Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine Sep/Oct by Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

Showcasing and Celebrating our Swiss Entrepreneurs

ROGER KOCH

E M A G E TH S R E G N A CH , HIND HEIMAT E B Y R O T S E TH TE WN CIGARET O R G E M O H E TH SING A STIR STARTUP C AU

September/Oktober 2017 CHF 14.50

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

Don’t let anybody undermine your dream, your passion or your business idea. If you believe in yourself, you will achieve your goals.

ANGELYNE LARCHER Founder & Editor-in-chief

Marta and Sabrina Founders deatox.ch

This quote is one of my favourite as entrepreneurs often experience negativity while going through the process of establishing their business. Sometimes, those around us offer opinions that aren’t encouraging, which can cause us to lose morale and drive. Keeping up morale is crucial to being creative. Therefore, it’s important we hold on to our patience and persistence during these times!

burnouts. We talk to Jelan Ong, the founder of SportsNow, who shares his story and experience as a solo entrepreneur over the past three years. We also get the professional opinion and advice of Isabel Litzler, a Career Specialist and the founder of www.pleiadeshc.com, on how to best manage and handle the pressures of pursuing an entrepreneurial career path.

Our cover story looks at the new game changers on the Swiss entrepreneurial scene. We speak to Roger Koch, the founder of Koch & Gsell, the Swiss company who is the first in the world to develop a tobacco and hemp cigarette — and one that is legal — and can be found in major retailers across Switzerland such as Coop.

As always, we feature our Q&As with many different kinds of entrepreneurs — from pioneers to newcomers — who share their stories with us. Special thanks to Jelan Ong, Roger Koch and Isabel Litzler for your contribution, and to Joanna Schuurman our Editor, and all our featured founders!

Our special feature story looks at some of the emotional challenges many entrepreneurs face — depression, anxiety and

Enjoy the read!

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

BE INSPIRED

6 4

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

Index OUR FEATURE STORIES

The Game Changers Heimat Founder Roger Koch

How to overcome the pitfalls of entrepreneurship Sportsnow founder Jelan Ong

Balancing Motherhood and Entrepreneurship KeeGuGu Founder Yongliang Yang OUR SUCCESS STORIES

16 18 20 Deatox

Alexa K

22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36

Food Hack

Menu Technologies AG

Alver

Velocity

Ecobrotbox.ch

Quotes

38 40 42 44 46 48 50 54 Azado

Poopourri

Bonju

Sagana

Think Balance

Trimoso

Eliane Pringle

Global News Roundup

Girls in Tech

Impressum

Ebeauty and Care

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

THE GAME CHANGERS HEIMAT FOUNDER ROGER KOCH BY JOANNA SCHUURMAN

Hailing from the small village of Steinach in eastern Switzerland, Swiss start-up Heimat has caused a stir around the globe in recent months with the creation of the world’s first tobacco and hemp cigarette, securing major retailers across the country and attracting interest from international media outlets such as CNN and The Telegraph. As a self-declared rebel, Heimat founder, Roger Koch, set out to debunk the age-old myth that Swiss tobacco was no good, drawing on his love for experimentation by painstakingly blending the perfect combination of local tobacco and hemp to create a product that truly symbolised his roots – sourced, designed and manufactured in his home region of canton St. Gallen, and giving credence to the name “Heimat”.Roger’s interest in the production of cigarettes spans the generations, with his grandfather, whom he was very close to, allowing him to smoke his first cigarette at the age of 12 and teaching him the history I love my of tobacco cultivation in Switzerland, an industry that country and I has been much forgotten in the years gone by.

