'If you see an opportunity, don't wait'

Kim van der Zande never wanted to become a traditional psychologist. After completing his psychology studies at Tilburg University, he started working at online marketing agency Blue Mango Interactive. After a few years at this company, he discovered what really makes his heart beat faster: entrepreneurship. He started FLXone, a digital marketing platform. He sold this after 'three years in a rollercoaster' to an American listed company. After that, he was eager to share his wealth of entrepreneurial experiences. For example, he gave guest lectures to students of Tilburg University. He also took part in a panel of alumni who assess applications for grants from the University Fund: a kind of Dragons Den for scientific projects.

Screwed with cooking

Anyone who thinks that Kim's entrepreneurial story has ended is wrong. In fact, it has only just begun. Because he has embarked on a new adventure. In the spring of 2020 his heart started to beat faster again. The corona crisis gave him a promising idea for a start-up. “I am a Burgundian who loves culinary experiences. During the first lockdown, I was disappointed that the restaurants were closing. At the same time, I saw that people sought their entertainment more at home and thought: suppose we could make booking a chef much easier. I myself had good experiences with meeting groups of friends for a culinary afternoon or evening. But most of the time I was in trouble with cooking. For example, I discovered that there is a range of private chefs that you can visit your home. This market was one of the hospitality industry's best-kept secrets, but it didn't work well. The supply was very fragmented and it was difficult for people to judge what they were getting. ” There was the gap in the market for Kim. He decided to bring supply and demand together in a marketplace he called CHEFSTBL. That name refers to the chefs table in better restaurants. This is usually a table with a view of the kitchen, where guests receive extra attention. With CHEFSTBL, Kim wanted to offer customers the opportunity to book a private chef at home; Contrary to popular belief, these are almost never chefs of restaurants who 'do this on the side'.

Under steam and boiling water

Kim didn't do it alone. He asked Bart Manders, former colleague at Blue Mango Interactive, to embark on the adventure with him. They had been planning to start a company together for some time, preferably a digital marketplace. Kim's idea fitted exactly in that picture. “Bart didn't have to think long about it. He put his plans for a consultancy company on hold and went for this idea. ” The start of CHEFSTBL went under steam and boiling water. Kim and Bart were in a hurry because they wanted to piggyback on the need for more home experiences during the corona lockdown. “If you see an opportunity, you shouldn't wait. On April 28, we said to each other: we want to go live on June 16. During those six weeks we did everything: eg set up, open a bank account and push through all nights to build a platform. In the meantime, we called Brabant chefs. With little effort, we found twenty chefs willing to participate. Not long after that, the province turned out to be too small and we decided to go rural. ” Initially, the platform was a piece of cake, says Kim. “We built it with minimal resources, a $ 200 a month license. But it worked. The reactions were: how long has this been around? "

Loan from Starterslift 

Before the start of CHEFSTBL, Kim called on 'extra start-up capital from the region'. “I was helped by an IQONIC business developer from the university. He pointed me to pre-seed financing at Starterslift Investments, where you can get a loan with friendly conditions. We could put that extra capital to good use, in addition to the own money we put into it. ” The tables were turned: this time Kim faced a Dragons Den-esque jury. These entrepreneurs, who have a lot of experience with startups, approved a loan of 50,000 euros. Kim can recommend such an application to any starting entrepreneur with a good plan: “The conditions are very friendly and the financier does not become a co-owner. Their consideration is not: what is the probability that we earn from this? They are only looking at the chance that it can become a thriving starter for the region. ” There was little doubt about that at CHEFSTBL. They quickly managed to make a turnover, through a commission of fifteen percent that they charge for mediation. The start-up is now on track to reach a million euros in bookings within a year. “The curfew has dampened the growth a bit, so that people no longer meet up for dinner in the evening. But you don't hear me complain. “

Attractive company

Kim expects CHEFSTBL to grow significantly. He sees market not only in indoor dining, but also in festive culinary barbecues in the garden. According to him, the trick is to properly coordinate supply and demand. “When demand rises, we have to expand the supply. Then it comes down to selecting the right chefs, for example in regions where we still have relatively little coverage. You have to be precise about that. We want our chefs to be 'really good'. I don't just mean professional and of a high culinary level. They should also be attractive company. Our customers will receive them. ” Does he have any plans to expand abroad? “Sure, but I'm a bit careful about it. I learned from FLXone that you shouldn't want to internationalize too quickly, otherwise it will cost a lot of money. We first want to develop a scalable and highly efficient marketplace in the Netherlands. I am a process freak. I don't want to copy inefficiencies. Only when things are completely perfect in the Netherlands, do we continue abroad. But once the time has come, it can go quickly. ”

Kim van der Zande in short

Kim van der Zande studied Social Psychology (master Economic Psychology) at Tilburg University between 2003 and 2009. He started his career at Blue Mango Interactive, where he was head of R&D and Innovation. From there he set up digital marketing platform FLXone. This grew into an international success in three years. At the age of 31, Kim sold FLXone to the listed American company Teradata. In 2018 and 2019, he joined the Fintech start-up Floryn, where he worked as a sales director. In May 2020 he started the new adventure with CHEFSTBL. Kim has been a member of the alumni board of the Tilburg University Fund since 2019. Does he have a tip for students? “Don't get stuck in theory, but start doing something in practice during your studies. Do an internship or, even better, start a company. ”

CHEFSTBL