Brilliant Work

Free webinar on the digitization voucher - Tuesday, May 27, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
2025-04-12 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam), 2025-05-27 10:30 - 11:30 (CEST)
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.

Sell more without pushing
2025-04-14 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam)
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!

Workshop | Setting goals and priorities in collaboration with Startclub Arnhem
2025-04-14 07:00 - 08:30 (CEST)
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.

Free workshop and lunch - How to get more out of your team
2025-04-24 00:00 (Europe/Amsterdam), 2025-06-03 10:00 - 11:30 (Africa/Abidjan)
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.

Free webinar: Develop, retain and find the right staff using grant funding
2025-06-17 10:30 - 11:30 (Africa/Abidjan)
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!

Sell more without pushing - Free workshop - Learn about the ideal sales pitch
2025-09-01 15:00 - 16:30 (Europe/Amsterdam)
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.
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 tell the best about you and your company
– and then how to 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 to make selling easier without coming across as pushy.

Workshop | How to get the most out of your team
2026-01-29 11:30 - 13:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | World Food Center Ede – Friso Park 4, Ede, Netherlands
You’re running a promising startup or scale-up. You have a clear business plan, a small team, and funding. But how do you turn that foundation into a thriving, mature company in the quickest, most stable and easiest way possible? In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore what it takes to succeed in this next phase of growth. Through discussions and hands-on exercises, you’ll gain practical insights and tools to help your business scale smoothly and effectively.
Your employees are often both the biggest cost factor in your business and the source of most frustrations. Investors also look critically at your leadership and management skills to decide whether you will stay on as CEO as the company grows.
Whether you are struggling with your team or things are currently going well and you want to keep it that way, this lunch time will be time well spent — good staff are increasingly difficult to find and to retain.
During this workshop, we’ll work on our knowledge and skills in:

Your role as a leader
The difference between managing and leading
How to recruit and retain the right people for the right roles
How to keep employees on track and motivated in the short and long term
What to do when your staff don’t do things the way you want
What subsidies are available for developing your team

Trainer: Lizanne JakobsLizanne Jakobs is an award-winning business coach, speaker, and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Brilliant Work, which has been awarded the best business coaching and consultancy firm in the Netherlands for small to medium-sized companies. Her workshops are always interactive, practical, and engaging.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in International Business Communication from Radboud University, and she is a DiSC-accredited trainer. The team of coaches at Brilliant Work supports clients in growing and professionalizing their businesses. Most of these coaching projects are subsidized through one of 15 different subsidies. There will be plenty of time for questions and for discussing examples on which you’d like advice.
Lunch is included.
Location: World Food Center Ede, Friso Park 4

To join this free workshop and lunch click here to register.

This workshop is facilitated in Engish.

Save the date: Selling without being pushy
2026-02-02 15:00 - 17:00 (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.
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 tell the best about you and your company
– and then how to bring in the client
During the workshop, you’ll learn how to make selling feel easier without coming across as pushy. You’ll learn which questions to ask, and how to persuade in a way that doesn’t sound like a hollow call-centre script. After this workshop, you’ll know how to achieve far better results with less effort and less stress.
Participation is free. Registration for this workshop is possible by clicking on this link.

Free Workshop | The crucial steps (and pitfalls) for growth
2026-02-10 15:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Noviotech Campus, Building M, Nijmegen, Transistorweg 5, Nijmegen
You’re running a promising startup or scale-up. You have a clear business plan, a small team, and funding. But how do you turn that foundation into a thriving, mature company in the quickest, most stable and easiest way possible? In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore what it takes to succeed in this next phase of growth. Through discussions and hands-on exercises, you’ll gain practical insights and tools to help your business scale smoothly and effectively.
Trainer Lizanne Jakobs
Lizanne Jakobs is an award winning business coach, a well known speaker and an entrepreneur herself. She is the founder of Brilliant Work, repeatedly named best business coaching and consultancy firm in the Netherlands for small to medium sized companies. Her workshops are always interactive, useful and engaging. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Master’s in International Business Communications, both from the Radboud University. The team of coaches at Brilliant Work help clients grow and further professionalise their companies. Most of these coaching engagements are aided by one of 15 different subsidies.
Good to know
The workshop is facilitated in English. 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.
Location: Meet & Greet, Noviotech Campus, Gebouw M. Transistorweg 5 Nijmegen
Register now by clicking on this link.