couldn’t see why

“I think it’s normal for an entrepreneur to be a rewe couldn’t have a bel,” Roger says. “Everyone had always said you can’t smoke Swiss tobacco, that it’s not good, and local product you cannot get enough of it to fill a cigarette, so I asked, “why not?”, and I persisted with this idea. The reason I persisted I think is because I’m a little rebel, and the more people are saying you can’t do it, the more I want to do it. “I love my country and I couldn’t see why we couldn’t have a local product.” Roger spent four years experimenting with the recipe for the Heimat cigarette, producing more than 5000 of his own cigarettes with a hand-operated cigarette-filling machine. But it was the introduction of new legislation in 2016 allowing the consumption of THC hemp below 1% when Roger realised that hemp would offer the perfect complement to his cigarettes. “I was experimenting with different tobacco cigarettes and I did some market research via Google to see what else was out there, and it turned out there was no such thing as a hemp cigarette anywhere,” Roger says. Roger was curious about why tobacco was smoked more than any other plant when there are many different plants and herbs that can be smoked, including hemp, which

8 6

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

has been cultivated and, presumably, smoked in Switzerland for hundreds of years. He persisted and, after settling on the ideal blend of hemp and Swiss tobacco, the next step for the company was setting up commercial production, no easy feat in a highcost country such as Switzerland where most manufacturing operations have long been extinguished. Indeed, it was the strong story behind the Heimat brand, as well as Roger’s commitment to the product and his persistence, that helped the company overcome the first major hurdles it encountered in establishing what is a capital-intensive operation. “The most difficult thing for us starting out was the money,” Roger says. “You need a bank to guarantee you for the taxes. You need a production number to order tobacco. And you need money to get the government to give you a production number. Then, you need to order the machines. “We had old machines from the ‘70s and we hired a Romanian company to use the machines. But the quality was just not there, so we had to set up all the production ourselves. “We approached a lot of investors and no one would look at us. In the end, we got together 700,000 from a couple of guys here and there, but there was no Swiss guy who would look at us.” Despite the difficulties of finding investors, Roger says, in the end, it came down to the fact that investors believed in him, and believed that he would succeed. “I felt, at least, it was very they were partners, that they are part of this special thing you can experience CNN who wants to do a have German, Austrian and here, and hundreds of artiThe partners are part of without them it wouldn’t catalyst for the recent surrounding the brand was Swiss supermarket retailer

The most difficult thing for us starting out was the money.”

important that they felt they are part of the game, story. I think this is someonce in a lifetime. You have story about you, you even Indian media who come cles are written about you. this story. It’s a legacy and have happened.” A major flurry of media activity the securing of leading Coop in July of this year.

“Having Coop stocking our product is huge,” Roger says. “We were very surprised by their response. They were very keen to sell our product because it is a local product and local is a big trend right now. Besides Coop, we now have three other big chains who want to sell our product, but we cannot keep up with the demand in Switzerland.” Just over one year on from setting up their small factory on Lake Constance, the company behind Heimat, Koch & Gsell, is now seeking more investors and preparing for another round of capital raising in order to acquire new machines and ramp up production, something Roger believes will now be easier due to the company’s current momentum. “Finding partners and investors has to be something that starts naturally,” Roger says. “I don’t just go one way. I talk to friends and family and I talk to professional investors, but I always follow three or four lines in parallel, you see, because if one line is bad and it turns out this is not the way to go, then you have nothing. So, you always have to feed yourself with hope. To feed yourself with hope means that if this way doesn’t work, then you have a second or third way. This is very important.” With a growing band of employees including Roger’s brother, Björn Koch, heading up marketing, the Heimat team is enjoying their moment in the spotlight and being part

10 8

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

of this special story. “I think in general you don’t have to look so much at skills, but, in any case, it’s about the guy,” Roger says. “I think you can learn almost anything in life. But it’s about your heart, and whether you can work together with these people, and you can go on Sunday and get a beer together and have a chat. This is my first question when I’m hiring someone. The second question is, “Do I want to have this guy as my boss?” If I say “no”, then I don’t hire him.” Provided they can meet demand in Switzerland and the legal solutions are there, Roger and his team have their sights set on broader horizons, with interest from the EU as well as the US. “Target countries are Austria, Germany and Italy, but if there is somebody else that comes from another country and offers us something, then we’re open to talking to them,” Roger says. “If you have strong partners, I mean let’s say, as an example, one of the big distributors in Austria, and they knocked at our door and said “okay, I will look after the legal issues”, then we will go for it. We can deliver the product and the tools, but it’s now up to them to find the legal solution. “And if it doesn’t work and if we have to change something in the cigarette, that’s the privilege we have. I invented the cigarette at my table and I can change it any direction. I don’t even have to put tobacco in it. There are substitute plants we have and this is fun. I love to experiment, that’s what my heart is really in it for.”

