The document proposes creating a "one source solution" national ecosystem and platform in the Netherlands to better support entrepreneurs and startups. It would aggregate existing local support efforts, provide high-quality information and connections online and at events. The primary targets are early growth companies with 1-20M euros in revenue. Research found support is heavily weighted to early startups and mentoring quality varies. The platform goals are 2,000 unique visitors and 200 members in the first year, plus 3 events with 50 attendees each. It must involve respected serial entrepreneurs and experts and provide comprehensive, up-to-date information and networking in a clear, actionable format. Existing resources like hosting and interns are offered to support developing the platform.

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Creative Brief, NLevator Ecosystem “One Source Solution”
28 January, 2013
Lauren Valbert
Empowering Management
(with input from and reviewed by Beth Susanne, Carlos Zwikker)
Visions in Focus
for Ministerie van Economische Zaken
I. Background / Overview
The vision for this effort is to get the Netherlands “in the lift” when it comes to entrepreneurship and
fostering successful start-ups. The general feeling amongst stakeholders that work closely with
entrepreneurs is that there are many siloed, separate, local or regional activities, which are not
communicated or coordinated well on a national basis. Support (e.g., financing, incubators, tax
advantages) is too heavily weighted to focus on start-ups at the beginning (see attached Research
Report for a more in-depth analysis of the equity gap for later-stage start-ups), and very little is
currently focused on growth-stage start-ups. In addition, the quality of the support and mentoring that
regional or local efforts provide varies, and there is no control over the quality or type of mentoring.
The Ministerie van Economische Zaken has been working with stakeholders from VCs, incubators,
accelerators, universities, banks, and others, to come up with a solution to these challenges. From these
discussions, it was proposed that a national ecosystem needs to be created, with online and offline
components, in order to better communicate and coordinate existing efforts, increase support across all
start-up growth stages, and improve the connections with and the quality of mentors and consultants
that work with entrepreneurs. (The notes from the series of meetings conducted on this topic are
attached.)
Visions in Focus was asked by MinEZ to conduct research amongst a group of stakeholders and
entrepreneurs to determine what support systems were already out there, what systems were working,
what systems weren't working, and where there were gaps. The research was designed to gain a deeper
understanding of a) the needs of the entrepreneurs themselves, and b) what stakeholders perceive as
key deliverables of a (new) entity designed to create a national support system for entrepreneurs. They
also asked what online and offline tools they were currently using, whether they would be likely to use
new tools, and what it meant (for the entrepreneurs) to be an entrepreneur. (The research report with the
conclusions from this series of interviews is attached.)
Out of the discussions and research, the proposed target group strategy (see below) is a “one source
solution” idea. This one source solution strategy could include a website and a series of events, which
are linked via content and branding. This creative brief is to provide the information the agency will
need to create the branding and look and feel for the overall initiative, the website, all supporting
materials for events, and any other activities related to the initiative that they develop.
Goals & Objectives of the Network Ecosystem Platform and Events
The objective of these tools would be to aggregate existing local/regional efforts, not replace them. It
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would be to create the “go-to” place for entrepreneurs, which they feel provides them with all the
accurate, high-quality information, networking, and connections they need, quickly and easily.
Based on an estimate of the size of the target group, the goals are:
 To get at least 2,000 unique visitors to the platform from the target group in the first year.
 To get at least 200 “members” (registered, repeat visitors) to the platform from the target
group in the first year.
 To hold at least 3 events with 50 attendees from the target group at each event in the first
year.
 Other goals can be added with additional activities.
Target Audience
The primary target for this ecosystem is Early Growth Phase companies. These are defined as 1 to 20
million Euros in revenue, corporate spin-outs and scalable start-up entrepreneurs with 5 to 50
employees. They are located throughout the Netherlands, and it's key to not focus on activities or tools
in one region over another. It should have the appearance of a national platform.
Demographics and Psychographics
Entrepreneurs are generally young (younger than 40), and in the Netherlands, tend to be predominantly
male. Many of them perceive themselves as different than the average Dutch person: they feel more
willing to take risks, more independent, perhaps a bit strange and not fitting into the culture, which
tends to be people who are employees of large, Dutch companies. Many of them described being an
entrepreneur as the only thing they could have imagined doing. Those who had been working for
companies and left to start their own companies described themselves as not fitting into a typical large
company structure.
They view their work as fun, even if it means long hours and lots of stress. Most view what they're
doing as creating something new, adding to the world. Most Dutch entrepreneurs are not (consciously)
motivated by money. Some are resistant to growing their company beyond a certain size, because
maintaining direct control is more important than making a lot of money. They're also resistant to big
risk, as they don't feel there is cultural appreciation for failure in the Netherlands. Finally, a majority
(approximately 80%) really regard the business they're building as “their own” business: the
entrepreneur equals the business. (This is reinforced by the fact that if they get loans from the bank,
they have to put up their own personal assets as collateral.)
