Greet Ritskes

Greet was once a Rabobank director in Groningen and encountered many entrepreneurs who were not getting on with their idea. As the bank did not engage in one-to-one coaching sessions with customers, she found Entrepreneurs Soundboard a perfect initiative. Not just for start-ups, but for every entrepreneur, whatever stage they are in. At the time, she therefore resolved to work for such an organisation the moment her business career was over. 20 years later, she put her money where her mouth is and she finds it “immensely enjoyable”. This way, she sees that she keeps her knowledge up to date and even learns new things, such as about social media, among others.

Greet: “I do find this form of marketing very interesting and fun, so I am educating myself in it. Then I find that marketing is in my blood and this comes in handy in social media.”

She herself also has experience as an entrepreneur. When her father suddenly fell seriously ill, she took over the business as the eldest daughter. She ended up running the furniture and home furnishing business for three years.

Greet helps both starting entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs with the end in sight and entrepreneurs in a growth process. So she meets all kinds of companies and people. One starting entrepreneur she helped set up his business benefited greatly from Greet’s advice. It gave him structure in setting up his business, they set up a concrete roadmap and he thinks he would still be searching if he had not gone through the sounding board process. Greet further made sure he established a strong concept and that the entrepreneur started thinking from the customer’s point of view.

By now, the start-up has almost 40 clients and has built a good network. This warm network as well as his active commitment will now take him far. Greet: “That’s great to see.”

Greet: “I myself have always worked in positions where I was relatively alone. In my opinion, it is therefore great to be able to guide entrepreneurs one-on-one in this role. I can hardly understand that the OKB is not yet taking a storm. What could be better than being allowed to assist someone in everything for a low investment, without any interest? I am independent in my role because the entrepreneur does not have to pay an hourly rate. This work is very personal and that is wonderful. The entrepreneur can say anything to me, including with regard to the private situation.”