Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ronald van Houselt, of Chefstore.nl, located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands .

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Chefstore.nl. We are an online wholesaler of non-food supplies and professional kitchen equipment for restaurants, hotels, cafeterias, office buildings, and all other users of professional kitchen equipment and restaurant supplies. Our geographical focus is in the Benelux, but we also have export customers in other parts of the world. In addition, the more enthusiastic home Chef who is looking for more durable equipment than the standard domestic brand's offer knows its way to Chefstore.nl. Chefstore.nl is now a top 5 player in the online market for supplying professional kitchen equipment and other restaurant supplies, and we reached that position from the start in under five years. Chefstore.nl is still growing rapidly with high double-digit growth percentages. We process orders from one set of glasses to a complete kitchen project for several of the larger franchise fast food chains and hotel chains in the Benelux.

Tell us about yourself

My background is in the corporate financial services industry and private equity, where I have worked for over ten years. I have always had the dream of starting my own business. By coincidence and through friends, we stumbled upon a business opportunity in the professional kitchen equipment industry. We started the business from scratch as a side business. Soon the company became too big to manage as a side business, and in 2020 my business partner and I decided to go full-time and quit our corporate jobs. Perfect timing when COVID hit the world, and everything went into lockdown. Nevertheless, we kept our heads down and worked hard to improve the business. In that respect, the lockdown provided us with ample time to work on our business since there was no distraction in the form of parties, dinners, or holidays. Also, many of our customers in the restaurant business changed their business models towards take-out and delivery and needed to invest in new equipment. This gave Chefstore.nl a boost and generated massive growth for our company. We invested in a larger office space and extended our team with more employees.

It is very motivating to see your efforts directly translate into growth and improvements in your own business. Growing your own company, expanding the business, creating and taking the opportunities that present themselves, and creating a good team around you is a very satisfying aspects of being a business owner.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. If you ever dream of starting your business, just do it. START. There is never a good time. You can always find an excuse for why it's inconvenient, and you will do it 3-5 years down the line. Most likely, it won't happen. Work out your plans, take action and do it.
  2. Try hard, fail fast and change and adapt. You need to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances quickly.
  3. Do something you enjoy, especially if it is your own business. It is your "baby." It's always on your mind and your responsibility. Much easier to handle when you enjoy what you are doing.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.chefstore.nl/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefstore.nl/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chefstore-nl/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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