“I spent 15 years in the corporate rat race, but felt increasingly out of place in that world,” says Cees Embrechts of Bestowill International BV.
“Slowly, the idea of starting my own business came to me. I’d first followed a programme to discover my passion. That might sound cliché, but it really had a lot of impact on me. Subsequently, I went looking for a business coach because I read that successful entrepreneurs make a lot of use of them. I needed help to gain some perseverance and the right mindset.”
‘Ivar helped me organise my thoughts.’
Cees has had a bumpy ride, but he’s now doing incredibly well with his e-commerce venture. Thanks to business coach Ivar van Asten of Brilliant Work, he got his thoughts in order. “With the help of good software, I searched for a niche in the American market on Amazon. So, where there was high search volume but few providers. I ended up with a baby basket, but it could just as easily have been a watering can,” he says with a laugh.
Of course, Cees has a feel for baby items; he has two children himself. “I work with my wife, who’s a graphic designer and interior architect, and together we have an eye for beautiful, aesthetic products. On Amazon in America, there are many Chinese products reflecting Chinese style & taste. I want to make European design baby products accessible to the American market. Now I sell much more than just baby baskets through Yunioo.com.”
‘I really needed his help.’
Cees says his business coach, Ivar, mattered most when choices were hard to make. “Sometimes I lacked motivation or felt unsettled by everything coming at me. Ivar gave me perspective and helped me let go and decide,” he says. “I needed him then to help me organise my thoughts. I’m increasingly able to let go now, but I really did need his help.”
“Ivar’s method was very pragmatic. We were supposed to speak every month, but eventually, we agreed to only meet if I truly had questions and problems. That worked very well for me,” Cees explains. “I think it was good that I could do this with Ivar, because I’ve grown as a person. He’s inspired and motivated me.” He was able to put me at ease which made me feel more and more comfortable in the role of a start-up entrepreneur. “Ivar is also nicely direct and enormously experienced, that was of great added value at certain moments,” Cees explains.
‘Incredibly pleased that the coaching was subsidised.’
“It’s also incredibly pleasing that I could start the coaching programme with the help of a subsidy. This removes a big hurdle for a start-up entrepreneur, as you have to watch every euro at the beginning. Recently, I started collaborating with an investor,” Cees explains. “Because of this, I now dare to dream big that in five years, we’ll have built a multi-million-pound company together. And then I also hope to be able to make an increasingly larger contribution to the charity I’ve joined.”
Cees, along with his company, has committed to ICFON. This organisation sets up four-year development projects for village communities in Nepal. After four years, these communities can become self-sufficient. “The men from those villages work as migrant workers, for example in Qatar, which means the women are left to rely on themselves. One such project costs €80,000 – for four years – and with that, they can help 800 people.”
“I’ve experienced for myself that a big house and a good job don’t automatically make you happy,” Cees explains. “Now I live in a smaller place, I have more freedom, and I do more charity work. Actually, I’m happier now.”
Do you also want to make more impact with your business without having to work more? Or make your company more attractive to investors? Then get in touch with Brilliant Work for coaching and advice.
