Column Mick Walvisch

Can you combine Managing Risks with innovative entrepreneurship?

Just recently we heard the Dutch government repeating its ambition that Holland should become a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Dutch Innovation Platform, lead by our PM and renowned statesmen and business men, has really urged our nation to actively get involved in developing opportunities to improve our economic position in the world.

As the author of this piece and entrepeneur at heart I am well aware that I have a stake in the matter. But that does not withhold me from sharing my thoughts with you. I simply don’t understand why modern companies are not putting enough effort into redesigning their business and creating value, especially in this time and age…

Positive sound
The financial crisis is really taking its toll. ‘Mick, how are you doing?’, seems to be the most frequently asked question with regards to keeping up appearances. Nobody likes to hear that things are not going very well. Lately, we have been hearing an awful lot of horror stories and rubbish.

So how do you go about looking for a positive sound and feeling in the midst of it all? Getting tremendously drunk and doing drugs is out of style.

Getting advice from family and friends is a likely solution. Many storytellers have risen to the occasion. What to do and not to do. What to think and not to think. At every corner you can find someone with a narrow mind. A new trend supposedly?

I am astonished – as others with me – that these struggling times are not the starting point of new initiatives. Take for example the financial sector (or any in that matter). The financial institute as a whole has taken a blow! Now the doors are wide open for accountants and consultants for ‘managing risks’. Instead of welcoming organisations with creative and entrepreneurial ideas for a sustainable business. The Netherlands, the leader in innovation? I really don’t know what to think anymore… Do you?

About Mick Walvisch
Mick has over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur. In 2000 he became fascinated with business models. On the basis of his extensive experience and out of the box views he created ULURU in 2004 as an entrepreneurial Yin Yang.

ULURU Amsterdam has become a centre of entrepreneurship and is the home base and stage for corporate companies, brands and succesfull entrepreneurs who want to share innovation. ULURU offers companies the possibility to discover how innovation provides companies new entrepreneurial empowerment, values, products and services.

ULURU has developed creative business concepts and partner models for Burger King, RTL, Disney, Hunkemoller, Gemalto, Deloitte, Heineken, TomTom, Delta Lloyd, Nuon, KPN, ING, Heinz/Honig,  IBM, Talpa, Vodafone, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Kluwer, and others.