www.heimatzigaretten.ch

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

LONELINESS, DEPRESSION AND BURNOUTS – HOW TO OVERCOME THE PITFALLS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP. BY JOANNA SCHUURMAN

While the rewards of starting your own business may be huge – independence and autonomy, real social change, financial success and status, new networks and exciting collaborations – getting there is often a hard and lonely journey. As more and more of us trade up the corporate grind for start-up life, sometimes we’re not prepared to deal with the real challenges of building a business from scratch, and what this will mean for our health, finances and personal relationships. Geneva-based Career Specialist Isabelle Litzler has been assisting clients in Switzerland from all walks of life with the transition from standard employment to a career in entrepreneurship. “As part of my role, I believe it’s really important to first assess whether my client is turning to entrepreneurship for the right reasons,” Isabelle says.

It’s like climbing

“Sometimes, entrepreneurship is seen as an a mountain. alternative when someone can’t find a job and it may It’s hard getting to tion for them. My clients not be a sustainable soluexpect honest feedback, the top and there which can save them a lot of trouble in the long-run. are so many chal- I will look at their individual profile and see what would be best suited lenges on the way. ence, the current market based on their experiand their goals.” While the Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerbergs of this world are given idol status, it’s easy for us to ignore the very real and dark side of entrepreneurship, often marked by sleepless nights, debilitating financial stress and poor lifestyle choices. Bern-based solo founder Jelan Ong attests to the importance of truly understanding why you are choosing entrepreneurship and what you want to achieve through it. “I think it’s really important to know what kind of ‘preneur’ you are and work accordingly,” Jelan says. “Know what kind of business you want to build, whether it’s something as big and high impact as Facebook or something small, or in-between, that will fit in with the kind of life you want to lead. There are so many different kinds of ‘preneurs’ out there and it’s very important to have this understanding of yourself and your future business. Running a business can be an emotionally-charged process 12 10

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

JELAN ONG

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

with so many roles to juggle and a constant fear of failure looming in the background, a fear that may very well be warranted with more than half of start-ups in Switzerland failing within the first five years, according to federal statistics. Jelan has been one of the survivors. Three years on from launching his now hugely successful fitness software platform, SportsNow, he has ridden the highs and lows of entrepreneurship – and has learnt the lessons on how to cope. “The early days were really hard,” Jelan says. “It’s like climbing a mountain. It’s hard getting to the top and there are so many challenges on the way. You have to do everything in parallel. You have to create your own product, market it, sell it. It’s a lot of juggling, and finding the balance is really hard. There is so much to learn as well. You may have a background in IT but you’re not going to be an expert in other areas. “There are also many psychological components. There’s a lot of reflection going on and it can be hard to find peace of mind and see the path you need to take.” Isabelle believes focus, long-term commitment and realistic expectations are key to dealing with the hardships of starting a business. “The commercial world is fierce and beginner entrepreneurs may not be prepared for what is around the corner,” Isabelle says. “Building up your resilience will be a key resource for your mental health. It’s important to stay focused, take good care of yourself and plan the journey one step at a time. You need to learn how to walk before you can run. “You also need to manage expectations around you. Everyone wants a piece of you: family, friends, business, and it’s hard to please everyone. As an entrepreneur you will need to take breaks to keep your sanity, achieve your goals, recharge and focus.” While venturing into entrepreneurship can be a lonely road, Jelan believes there are many resources and support and talent networks out there to tap into – so you can enjoy the benefits of working with others, while creating something I believe the future that’s truly your own.

