What a year it was!

Already a year ago I launched my company weColLaborate via LinkedIn. With healthy excitement and expectations, looking forward to all the fun and challenging projects, enjoying the freedom that being a freelancer would bring, wanting to have fun networking and meeting new people, some uncertainty when writing my monthly blog (is anyone interested?), having invested a lot of time and work in the preparation of my company and website and at the same time know and expect that I would still encounter many unknowns.

And full of anticipation I started that year in which the Covid pandemic would come to an end, we would "learn" to deal with this virus in a "normal" way, we could go to events and meet physically again...But who would have thought that the next crisis was already in the starting blocks, that it would affect our daily lives so much and that a significant part of the people and SMEs can no longer even keep their heads above water. And above all, the horror, terror and destruction it brings to the people of Ukraine. I don't have answers for this and don't want to burden this business platform with my personal opinion on this, but I do find it terrible and frightening.
World leaders are responding, hopefully for the better, and the Dutch government, although fashionably late again, is supporting its citizens and businesses.

And for weColLaborate and my business year? It brought me everything I expected and more! Fun and interesting assignments, deepening my knowledge and expertise by doing even more research and reading about all kinds of colour and standardisation related information in a broader perspective than I was used to for DSM's Engineering Plastics, gaining experience in (not always easy) acquisition of new customers and projects, having a blast in making all kinds of videos, blogs and PR presentations about my company and expertise, brainstorming and discussing with great fellow freelancers (and just being able to help each other for free) and other tech-marketing people in my fields and beyond. And fortunately, also able to meet new people physically and go to fairs, among other things. And the administration is also not that bad, especially if you don't make it too difficult for yourself, with a good system and some self-discipline, and have a good accountant.

Entrepreneurship comes with its challenges and you have to learn to deal with them. I am no longer mainly “the customer”, but mainly the provider of services and I am no longer part of a larger group, but individually and only for my own company… and that is really a different way of working. There is a significant uncertainty in it - Flexibility is a given - Accepting that your way of working is not necessarily what the customers want - Finding peace in the realisation that everything takes its time and having and keeping the conviction that what you have to offer will ultimately lead to work and projects – Keep your eye on the ball and hold on to what you had in mind when you started. And above all, have some perspective! Not everything works right away, my Knowledge Hub platform for example could use a few more subscribers (become a subscriber! Very nice and interesting at a favourable price!)...
  Well, “Life happens. Adapt. Embrace change, and make the most of everything that comes your way"
  (Nick Jonas).

What a year it has indeed been!

On to a new, and hopefully peaceful and somewhat quieter, second year!