Masterclass: How Do You Become That Attractive Employer?
2026-03-25 13:15 - 16:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Welder, Bremvallei 1, 's-Hertogenbosch
In today’s tight labour market, attracting and retaining the right people requires more than a competitive salary and attractive benefits. Organisations that truly stand out make deliberate choices about their positioning, culture and communication.Are you wondering how to meet these expectations without HR becoming a time-consuming or overly complex operation? Then this masterclass by Brilliant Work and WELDER may be just what you’re looking for.
During this practical and inspiring masterclass we explore:

When HR can no longer be managed as a side responsibility
Good employment practices as a driver of growth
The HR foundations that make this possible
Organising HR smartly and scalably, supported by the right tools
How you can secure up to €25,000 in funding to help finance this

Programme
☕ 13.15 – 13:30 | Welcome
We warmly welcome you to the WELDER head office in the beautiful city of ’s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch). We’ll make sure you settle in comfortably with a good cup of coffee, tea or whatever you prefer.
🎓 13:30 – 15:30 | Masterclass
During this masterclass, you will receive practical tips to immediately strengthen and professionalise your people management. Please bring your questions, so we can make this a real interactive session.
🍻 15:30 – 16:00 | Drinks
We end this afternoon with drinks, offering the opportunity to reflect on the session, share experiences and build new connections.
Participation is free of charge.Please note: this masterclass will be presented in Dutch. To register and for more information about this masterclass, please click on this link.

Workshop | How to attract more business leads
2026-04-10 09:00 - 10:30 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Gemeentehuis Druten, Heuvel 1, Druten
This workshop is organised by Brilliant Work and StartUp Nijmegen
We would all love to generate plenty of high-quality leads, month in, month out, whether from the businesses you want to attract as clients, or from schools or government organisations, for example. The ideal client, with the right budget, who is exactly looking for your product or service and magically comes knocking at your door. In reality, however, that rarely happens, or at least not as often as you would like.
So what can you do to gain that initial interest from potential clients? So that you can then start meaningful conversations with them. In this workshop, you will learn how to improve your approach by becoming better at:

Taking a close look at your target audience
Identifying where to find them
Choosing the right activities to spark their interest in a conversation
Planning these activities effectively throughout the year
It is important to note that this will vary depending on your sector and target audience. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, but there is a way to take control of your own online and offline marketing activities.

This workshop is valuable both for start-ups who are still figuring out how to generate leads, and for more established entrepreneurs who want to do so more effectively.
About the workshop facilitator
The workshop will be delivered by Lizanne Jakobs, founder of Brilliant Work and a well-known coach at StartUp Nijmegen. They have been voted Best Coaching and Consultancy Firm for SMEs in the Netherlands on multiple occasions. Lizanne lived in the United Kingdom for several years and was recognised there as one of the 50 best business advisers. Brilliant Work is a team of 20 professionals who advise, coach and train self-employed professionals and SME clients, often with the support of 15 different types of funding schemes.
This workshop takes place at the Town Hall of Druten.
Please note that the workshop will be presented in Dutch.
Participation is free, but you need to register. For registration and to find out more about this workshop please click on this link.

Ambitious entrepreneur — will your business still be here in five years?
2026-05-06 16:00 - 18:30 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Countus, Frisopark 4, Entrance C, Ede, 6711 WZ
Do you want to be able to look back and tell the story of your company’s success? Join this masterclass on securing your future. Be part of the conversation on how to ensure your brilliant business doesn’t end in a brilliant failure.
Many businesses excel at delivering their product or service, but ensuring your company is still standing strong in five or ten years is a different challenge altogether. As you grow—adding more employees, increasing revenue, or expanding internationally—running a business becomes significantly more complex. Many companies don’t survive what is often called the “Valley of Death.”
What risks should you be aware of? What needs to be firmly in place as an SME owner? How do you stay in control and safeguard your company’s future? And how do you make sure you come out the other side of the Valley of Death?
The real question is: when should you start? … Now.
Martijn Croon and Lizanne Jakobs will guide you through it all in this free masterclass. We’ll cover topics such as:

How do you define your long-term vision: your story, your future?
How do you set clear, specific goals for yourself and your team?
Financial control of your business: insight and overview bring peace of mind
How do you identify your key risks and turn them into a clear plan of action?