of employment will definitely go freelancer and solopreneur

“As a solo entrepreneur, you are alone, so you have limited knowhow and experience. You have no business partner or cofounder so you have no one to exchange ideas and challenges with. You don’t have a team so there’s no social interaction. There’s no lunch break, no coffee break.” “When I moved to Bern, I joined a co-working space straightaway. I became really good friends with these people and I went there every day and worked with others. There, you can exchange ideas. You have great, talented people from different fields, and that’s very valuable. If you work at home, you are isolated.” Despite the perks of start-up life, trading up a corporate job may mean waving goodbye to the days of coming home from the office and kicking back for a few mind-numbing hours of Netflix. The same qualities that drive us to succeed – like passion, enthusiasm and commitment – can also consume us. Indeed, business owners are vulnerable to obsession. According to the latest Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index, 34 percent of entrepreneurs – 4 percentage points more than employees – reported they were worried. And 45 percent of entrepreneurs said they were stressed, 3 percentage points more than workers. Isabelle explains that entrepreneurs may share certain traits that make them vulnerable to suffering burnout and depression. “Entrepreneurs are usually mutli-passionate people who will work non-stop on their mission,” Isabelle says. “People driven by mission and purpose will not stop and rest until they achieve their life purpose. This is a danger to their health and personal life balance.” With his business continuing to grow – his platform how having more than 10,000 active users across 14 12

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

Switzerland – Jelan believes keeping in mind his priorities is crucial for being able to unwind at the end of the day. “I have a mental model that helps me do it. I have a consciousness of the essentials in my life – good friends, family and a partner that are really important to me. It’s not all about work. If I died tomorrow, I would not have wished I worked more. It’s important to value life and all the joy it can bring. Therefore, to switch off, I use anchors. I set some day appointments, I meet with friends, I have hobbies. These are regular activities that help me switch off.” Isabelle believes as more and more of us choose entrepreneurship, these skills need to be taught to help us thrive in our start-up careers. “I believe the future of employment will definitely go freelancer and solopreneur,” Isabelle says. “This is a shift, however, from what we all learned in school. We were taught to be high-performing employees. We now need to train students to be their own entrepreneurs and use creative ways to become fully autonomous professionals.”

See Isabelle Litzer’s new eBook, “Next Exit – I am my own CEO”, a step-by-step guide on how to get started as an entrepreneur, available as a free download at www.pleiadeshc.com/about. www.sportsnow.ch

ISABELLE LITZER

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

KEEGUGU Our editor, Angelyne Larcher, this month sat down with KeeGuGu co-founder Yongliang Yang to learn more about how she’s balancing life as an entrepreneur, mother, wife and consultant. Angelyne: So, Yang, tell us more about yourself, your business and your background?

need them. I think both family-wise and technology-wise you need to have a good solution. For example, a good washing machine and good kitchen appliances to simplify your life, otherwise you spend a lot of time doing things you don’t need to. If day-to-day living is made more complicated, then you’ll go crazy.

Yang: So, I’m originally from China. Ten years ago I went to Sweden to study my Master of Software Engineering. Since then, I’ve worked in consulting for years. I’m also the mother of two kids. My first one is already four a half years old and the second one is just over a year old. At the same time, I’m the co-founder of KeeGuGu.

Angelyne: How does your partner support your business venture?

Angelyne: How do you manage to juggle motherhood and your business and wanting to have your own career, but still be a mommy and take care of your children and your family?

Yang: Okay, I wouldn’t say my partner supports me in the real ideal way, but I think the thing is he’s the opposite to me. He prefers to do something stable, easy and low-effort, so he would prefer working for a company’s instead of doing a startup. I think most of the time, first of all, I have to motivate myself, and then I have to motivate him. I have to keep picturing the future for him and say “okay, look at the beautiful future”. I will tell him about the possibilities of the business and how it might look in the future and that we might also retire earlier if we can manage the business successfully. But, on the other side, he also has his arguments. He says, “Okay, if we both work in a big company and be stable and every year get some savings and make investments, we could also retire earlier. So, he has his arguments, he has his point of view as well, so that’s why I said I have to motivate both of us. That’s not so easy. But, on the other hand, however, I think whenever I need help, he’s always the one there, taking care of kids and also doing all the household work. We have different ideas for my business so he is a helping hand and he can knock me awake when I’m blind or when I’m lost, so I think in that regard he’s really a good support.

