In the Mirror - Flower Science

By: Flower Science

It must be more efficient, better, easier and more transparent. Compared to many other sectors, the bulb sector simply lags behind in technological development. And we have a big part of the solution. Many bulb entrepreneurs have arranged everything tightly at home: a nice and expensive phone, fun gadgets, handy apps, wireless solutions, a sonos, spotify, netflix and more. In that regard, like everyone else, they keep up with the times. So why not use good apps in your company that make work easier?

When you look in the mirror, what kind of entrepreneur do you see?

Sam: I see myself as a driven entrepreneur who is passionate about new technology. At the moment, I feel particularly challenged to apply new technology to existing companies.

Dylan: That goes for me, too. Together, we form a good duo. Our entrepreneurship started as a student friendship. Together with another student and bulb breeder Daan van Steijn, we did a thesis in the bulb sector. After the thesis project, we decided that we want to make this our work.

What is your CORE business?

Sam: We create smart bulb companies. By using RFID technology and smart applications, we can ensure that bulb entrepreneurs can always track their stock, assets and shipments live.

Dylan: We have developed an easy and user-friendly track & trace application for this purpose. We do this by working with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which is also used in the OV chip card, for example. We ensure that the entrepreneur can easily track his stock and shipments via an app on his phone, tablet or laptop.

Who are you one of?

Dylan: I'm not from the Bollenstreek. I'm from Zwolle. In this phase of our company, it would actually be easy to “be someone's”. You notice that it is useful to be someone you know in the bulb sector. Fortunately, we get help from enthusiastic entrepreneurs in the sector, such as van Daan. These entrepreneurs, who play an ambassadorial role for Beam, are incredibly important.

Sam: I'm not from here either. I have lived both at home and abroad. And now we're both living in Amsterdam. Every now and then, it's also useful not to get away from here. Of course, that's how we keep that fresh look.

What are you most proud of?

Dylan: We graduated from a cooling and preparation house Via Roma in Hillegom, this is where the idea for our track & trace was born and from here we started to develop further. It was immediately clear to us that we had come up with something that is very much needed within the bulb sector. Something to be proud of, yes!

Sam: I love that in a relatively short time, as a startup, we have achieved so much with so little resources. We have a well-functioning product that adds value and is also user-friendly. Right now, all our energy is in this.

What event did you learn a lot from?

Sam: Right now, we're just learning. Of course, we also regularly catch bone as young entrepreneurs. We are not familiar with the region and many bulb growers need to be convinced of the necessity of new technology. We regularly hear phrases like “it's okay, isn't it?” I find that incomprehensible. Many bulb companies are multi-million dollar companies, the products go all over the world. They are not small agricultural sheds, but large companies.

Dylan: Yes, it sometimes feels like mission work. That is why we mainly learn that we should not give up and we should first inform and convince the sector by introducing them to our product.

What makes your heart beat fast?

Sam: From new technology, I follow everything. I'm a big fan of Elon Musk, the man who wants to go to the moon and Mars with his own commercial space flights.

Dylan: I love coming up with solutions to complex issues. Of course, we could also have been employed somewhere after graduation and worked for a large corporate, but we opt for the adventure.

Are you a sustainable or conscious entrepreneur?

Dylan: Our product is sustainable. Thanks to the track & trace system, there is much less chance of errors and loss. You improve your efficiency, delivery reliability and save time and money on administration and order picking. Plus, you save on paper.

Sam: Furthermore, we are also very conscious about doing business. Partly because you're dealing with a natural product, but also because, as a startup, we just want to do a lot with few resources. Maybe creative is a better word.

What needs to be done differently in the flower bulb sector in the coming years?

Sam: It needs to be more efficient, better, easier and more insightful. Compared to many other sectors, the bulb sector is simply lagging behind in technological development. And we have a big part of the solution. Many bulb entrepreneurs have arranged everything tightly at home: a nice and expensive phone, fun gadgets, handy apps, wireless solutions, a sonos, spotify, netflix and more. In that regard, like everyone else, they keep up with the times. So why not use good apps in your company that make work easier?

Many companies have grown enormously in recent years, which is why the pressure to register and control is increasing. In a modern and large company, you just have to work smart.

Where do you see yourself/your company in 5 years?

Dylan: Right now, we're helping individual companies become future-proof, or smarter. After that, we want to serve the entire sector. Actually, we want to serve the entire chain of the sector. Our technology can be easily applied and linked to various companies, so that the entire chain becomes a well-oiled machine. We want to improve and connect. We are certainly open to collaborations. There is a lot of need for it, the first steps are being taken and we believe in it.

There are a lot of people in the flower sector. With which person would you like to exchange a day? Whose shoes would you like to walk in for a day?

Sam: The flower bulb business is hard at work. But there is also an incredible amount of love and passion for the profession. I would like to look through a grower's eyes and feel what that's like. Preferably someone from the older guard.

Dylan: I also want to see how a young bulb grower views the company. What is he up against, what does he want to change? At the moment, there are several generations in the bulb business. Who are the decision makers, what are the considerations?

Sam: We should indeed be walking in the shoes of all two of these generations for a day. That would provide us with a lot of valuable information.

Author: Flower Science

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