
Launching a Platform for Change – Nadine Ridder
In 2016, Nadine Ridder didn’t launch her freelance career with a flashy business plan or investor pitch. What she did have was a clear intention:
We have selected three interviews to give you insight into the key steps entrepreneurs take to launch and grow their businesses successfully.
Chiara, Tessa & Lotte, and Madelief, four driven founders, share their essential steps for navigating the early stages of their startups. Learn from their experiences, main takeaways, and apply these insights to set your business on the path to success.
Ensure Compliance and Simplify Your Approach: As a financial company, Chiara made sure to comply with local regulations early on. Simplifying their approach helped them validate their business plan before scaling.
Essential Step: Make sure your business complies with industry regulations and start with a straightforward approach to test your idea.
Validate Your Product-Market Fit: Chiara emphasized that validating product-market fit was the most critical step, as it sets the foundation for future growth and long-term success.
Essential Step: Continually validate that your product or service meets market needs before expanding
For more details, visit the full interview here.
Ask for Help and Stay Flexible: Tessa and Lotte found that trying to do everything alone led to missteps. Working with a mentor through Fempreneurhulp taught them the importance of asking the right questions and pivoting their strategy to refine their vision and target audience.
Essential Step: Seek mentorship and be flexible enough to revise your strategy based on expert advice.
Prioritize Patience and Steady Growth: They also learned not to take big leaps without solid planning, understanding that building a brand takes time and patience.
Essential Step: Pace your growth and avoid rushing into big decisions without thorough consideration.
For more details, visit the full interview here.
Conduct Thorough Market Research: When entering the ultra-luxury dog market, Madelief prioritized understanding the industry through extensive market research. This included hiring a consultancy firm, collecting macro data from online sources, and gathering microdata through direct conversations with dog owners and retailers.
Essential Step: Conduct comprehensive market research to understand your sector and find gaps that your product can fill.
Invest in Expert Talent: Madelief hired experts with relevant experience, such as a Product Development Manager with a background in haute couture, to bring craftsmanship and high standards to their products.
Essential Step: Bring in skilled professionals whose expertise aligns with your business goals to set your brand apart.
3. Create a High-Quality Customer Experience: To deliver a luxury experience, Madelief ensured top-notch customer service by employing a Customer Service Experience Manager with a high-end retail background.
Essential Step: Focus on every touchpoint of customer interaction to build loyalty and stand out.
For more details, visit the full interview here.
These essential steps, drawn from the real experiences of successful entrepreneurs, can help guide you as you start and grow your own business.
Join FEM-START today! Get access to expert-led funding courses, connect with a powerful community of female entrepreneurs, and dive into exclusive events, all designed to fuel your success.
In 2016, Nadine Ridder didn’t launch her freelance career with a flashy business plan or investor pitch. What she did have was a clear intention:
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Join FEM-START today! Get access to expert-led funding courses, connect with a powerful community of female entrepreneurs, and dive into exclusive events, all designed to fuel your success.
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