It’s already hard enough that you have to do many things on your own because, in the beginning, maybe you don’t have enough support and being a mum makes it even harder simply because you don’t have enough time for yourself. People say “small kids, small problems”. I do agree on that front, however, when they are small, especially like under teenager, under university age, you need to put enough time into playing with them and the attention is on them the whole day, so I think being a mom and also doing a business at the same time is not easy. There are many things to balance. First of all, you have to coordinate with your partner and he has to support you because somebody has to take care of the kids and you need to make sure whenever you need help that he’s there. Especially when the kids are sick, then you have to really give the priority to them, so I think coordination with a partner is crucial. At the same time, you also need to have good support in terms of daycare or a tagesmutter or friends. Somebody has to be there in case you

There are many things to balance.

Angelyne: Could you please tell us your experience of how you managed to find a business partner upon moving to Switzerland? 16 14

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

We do have big plans for our business. Whenever it comes to children’s products, it’s always about safety, so I think as long as you are a parent and your child is at the age of playing outside, or before they get their first mobile phone, you would want a way to keep in contact with them. Our plan is to expand in Switzerland and the UK, and then we will try to expand to other countries. I think we also would like to develop different devices including the wearable watch as well as other wearable devices. There are also uses for pets as well as for senior people, simply for the device’s SOS call functionality in case they fall and nobody is there to help them.

I’m the co-founder of KeeGuGu, so we have another co-founder of this business, who is also a mom and is now based in the UK. She is running the business from there. We came up with the idea based on the fact we want to keep our children safe. In our neighborhood, there were a few times that moms were looking for their kids for hours and, in the end, of course, nothing happened. However, almost the whole neighborhood was helping them to look for their kids. It could have been that the kids were just playing around, then they were attracted by something and they followed it, or they just pushed their Barbie car or something away, and then ended up in a different neighborhood. Then, we don’t have any contact with them. It can be the same with our own children. Now they are at the age that they can play outside alone for a while, we wanted for them to have some sort of device that can allow us to keep in contact with them whenever we need. There was another mom who also had this idea, who also wanted to have a device to safeguard her children. So, we said, okay, now that GPS and tracking devices are very popular and are used everywhere, why not have such a thing for a child, such as a smartwatch they can wear. Then, we can keep in contact with them, we can also see them from an app on our mobile phone. We can call them, too. It’s like a mobile phone for children, and they can also call us back. In this way, we don’t lose sight of them. Because she’s also a mom, my co-founder had the same concerns, so very quickly we partnered with each other.

Angelyne: What advice would you give an entrepreneur who has just moved to Switzerland like you? I came to Switzerland four years ago, so, in the beginning, of course, I didn’t know anyone, and I don’t have relatives here and I didn’t study here, so everything was brand new for me. I think for someone who wants to start up a business here, of course, you have to learn the policies here, the regulations. You can find information on websites or you can join some forums or just talk with friends to get experiences from others. On the other hand, it is a good idea to know friends and then they can help you out, connection-wise and information-wise. I think it takes time to learn the language as well, because so much information is in German. People who don’t speak German when moving here have to overcome this so that they have access to more information channels, from the newspaper, from the TV, from all kinds of things. So, language learning and making connections are important I think.

Angelyne: Are there any health concerns with the device? Is it totally safe for a child to wear? Yes, I love your question because this is a question our customers have when they buy our products. So, I will say this product is safe because it has passed all the certifications and tests. It has a silicone band, so it’s not metal, so it doesn’t hurt the child and, at the same time, GPS means there is a chip inside which sends signals to the stations and comes back to establish your location. I think the other concern is whether it is really okay to track a child. So, I think this is not so much the case when a child becomes a teenager. Then, they have more awareness of what they should do and I don’t think they would want you to know where they are all time. But when kids are very young, if you just want a way to keep in contact with them, you want to be able to call them and for them to call you back, and also to check their location, then I think these are the main functions. I think in this context it’s quite safe.

