Your Business & Startup Mentor

Ideas > Vision > Strategy

Act & achieve

Bringing structure to ambiguity

Become a successful entrepreneur.

As a mentor I provide entrepreneurs with insight and guidance, drawing from over 20 years’ experience in advising, consulting and coaching individuals and teams. I’ll keep you motivated and focused through the challenges ahead. I’ll support you to develop your venture and help bring fresh vision and clarity to your ideas. I’ll work with you to evolve strategies and action plans that underpin a successful and powerful brand.

Branding and strategy

Focus on authentic communication and strategies.

Short and long term

Programmes and individual sessions based on your needs.

F-T-F and remote

Face-to-face and online sessions, support via email.

Basel

Mentoring in a calm environment at my office in Basel.

Amsterdam

City-vibe mentoring sessions in Amsterdam.

Denia

Mentoring in lively beach town Denia.

expertise

Be different. Focus. Act and achieve.

Structure ideas
From ideas to a plan. Clarity about the what, why, who, how and when.
Branding & Positioning
  • Mission and Vision
  • Unique Selling Points (USP’s)
  • Target group
  • Branding templates
  • Name & Design
  • Key messages & Corporate story
Strategy
  • What (message)
  • How (tools)
  • To whom (target groups)
  • When (planning)

are you communicating?

Visual Identity
  • Tone of voice and image
  • House style development
Communication Tools
  • Development of social media tools
  • Development of online tools such as websites & newsletters
  • Print
  • Development of stationery: business cards, letters, invoices, etc.
  • Text, photography and film
Growing your business
  • Marketing
  • Rebranding
  • Efficiency
  • New (communication) tools
  • Merging
  • New target groups
  • Networking
  • Free publicity

for who?

You have dreams and goals. Let’s make them a reality.

I believe that everyone’s business dream can become a reality. Our sessions will energise you and boost your confidence – you’ll always leave with a backpack full of ideas and actions, ready to move forward. I work with individuals and small teams, in both new startups and emerging and transforming businesses.

You have an idea or concept for a new business, but you’re not sure what specific product or service your venture should provide. You need feedback and structure.
You have clear ideas and you’re ready to start up your own business, but you need help to make it really happen and become successful. You need action plans to move forward and a strong branding strategy.
You’ve formulated plans and branding strategies for your business, but you’d welcome a second opinion.
Perhaps you’ve already done all the hard work, but now need advice or support on developing your next phase with new (online) communication tools.
Maybe your business has not yet delivered on what you expected, and you’re getting frustrated with the lack of progress. You need honest feedback and someone to discuss your next steps.
It might be that your business is growing so fast that it’s time to rebrand or get the focus back. You need new insights; someone to think along with you and support you while you support your team.

how it works

Inspiration, hard work and determination.

My values

Authentic
The way I engage and communicate with clients is no different from the way I behave with my friends and family. If you work with me you will be working with someone who is down-to-earth, direct and assertive. I inspire and encourage my clients to be who they really are and to (re)create a business that brings out the best they can be through authentic communication.
Excellence
I am committed to getting the best out of your business. Together we will seek opportunities for continuous improvement. Good is not good enough. I am constantly anticipating the next step or unearthing a deeper layer. I work closely with a European team of designers, site builders, copy writers, online experts, photographers, film makers, strategists, brand and financial experts to bring you the best possible solutions.
Entrepreneurial spirit
Autonomy, challenge and adventure: this is what you’ll experience when you’re working with me. My sessions with clients are honest and forthright; there’ll be challenges (sometimes) and adventures (definitely). The entrepreneurial journey is never entirely smooth, but I’ll be there to guide you through the tough patches. Together we’ll discover new insights and pathways so that when the inevitable frustrations arise, you’ll be able to combat them with renewed energy.
Personal approach
Each of us is unique, so I believe in a tailor-made, personalised approach. Programmes are not standardised but based on your specific needs and expectations, which will be discussed beforehand.
I’ll also share my own personal experiences, good and bad. For me, being open with these emotions is essential on the journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Format

Mentoring sessions can take place face-to-face in my office in Riehen/Basel. Tailor-made two or three day-programs are
available in Basel, Denia and in the Amsterdam-Utrecht area. I also hold online mentoring sessions and offer support
via email.

Walk and talk
Air the brain! We combine the power of mentoring with the wellbeing benefits of walking. Walking is so much more than exercise. A mentoring walk helps you to (re)focus and supports your concentration, motivation and mood. Often, as soon as the walk is over, we work on a concrete action plan. A mentoring walk takes around 2.5 hours with several stops. Maximum participants: 3.

Kick-off sessions
In these fast-paced creative sessions, we will focus on a specific challenge that you are struggling with. Perhaps your great ideas need more structure, or you’d welcome a second opinion about a part of your business? Maybe you want to work with different people to align a new concept? These 2-4 hour sessions will help you move forward, giving you plenty of new insights to consider and actions to work with. Maximum participants: 3.

Laser sessions
I offer short, focused and straight to the point laser mentoring sessions. These help you to gain clarity, overcome obstacles, and act towards your desired outcomes. Laser sessions also keep you on track. Ideal for busy professionals who need to make fast progress on specific goals and/or would like to check in on a regular base. Duration: 20-30 minutes. Online.

Programs away from home (2-3 days)
Big steps forward in a different environment. You will benefit from being away from all and everything while working on your goals, challenges, strategy or vision. The program during these days is based on your needs and will leave you enough space to explore the new environment. An intense but very powerful way to make things happen. Available in Spain and Switzerland where I have home offices or in the Netherlands.

Investment

  • Mentoring starts from CHF 150 per hour (excluding MwSt).
  • Face-to-face sessions last a minimum of 1.5 hours.
  • Support via phone and email: as agreed beforehand.
  • Discounts for long-term programmes.
  • For clients outside of Switzerland: please contact me for more information about my rates in euros.

In a free 45-minute consultation, we discuss your needs and the way I can support you.

about Femke

‘I have never done that before, so I am sure I can do it!’ (Pippi Longstocking)

My passion

Follow your dream, live your passion. Go for it! I get energized when I can support people to make their dream a reality; to get them out of their comfort zone and allow them to do things they have never done before; to see them grow by running their own company; to challenge them to get the most out of themselves and their business.

My story

Like Pippi, my journey has had its ups and downs. I have fallen many times, stood up and fallen again before achieving my ambitions. Through these experiences I have learnt to follow my heart, to do what I enjoy the most. ‘No’, ‘not possible’ and ‘can’t do’ hardly exist in my language.
I have over 20 years’ experience in the communications business in the UK, Holland, Germany and Switzerland and have run my own company since 2009.

International
Dutch touch with an international feeling. I was born and raised in the Netherlands, lived in England and am now based in Switzerland and Spain. I have travelled a lot around the world and support social enterprises in Sri Lanka as a volunteer. Surrounded with international clients and friends, a non-Dutch partner and two multilingual children. I can truly say that I am experienced in and enjoy working with clients with cultures, backgrounds and languages other than my own.

testimonials