There will, of course, be plenty of time for your questions. Afterwards, you’re warmly invited to join us for a networking drinks reception.
Lizanne Jakobs is a well-known speaker in the field of entrepreneurship. She is the founder of Brilliant Work, a multi award-winning coaching, consultancy and training firm for SMEs. Together with a team of 20 experts, they support entrepreneurs and their teams in growing and professionalising their businesses—often making use of a wide range of subsidy schemes.
Lizanne has over 15 years of experience as a business coach, holds a degree in Corporate Communication, and is known for her engaging and highly practical approach.
Martijn Croon is a business advisor at Countus, a full-service mid-sized accountancy firm with 25 offices across the eastern Netherlands, specialising in supporting SMEs.
Martijn Croon (MSc in Business Administration, Master in Finance & Control, and a Registered Business Succession Advisor) is a former entrepreneur himself. With over 25 years of advisory experience, he has witnessed both remarkable successes and notable failures.
For Martijn, it’s not the numbers that form the foundation of success, but the entrepreneur’s story. His passion lies in helping business owners shape and write that story for themselves.
Programme:

15.50 Arrival and welcome
16.00 Start
17.30 Drinks and networking opportunity
18.30 End

This masterclass will take place at the Frisokazerne site (Frisopark 4, Entrance C, 6711 WZ Ede).
The sessions will be held in Dutch.
Participation is free of charge. Registration is required.

Walk & Talk with Brilliant Work | Plan Ahead for Your Business’s Future
2026-06-12 14:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Landgoed Groot Warnsborn, Bakenbergseweg 277, Arnhem, 6816 VP
On Friday 12 June, Brilliant Work invites SME owners to join an inspiring Walk & Talk. During a relaxed walk, we’ll explore the future of your business together. What’s working well, what could be done more effectively, and where might there be opportunities you haven’t yet spotted?
Fresh air often sparks the best ideas. Together with one of our coaches, you’ll join an open conversation with like-minded entrepreneurs who, just like you, are focused on the future and ready to grow (groups of up to 10 people).
As part of Arnhem MKB City 2026 and to mark Brilliant Work’s 10th anniversary, we felt it was the perfect moment to look ahead together to the coming year, the next five years or even the next decade of your business. Participation is free, but places are limited, so be sure to sign up soon.
After the walk, there’s time to continue the conversation over coffee or tea with cake.
Practical information

Date: Friday 12 June 2026

Arrival: between 2.00 – 2.15 pm

Start Walk: 2.15 pm

Duration: Give and take 1 tot 1,5 hrs

We’ll wrap up with coffee or tea and cake, until around 5.00 pm

Location: Hotel Groot Warnsborn, Bakenbergseweg 277, 6816 VP Arnhem

Get inspired, share experiences and head back to your business with fresh energy.
Brilliant Work is a multi-award-winning business coaching and consultancy firm for self-employed professionals and SMEs. The team consists of 20 experts. For our programmes, entrepreneurs can often make use of up to 14 different grants.

Save the date: Selling without being pushy
2026-06-29 15:00 - 17:00 (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.
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 tell the best about you and your company
– and then how to bring in the client
During the workshop, you’ll learn how to make selling feel easier without coming across as pushy. You’ll learn which questions to ask, and how to persuade in a way that doesn’t sound like a hollow call-centre script. After this workshop, you’ll know how to achieve far better results with less effort and less stress.
Participation is free. Registration for this workshop is possible by clicking on this link.
This workshop will be facilitated in Dutch.
