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Possen.com BV
What is your name and age? Bas Possen and I am 30 years old. What kind of education did you have? Master of business economics at the university of Maastricht, master in certified public accountant at the university of Maastricht, master incorporate treasury & finance London Business School. What is the name of your company? Possen.com BV.
When has the business been founded? Business case summer 1999, founding BV October 1999, opening head office and first shop May/June 2000.
How did it all start? With an offer from my last employer PricewaterhouseCoopers to go to San Jose (Silicon Valley) for five years. Advising high-tech companies and start-ups. The choice was: a career as an consultant, always looking from the side line, or start a successful company on my own. As a matter of fact I didn’t had to make a choice at all. By coincidence I heard about the body-scanner in the same week. In short, within a weak I had rejected the offer and started working on my business plan in complete panic.
How many employees do you have? Last week 18, this week 20 and next week 23.
In what way does your company differ from competitors? Which competitors? In all respects we have worldwide scoops: the first three dimensional body-scanner, the first driving show room with body-scanner and the first website/e-store where people where consumers can try their clothing virtually and three-dimensional. We are first mover and competitors will soon become reality.
What kind of obstacles did you face in the beginning and how did you overcome them? Combining the winners from the old economy (see-feel-try, service, physical customer contact, quality) with the winners from the new economy (speed, freedom of choice, supply chain integration, more channels wider public) without having your team and partners break down. Before the internet hype started investors laughed at my click and brick concept. Now, after all failing start-ups they cue up for the concept.
What are the plans for the near future? Opening Fashion Rooms with body-scanners in Antwerp, Rotterdam, The Hague, London, Frankfurt and a second store in Amsterdam. Also launching a second Mobile Fashion Room. Expand the website-e-store to authoritative in the branch in the Benelux and after that in Europe, inclusive world scoop in online three-dimensional fitting.
How many hours do you work per day? About 100 hours, 100% fun.
What is your advice for young entrepreneurs? Firstly I advice everybody without "balls" and a lot of energy to choose for a multinational. You can’t start soon enough with networking, this always becomes opportune in the future. Put all your thinking in the business plan; after that is only going, going, going, make decisions and have the guts to take risks and above all you have to be extreme proud of what you are doing. Think big, think international. It’s better to let go of a good deal, then to get a hold of a bad deal, in other words have the guts to say no. and, last but not least, make sure you have a top team around you, don’t be afraid to share with these people.
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