'Future-proof business is a win-win situation'

As a green professional, when do you really make time to think about what direction you want to take your business? Many professionals won't give it much thought, because they are lived. The participants in the 'van het Groen' growth group are an exception. They know: future-proof business is not only something you do for yourself and your employees, but also for your clients.

During the 'van het Groen' meetings, affiliated gardeners exchange knowledge and experiences with each other. For example, they discuss how to deal with the current personnel shortage in the industry as an entrepreneur, but also discuss topics such as training and development. In addition to entrepreneurial issues, technical matters are also discussed, such as the experiences and considerations surrounding the use of power tools. The gardeners gain new insights together and educate themselves and their employees on current topics. For example around the developments in climate and energy transition. And, of course, the opportunities available to gardeners to become more sustainable. Both in work and in business processes. 

One of the training sessions the gardeners recently attended was provided by Renate Manders, strategic partner for entrepreneurs. She focused during the session on the topic of corporate identity and what you do with it in your organization. "Corporate identity and values are not things you make up, but are innate to you as an entrepreneur. And that is exactly what I try to bring out. By being aware of those values, you can include them much more in your decision-making, your processes and in your communication with others." 

Not an easy topic for the gardeners, but that is what made the meeting so valuable. Thomas Rikhof from Reutum: "It is of course very good to discover where your unique strength lies. During this session we had to put our gut feeling into words. You have to market what you usually do on autopilot. Normally it is always: go, go, go. Now I stopped to think about what I really want. Such a meeting always gives food for thought." Marnix van de Baan from Nijkerk also started thinking more deeply about his own company and way of working because of certain questions from the business coach. "How do I stand as a person, but also as an entrepreneur? That can give great insights."

And for horticulturist Henri Jansen from Wehl, the meeting with the business coach was a moment to take a step back and think: am I actually working the way I want to? "I now know: eventually you get the clients that suit you, that you deserve. In my case, those are customers who love a green garden. Those customers I want to serve, that suits me."

One of the goals of the "of the Green Growth Group" is to come up with insights together to make green businesses more future-proof. This not only benefits the entrepreneurs themselves. It also helps them better supervise their employees. And, certainly not unimportant: it allows them to serve their customers even better. "Because we are exploring and investing in systems such as a heat pump and rainwater harvesting ourselves, we can advise and inspire customers even better in that area. The newly acquired knowledge around climate and energy transition is translated by the gardeners into customized advice for their customers. Future-proof business is therefore really a win-win situation," said Teunis van de Pol, creator of garDsign. He took the initiative around the van het Groen growth group. On September 1, 2022, garDsign celebrated its tenth anniversary; that date also marked the official start of an Xpert group. Exactly one year later, the van het Groen initiative was established to work even more closely together. "Within the growth group, we look at how we can make smart impact together. It is very valuable to have a group of like-minded entrepreneurs to learn from each other and strengthen each other."

Horticulturists Thomas Rikhof, Henri Jansen, Marnix van de Baan and Léon te Winkel, together with garDsign and Poladvies, form the core of the 'van het Groen' growth group.

Would you also like to participate or learn more about the initiative? Check out www.vanhetgroen.org