Angelyne: Thank you so much, Yang, and all the best with KeeGuGu.

www.keegugu.ch

Angelyne: What are your future plans for KeeGuGu? 15

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

DEATOX dEATox is a Zurich-based company founded by Sabrina Bauer and Marta Blizniak and focuses on promoting healthy eating through their range of detox treatments, seminars and courses and event catering services. Sabrina and Marta endeavour are passionate about detoxing based on their own experiences with healthy eating.

marketing. Where one is better with organization, the other is better with ideas. You need to trust the person you work with and respect each other without expecting more than you can give. What have been your biggest achievements so far?

What was your motivation to start dEAtox? dEATox arised out of a girls dinner and talk about what healthy food actually is. Nowadays, you can find so many products labelled with “fresh”, “bio”, “light” or “sugar free”, more and more people are becoming vegetarian or vegan— many of which are trends or good marketing.

Our biggest achievement is collaborating with great partners, which share the same philosophy as we do. This autumn, we are very happy to be part of some very interesting events which we will support. Stay tuned! From your perspective, what is the most important thing or service that every entrepreneur should have access to without any barrier? It starts with knowhow of how to start a business and a community/network, where you can talk/ exchange knowledge with people who have the same issues as you have as an entrepreneur.

Out of our passion and knowledge for food and a healthy lifestyle, we wanted to create a new definition of nutrition, based on knowhow: what is the impact of specific foods on my body? What is good for my body, what is toxic?

What is one piece of advice you would give to your fellow entrepreneurs?

With this knowledge, we created three “ product lines”: a) Juicing & Souping: we offer dEATox juices and soups to eliminate all the toxic pollutants from our body in regular intervals. b) Events: to share knowledge and use this knowhow in practice, we organize regular “Küchentreffen”. Here, we collaborate with several other companies as well as yoga studios. c) Catering: more and more companies want to offer a healthy alternative to typical appetizers at a party or customer event. We offer several combos, customized to individual event-settings.

Work with a business plan, with milestones, to see what you have done and what is the next step. Allow yourself to admit when something is not working and correct it. It is always better to realize a fallacy in the beginning than when it may be too late for corrections, for instance when you already invested too much time, money, etc. What are your future plans for the business? We plan in small steps, and this makes achievements realistic and gives you the feeling of constant results (even if they are small). With every small step we make, we are always one step closer to our future plans. The big goal is to create a community and offer access to a pool of knowledge connected to experience, relaxation and fun – that’s our future mission. Give us one year, then we will open the door to more information.

As an entrepreneur you are the boss. What qualities should a great boss possess? For us, it’s all about being focused on the same goals and achievements, linked with passion and completing each other. Where one of us is better with numbers, the other is better at

www.deatox.ch 18 16

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

SABRINA BAUER AND MARTA BLIZNIAK 17

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

ALEXA K Alexa K is a unique and elegant wolf-inspired jewellery and accessories collection created by Alexandra Elsener. The brand seeks to be socially-responsible and focuses on celebrating the inherent strength of women and their spirit animals. Since launching her initial line â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wolf Spiritâ&#x20AC;? at the end of 2016 in Switzerland, she has secured notable retailers in London and New York.

ALEXANDRA ELSENER

20 18

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

ALEXA K As an entrepreneur you are the boss, so what qualities should a great boss possess?

How do you prepare yourself for an important day?

A great boss should possess humble leadership qualities. They should have a decisive personality and make decisions that are best for both the company and its employees.

I tend to do a lot of research to be informed and have reasons for my decisions. I prepare well so that I have the knowledge that is needed to be an equal partner, even if research may not be necessary.

A great boss should motivate their employees, and let them know they are all on the same team and working towards the same goals.

In your opinion, what is the most important thing or service that every entrepreneur should have access to?

