Yes! We Connect goes international
This blog is the start of a series of blogs about the international adventures of Yes! We Connect. It is our ambition to pass on the magical power of connection to employees worldwide. And we are really going to focus on this, because YWC goes international!
We don't do this alone, but with our new colleagues Kelly and Ernest. In this blog you get to know them a little better and we ask Kelly and Ernest why they want to embark on this adventure with us. Frank and Muriel, the founders of Yes! We Connect explain, how it was for them when Ernest and then Kelly approached them and what opportunities this offers for their company.
Ernest was the first to approach Yes! We Connect with a plan to set up a business in the US from his new hometown of Washington DC. ‘Starting your own business means that you tell whoever you meet about your plans. This specific moment I was at a big event and told the event manager about it. She mentioned that there was another party she came across which I would probably find interesting, Yes! We Connect. The website made me very enthusiastic and immediately I got in touch with them.’ Frank: ‘That was a big and very welcome surprise. It feels very rewarding when someone appreciates what you do this much.’ A couple of months later Kelly had a similar proposal for the Belgium market. We knew Kelly already for some time. She has been our contact at TNT for the onboarding program.
Meeting with Kelly in her hometown Mechelen (Belgium).
Kelly: ‘A couple of months ago, I decided it was time for a new chapter in my professional life. I wanted to start working as a freelancer, my most important aim being: the face of organizations whose product/service I believe makes the world a better place to live and work in; and where I could have an impact on how the product/service would evolve. After having collaborated with Yes! We Connect as a customer, I already had an idea of what this community of entrepreneurs stands for. This idea was confirmed to the fullest when I started conversations with them about potential collaboration. We share similar values such as integrity, positivity, improvement and open communication. All of this only makes me more eager to get this adventure started.’
Expand abroad and unleash the magical force of connection
We never expected people to approach us with the idea to take the business abroad. However on the other hand we have been thinking a lot about bringing our concept to other countries. In the last couple of years Yes! We Connect has been working throughout Europe, the US and Asia, but always from our Dutch headquarters. We feel that we still have a lot of ground to cover in fulfilling our purpose of unleashing the magical force of connection for employees worldwide. With the start of Ernest and Kelly we had to build a license model to make it possible to expand the business to other countries.
The very first meeting with Ernest at our office in October 2018.
The Yes! We Connect approach gives Ernest in the US the opportunity to help organizations grow employee engagement by discovering and strengthening their connections. ‘I get a lot of energy when I see new relationships being built. By listening to the business goals of our clients we can bring a lot of energy and engagement to any organization, so why not in US! I’ll be going to a lot of networking events. This helps me to share our story and get to know the market better. From a connection, comes a connection they say so hoping to meet a lot of interesting people. In a year time I would like to have built some relevant client reference cases. This will gain the trust of other potential clients and will convince them that we can help their organization to work in a more connected way.’
Expectations, wishes and dreams
Kelly: In a year, I hope we will have been able to get our products/services, that have proven to be really successful in the Netherlands, more known in Belgium (Dutch & French speaking customers). Of course, the goal is to already have developed several projects with our first Belgian customers. Our plan is to organise at least one event for HR specialists and managers to get to know Yes! We connect. I believe Belgium is ready to embrace the drive of Yes! We Connect!
In the meantime Yes! We connect is working on opportunities in Germany and the UK. Frank: ‘If we can find a good licensee in these countries as well we will focus on building a solid business in these countries before expanding to new countries. But in a few years I can imagine to have licensees in Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Canada, Australia,… Who knows!’
If you know anyone in the US or Belgium who’s maybe interested in us or has contacts like HR managers or communication specialists that would be interested in our tools to connect at work, please share this blog with them! Do you want to know more about us or get in touch? Click here.
The next blog is online in two weeks and it describes what it takes to go international. How are Kelly and Ernest introduced to the methods of Yes! We Connect and how do they prepare themselves? In the meantime, check out our social media channels for more updates and news about YWC goes international!