Put your people first. It's an eye-opener that every entrepreneur has probably heard more than once. And yet it's the first tip Jesse Groenewegen gives in this episode of Work Professor. He does large-scale research for Rabobank into the characteristics of successful businesses - from small-scale enterprises to multinationals - so he should know.

'It's about treating your employees like adults,' he says. 'That you give them autonomy and trust and actively involve them in giving direction to your business.

Better than the rest

Many entrepreneurs probably know that this is important, but not everyone applies it, according to Groenewegen's research. Compare it to driving a car,' he says. People always think: I can drive better than the other. It's the same with entrepreneurship. We often mistakenly think that we are better than the rest.

Also important: bringing in external knowledge. Groenewegen's research shows that two nearly identical companies, one of which has externals in the boardroom and the other does not, the company with externals does much better in terms of profit and revenue.

Being stubborn

For Victor van Tol, this has been a learning process. 'In the beginning - like many entrepreneurs - I thought I could do everything myself. I had to pay a lot of rents to find out that I did need the perspective of others.'

But of course you need that stubbornness as an entrepreneur, otherwise you'll never start a business in the first place. You have to overestimate yourself a bit. That's why it's so important as an entrepreneur to learn good goals, says Jesse Groenewegen. They make your success measurable and keep you focused.

'Setting good goals is an art,' he says. 'The paradox is that you're not supposed to achieve all your goals after all, otherwise you'll start thinking: this is too easy.' His advice: 75 to 90% of your goals should be achievable. An entrepreneur must keep striving for something.

The tips from this podcast :

1. Put your people first and treat them like adults;

2. Bring the outside in view; bring in external knowledge;

3. Learn to set good goals that will keep you motivated.

‍

‍