A crisis may be the perfect time to start up a business

Startups that work on digitisation or Virtual Reality gained momentum during the pandemic. 'That showed that it was a great time to start your own business,' she states. 'The pandemic invited us to be innovative. Especially with the shortage on the job market.'

Start your business journey while you are a student

Being a student often means living on a tight budget. That should not hold you back from starting your own business in the opinion of Vareska van de Vrande, Professor of Collaborative Innovation and Business Venturing at Rotterdam School of Management. 'As a student you are in an ideal starting position: you don’t have kids to maintain or a mortgage to pay. If you have a great idea, let nothing hold you back,' is her advice.

Crisis fosters innovation

During the pandemic, the media reported a lot on bars and shops that suffered under the situation, but at the same time the number of bankruptcies was very low. Of course that has to do with government aid, but there is more to it: 'A crisis can foster innovation. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs excel under uncertainty.' At a time when many people were working from home, businesses that focus on digitisation like meeting technology or Virtual Reality were very successful. And we are still reaping the benefits today.

Erasmus Enterprise helps students with entrepreneurship

The research of Van de Vrande focuses on how large corporates deal with innovation and how they collaborate with startups. She is also academic lead of Erasmus Enterprise, the university’s startup incubator. They can help you develop your ideas and learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur. At Erasmus Enterprise, entrepreneurs can elaborate their ideas and collaborate in a dedicated space.