scale ups. Brilliant Work has been named the best coaching and consultancy firm for small to medium enterprises in the Netherlands 4 times in a row. Most of their coaching engagements are done on a subsidised basis.
During this lunch she will be speaking about a topic that many of you might find challenging or very interesting. How to lead and develop your team. As your company grows, not only the amount of people you need changes, but also what skills, motivation, roles and experience they have. Your own background is mostly likely not as a leadership expert, so getting tips and tricks on how to do this can be very useful. Plus I will explain what subsidies you can use in this area. Hopefully see you November 5th!
Interested in a free lunch with Lizanne Jakobs? You can sign up here.

Workshop - Strategically strengthening your business
2024-10-18 11:00 - 12:00 (CEST) | Arnhem
During the Innovate Experience at the Musis in Arnhem on Oct. 18, Lizanne Jakobs of Brilliant Work and Meta Kok of Startversneller will jointly give the workshop “strategically strengthening your business.
Are you a start-up entrepreneur who has taken his or her first steps in entrepreneurship or has been on the road for a while, but feel there is still much more potential? Would you like to get a better grip on the growth and development of your business? Then this workshop is perfect for you.
Don’t be limited by your current successes, discover what else is possible!
Register for this session is FREE but required.
The workshop will take place between 1 and 2 p.m. in the Park Hall of the Musis.

Food Fest | World Food Center Ede
2024-10-16 11:00 - 16:00 (CEST), 2024-10-03 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Arnhem
FoodFest brings together a committed community of food innovators whose mission is accelerating positive change in the agri and food ecosystem, putting positive impact for people and planet first. It’s the place for purpose-driven leaders, silo breakers, synergy builders in food. That’s why we are looking for you!
Are you looking for funding or searching for a relevant deal flow? Do you want to brainstorm with experienced food entrepreneurs or like-minded founders? Looking for inspiring food innovations? Eager to connect with potential leads? Thinking about scaling abroad?
We put the “act” in impact. Join one of our interactive sessions.
Would you like to see your products being sold in multiple locations? Do you know what to prepare before approaching a supermarket or wholesaler? What are the most important questions a buyer has (and it’s not the price)? In a 45-minute session, David Kleerekoper from Brilliant Work will guide you through a few steps to consider when you aspire to see your products on the shelf.
The full program of the Food Fest:
13.00 – 13.30 Registration
13.30 – 13.45 Welcome
13.45 – 14.30 Masterclasses
14.30 – 14.45 Short Break
14.45 – 15.30 Boost your business | Food startup and scaleup facilities in the region
15.30 – 16.15 The floor is yours | Food Startups pitching
16.15 – 17.30 StartupRoulette | Matchmaking with investors
17.30 – 18.00 Drinks
18.00 – 19.30 Dinner
More information about the program and registration can be found here.

Free webinar - The ideal sales call
2024-10-11 10:30 - 11:30 (CEST) | Arnhem
Do you want to know how to sell your service or product really well? Without coming across as fake or too eager? Sign up now for this free webinar on Friday, October 11. Whether you have a lot of experience with sales calls or none at all: this webinar “selling” is really useful for anyone who has to try to win a customer.
We discuss how:
you ask potential clients for a conversation
you can get the information you need to close the deal
you can best tell about you and your company
and how you then bring in the client
You will also learn which questions to ask and how to sound convincing that it sounds like a hollow script from a call center. After this webinar you will know how to get much more results with less effort and less stress.
Presentation is in the hands of Lizanne Jakobs, founder of Brilliant Work and well-known partner at Generation-E, Start Club Arnhem and StartUp Nijmegen, among others. In her workshops and webinars you will learn very practical things that will really help you and you can apply immediately.
What previous participants thought of this webinar:
“I received very concrete and useful tips. The examples used were really based on the business ideas of the participants present.” – Marjean Movrin of Reorgaco
“The workshop gives tools for the sales conversation and a piece of structure. Some of it was already familiar to me, but it was very nice to hear it in a structured and constructive way.” – Nadia van den Heuvel of Ictoria
“Practical, relatable and ‘encouraging.’ Nice that above all the message is to listen.” – Babette te Winkel of Project Compassion
Click here for more information and to sign up.
