When starting your journey to become an impact entrepreneur, it’s imperative to consider the key factors that will increase your chances of success. In this article Noor Fidgor, Founder of Feelou and Field Expert at Unknown University of Applied Sciences, shares 3 tips that can help you start a company that will empower you to change the world. Read below to discover more about Noor and her advice for soon-to-be impact entrepreneurs.
With a background in environmental science, Noor has worked at quite some startups in waste management. Her experience with helping graduates of the Technical University Delft in their incubator YesDelft! in addition to her own desire to start an impact-oriented business, led her to create Feelou where she developed a maternity bra that could grow and shrink along with the body throughout the pregnancy process. After giving birth to her first child, seeing how much she bought throughout the timeframe and, after some market validation, came to the conclusion that there were a lot of women experiencing what she was: that there was so much waste going on. That is how Freelou was born, for with one product, they prevent the need to buy multiple products.
1. Find yourself a Co-Founder with the same attitude about impact.
You can avoid a lot of difficult discussions if you’re aligned with your business partner because you don’t have to argue about baseline principles. If you aren’t looking for a co-founder, then surround yourself with other impact entrepreneurs that have the same mindset. When you’re in that environment, you can share your victories and accomplishments, and reach out during hardships.
2. Connect to the right networks.
At Feelou we connected with the club circular ondernemers; an association where all startups operating in the circular economy. Together we can make noise. It helps to get publicity and stuff like that. We’re also connected to impact city, which is a network of impact-driven entrepreneurs, which exists to help impact entrepreneurs. Through network events and workshops you can speak with someone that thinks ‘ah this is a problem that I know another impact entrepreneur has struggled with’ and then get connected with them. Find the right networks.
3. Just do it.
Even if everyone tells you ‘is the market big enough?’ or ‘will you actually make it?’ just go for it. You can hear a lot of things coming your way but you’ll only know if you start. Get out there.
These 3 aforementioned tips are just the start if you want to create a company with the purpose of benefiting the world. When embarking on your journey it’s also important to remember that, as it happens when you try to change the status quo, you will always encounter resistance. The reminder would be to always stick to your own principles and remember what you started it for, what you want to solve. If you see an easy way out or an easier road, don’t sacrifice what you started the company for.
At Unknown University of Applied Sciences, you are equipped with the tools required to create and grow a meaningful, impact-oriented business. Curious to see how you can kickstart your entrepreneurial journey and get to changing the world? Explore our Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Looking to scale your already existing business? Discover our Master of Science in Scaling Up.
