Vriendendienstje supports seniors with practical help and a social touch. The startup pairs requests for help with freelancers (the friends) who support the target group with chores and companionship. In this way, seniors receive the personal help and attention they deserve. Friends (how could it be otherwise) and founders Lauran de Wolf and Jasper de Kroon about their Vriendendienstje.
Lauran: "During corona, in early 2021, we started thinking about what we wanted. I wanted to be an entrepreneur, Jasper also wanted to join, provided we would also help people. What stood out during that period was that many people were on their own. The question was how we could do something for these people. Then we started right away. Just do it."
Jasper: "We are quite handy so we ended up choosing to do chores." It soon became clear that Vriendendienstje was mainly used by senior citizens. "We also discovered that the social aspect is very important. We gradually started focusing on that more and more," says Lauran.
As for any start-up, networking is also very important for Vriendendienstje. Lauran: "We got to know The Connection through Geert from Iqonic. Geert is the business coach we have been working with for some time. We met Danielle from Startups for Society at a networking dinner." Jasper sees the cooperation as especially meaningful. "We make nice matches. Nice parties are participating. The energy is there, it motivates us and it's inspiring. Anyway, it's nice to see what others are doing," Jasper says.
During The Connection, Vriendendienstje was matched from the Million Dollar Question with Stephan Strik, platform expert. Lauran: "We want to make the transition to a full-fledged platform with Vriendendienstje. With his experience and knowledge, Stephan is exactly the person we need right now. We've already spoken to him briefly and will have a follow-up meeting as soon as possible to go into more depth."
According to Jasper, it would be nice if Vriendendienstje becomes a kind of Marketplace. "Not just for chores, because there are already platforms for that, but especially the combination of rolling up your sleeves and the social aspect. That is our added value. Sometimes we are just there for a chat. That too is okay. We will now explore how we can offer that aspect in an even more targeted way."
Both men look positively on the collaboration with The Connection and Startups for Society. Lauran: "The nice thing is that we regularly meet the same people, who are also in the same phase with their businesses. You also get to know each other better. That makes it much easier to approach someone. So it's low-threshold. With each other, for each other. The entrepreneurs who are involved are also very keen to help. Really an environment where everyone wants to help each other. That's great to see."
Vriendendienstje's focus is currently on Tilburg Centre and a circle of up to half an hour by bike. According to Jasper, this is a conscious choice. "Not that we don't want to grow, I'm sure other cities will also have a need for this, but Tilburg is where we are learning from now. In time, we will look further. Think of it as our prototype. We don't want to start in another city and then immediately have to fall behind."
Vriendendienstje is not looking for subsidies, but future collaborations with companies and organisations that are already visiting seniors. "That is where we think there is still a lot of room. The via-via is important for us. The trust it provides, because ultimately that is very important for our target group," Lauran said.
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