Moreover, a great boss knows how to properly delegate the right tasks to the right people. They empower they employees by giving them opportunities to showcase their talents.

Every entrepreneur should be able to network with other business peers and have easier access to mentors. Entrepreneurs need to be able to meet with more people who have the knowledge and expertise in starting a business. If you have a good business plan that is convincing to investors, they should give grants without high interest rates. Also, angel investors should be more accessible, so that money doesn’t stop you from reaching for your goals.

What made you realize that you were destined to be an entrepreneur instead of an employee? I had worked in different corporations before embarking on my fashion journey. The corporate politics were something I could not abide by all the time. I believe that I have natural leadership skills, and I can work 24/7 if I am passionate about something. This made me follow my passion to make my jewellery creation a reality. How far are you willing to go for your company?

I’ve learned that you must be persistent, believe in yourself, be able to motivate yourself, accept that every day is not the same, and never give up.

I would do anything, go anywhere, and beyond if it complies with my ethical and moral values. I don’t believe that becoming a big company is important, but you should be true to your vision and your employees.

What have you learned from your journey so far? I’ve learned that you must be persistent, believe in yourself, be able to motivate yourself, accept that every day is not the same, and never give up. What is your best business advice for your fellow entrepreneurs?

I would tell them not to look to the right or the left. Don’t be intimidated by other people’s criticism or jealous behaviours. Negativity can really challenge you, so go your own way. Listen only to those who really support you and want the best for you.

www.alexa-k.com 19

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

EBEAUTY eBeauty and Care is a Swiss online shop that offers a range of trendy and innovative Asian skincare brands. eBeauty and Care first started as a beauty blog six years ago when Laetitia Bossel fell in love with Asian cosmetics and wanted to share her experiences with others.

22 20

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

EBEAUTY AND CARE What was your motivation to start your company?

The biggest challenge is definitely building a customer base, to get your business known and trusted.

To simply introduce my favourites Asian cosmetics to Switzerland. I was sharing my experiences with Asian cosmetics via my blog and my viewers were really curious about these products. A lot of people were not feeling comfortable with purchasing products via eBay or Asian websites. It usually takes time to receive the order and, then, you might have to pay customs. Forgery is also still a fear. The idea of opening an online shop where people could find my favourites discoveries quickly started to grow.

As a new business, how do you get clients to trust you? With authenticity and passion. There is no secret, if you play a role, people will feel it. What type of business partnerships would you be interested in? I don’t have anything in particular in mind. I work on feelings and emotions. If an idea makes sense and is aligned with what we stand for, then I’ll go for it. I am very passionate and I tend to get excited very quickly.

As an entrepreneur you are sometimes criticized by your consumers. How do you handle criticism? I think criticism is good. But I don’t like that word. I am a positive person and I would rather use the word “suggestion”. I am drawn into a different angle and it can definitely help us to grow and improve our service. I am very open to suggestions.

What have you learned from your journey so far? It’s a constant learning process. It never stops. From managing two jobs while dealing with all the different hats needed in a company. It’s also learning about myself and what I want for me and my business. Passion, love and support are key.

What makes you stand out amongst all other businesses? I think our human side and being close to our customers make us stand out amongst others. Again, we remain authentic. I am not a big fan of staging. I shoot my products for Instagram on the fly with my animal printed socks. It is funny, but I feel it is now kind of my “trademark”.

Never give up. Stay strong. Be yourself and trust yourself.

What have been your biggest achievements so far? Customer loyalty. We are very proud to have customers ordering regularly since the first year. The quality of the service is essential to us. This may be attributed to our beauty advice, fast and neat shipment, and new products being added regularly. I am also open to product suggestions.

What is one piece of advice you would give to your fellow entrepreneurs? Passion and hard work can bring you anywhere. We do not have investors or bank loans, and we are still here today. Never give up. Stay strong. Be yourself and trust yourself.

What are your future plans for the business? I would definitely love to open a physical boutique. A cute little one with a living room area where I could have a coffee and discuss Asian rituals with my customers. But first, I need to develop our online visibility.