Key emotional words:
 Independence
 Freedom
 Contribution
 Pride
 Passion
 Achieve (my or others') potential
 Innovation
 Inspiration
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 Rewarding
 Stressful
 Solve a real problem/Make a real difference in the world
 Satisfaction
 Happiness (mine, my employees, and my customers)
 Failure is not an option
 Ownership & responsibility
 Control
 Belief of own success in the end (“I’ll get there, ultimately”)
 Seeing multiple opportunities
 Feel different
Online Information Sources
These entrepreneurs have little time to waste. There is a perception (generally accurate) that the speed
of how quickly they get their offering to market will make or break them. Online tools that they
currently use have to supply information quickly and accurately. They tend to use the same online
sources over and over again, and they tend to use sources that are recommended to them by respected
contacts (rather than do their own research and find new sites). (The websites that entrepreneurs
mentioned that they use the most often are listed in the appendix of the research report.)
Events
The likelihood that this target group will attend events varies wildly. Most feel that good events are
worth attending, no matter how busy they are. Good events are judged on 1) the quality of the speakers,
2) the relevance of the topic(s), 3) the quality of the attendees. Some attend 3 to 4 events a month,
others 1 or less, some none at all. Again, they all tend to only attend events that are recommended by,
or known from, their existing networks. But if the events are perceived as good, most are willing to
travel to other parts of the country, or even internationally, within Europe or to the US. (The events that
entrepreneurs are attending the most often are listed in the appendix of the research report.)
Heroes
This group looks up to successful entrepreneurs, most often serial entrepreneurs (those who have
started more than one company that is now successful). Those entrepreneurs don't have to be from their
industry, necessarily, nor from the Netherlands, but they have to be successful. Unlike entrepreneurs in
the US, there is not an understanding that an entrepreneur that has gone bankrupt at least once is a good
role model. They may intellectually know this, but they don't believe it in their hearts. (A list of role
models is listed in the appendix of the research report.)
Government and big corporations are often seen as part of the “old economy”, and they are not
considered role models for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs regard the role of these two groups is to
support them with money, and tax and regulatory information, but not to try to advise them on business
models, marketing, or resources, as they “don't understand the new economy” and “think in months
when we need to think in days.”
Single Most Important Message
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If we only communicate one thing to this target audience, very busy entrepreneurs at early growth stage
companies, it's the following:
This “one source solution” represents the “go-to” activities for growth-stage entrepreneurs in the
Netherlands.
Supporting Rational and Emotional Reasons to Believe
These are supporting arguments that will help make the case to our target audience that this is the “go-
to” platform:
 Entrepreneurs are/will be involved with the creation and testing of the platform to validate it's
the right platform.
 It will be funded initially by the government, but run as a lean start-up itself. (No more than 5
people working part-time on the organization of this, or 3 full-time people.)
 It will add to, not subtract from, the great activities that are already happening.
 It will add to the knowledge an entrepreneur needs, and not cause him to lose time or effort.
 It will involve trusted, known serial entrepreneurs as spokespeople.
 It will involve international speakers, mentors, VCs, angels, etc.
Platform/Events/Other Activities Requirements
The entrepreneurs and stakeholders we asked were not unanimous in their opinion that a national
platform and events were the right activities. However, those who agreed with the approach (evenly
split between entrepreneurs and stakeholders), suggested some requirements for those activities.
 Needs to be on a national basis.
 Requires the visible presence of the right players: mentors, other serial entrepreneurs, industry
experts, VCs, angels, high level of key speakers (people who are still in an entrepreneurial
position NOW who are successful). Presence at events was implicitly stated; the presence on
website in the form of providing information and being mentors was also implied.
 Needs to contain information on all elements of business creation: funding, legal, HR,
recruiting, sales and marketing, tax and regulatory issues, personal and professional coaching.
 The information needs to be clear, accurate, up to date, and actionable.
 There are now local and regional activities that need to be raised up and expanded on a national
level. This ecosystem would aggregate those activities. However, there are necessary local and
regional events/activities that make sense to continue (local networking, for example), so it's not
intended to replace all activities.
 Needs to have a one-on-one element to every activity (e.g. a slow-speed dating event).
 Can provide specific education (see above for specific topics needed) for entrepreneurs.
 It will create such an magnetic effect that people will want to voluntarily give up siloed
activities to join these cool, centralized activities
 The tone of the platform needs to mostly be “entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs”, but with a
portion of the platform saved for “authority information” from the government.
 Needs to provide access to a single-source database: who's doing what, where and when, with
whom. It should provide all the (known) information about the above topics in an easy-to-use,
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up-to-date, and comprehensive format.
Ideas
Money Location Knowledge
Creation
A suggestion from a stakeholder of a visualization of the information flow on the platform.
Existing Resources
 Symbid has offered to host the website.
 ACE has interns that can help with the gathering of information for the website, or for assisting
in the set-up and execution of events.
 New Venture willing to take responsibility for back office.
 All stakeholders offer their network to reach out to quality speakers.
 One stakeholder, Martijn Blom of the Investeerders Club, when asked, was willing to play a
(leading) role in the platform.
Schedule (TBD by MinEZ)
1) Date _________initial review of ideas.
2) Date _________review revised creative. Half size, with color, hand or computer created.
3) Date _________final internal creative presentation. Same finish as previous round.
4) Date _________client creative & media presentation. Full size, full color. Hand or computer created.
5) Date _________ [ digital, print, video, other ] final material delivered to website
developers/publishers.
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