What has been the greatest challenge with building your business?

www.ebeautyandcare.ch 21

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

FOOD HACK

CAMILLE BOSSEL AND ARMAN ANATÃ&#x153;RK

24 22

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

What was your motivation to start your company?

and build a program supporting early stage food and sustainability projects in Switzerland.

FoodHack started as a passion project by myself and co-founder Camille Bossel. We paired our love for food with our technical skills from our design and events agency, OneRoof, to launch Switzerland’s first food hackathon in summer 2016. We set out with two main goals: 1. Create awareness and bring people together around an important topic (food waste in Switzerland)

What have you learned from your journey so far?

2. Use FoodHack as a way to announce and source clients for our agency, OneRoof. As an entrepreneur, you are sometimes criticized by your consumers. How do you handle criticism? Hands down the best way to handle criticism is to listen to the what the person criticizing you has to say. Take some time to consider it, see the problem from their perspective and reply in an honest and empathic way. By applying this method, you’re almost always likely to find a middle ground and come to a solution where both parties are happy. A great example of this was recently when someone called us out on an article we wrote that they believed went against our stand on sustainability. In fact, they were right, the article could have offered more sustainable options. We admitted our mistake, thanked them for voicing their opinion and invited this person to a meeting so that they could help us shape our FoodHack manifesto moving forward.

Food is one of the most powerful triggers to bring people together. On the flip side, it’s also one which you have to approach with extreme sensitivity.

Thanks to the team at Eaternity, I’ve learnt a lot about my food choices and their impact on the environment which has led me to completely change my own diet.

The need for more open food data/research. We’re big fans of what the guys at Food.Open Data are doing and feel this is an area that needs to be disrupted.

What are your future plans for the business? 1.

Hosting the second series of our Food Hackathon this Winter 2017. This year we’ll source existing challenges from Swiss companies that teams will hack over the 54-hour event.

Offering a FoodHack membership where members receive discounted tickets to events, access exclusive content and can tap into the F&B experts in our network.

3. Finding partners and sponsors to launch together a food incubator in Suisse Romande for early-stage projects.

What have been your biggest achievements so far with the company? Since starting FoodHack a year ago we’ve: • Grown our mailing list to over 800+ food conscious individuals in Switzerland.

FOOD HACK FoodHack is Switzerland’s entry point for food and drink entrepreneurs. Through regular meetups, dinners, events and online content, FoodHack is working to create a food conscious community, providing the tools for entrepreneurs to get started and go from idea to impact.

• Onboarded 25+ cross-sector partners who support our mission for a more sustainable future of food. • Hosted 7 events/meetups. • Welcomed 250+ guests offline. What type of business partnerships would you be interested in? Long term cross-sector partnerships with corporates from the food and beverage sectors, NGOs and governmental organizations to come together

www.foodhack.ch

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

MENU TECHNOLOGIES AG MENU Technologies AG is a Swiss technology company offering state-of-the-art mobile solutions for restaurants and gastronomy providers to streamline and improve customer service. Their MENU app turns guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; smartphones into order & pay devices that allow instant orders, reorders and payments without having to flag down a waiter or stand in line. Their clients includes restaurants and catering companies, hotels, bars, cafes and clubs.

MARLON KOCH

KARLHEINZ KOCH

26 24

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

What was your motivation to start your company?

What type of business partnerships would you be interested in?

Marlon wasn’t exactly the most patient child in the world and, when we discovered the beacon technology, he came up with the idea at the age of 14 to digitize the restaurant order & payment process so that he would be able to place orders and pay for the bill using his smartphone.

MENU has a strong focus on partnerships and our preferred partners include POS system and payment providers, that don’t only help us to acquire new restaurants but also make consumers aware of the MENU solution with its advantages. What have you learned from your journey so far?

What have been your biggest achievements so far with the company?

We have learned that our strong focus on technology development is paying off and that our early in-market experience has shaped the product so that it can offer the best possible experience, both for restaurants and guests alike.

Our biggest achievements so far have been to secure the commitments of major restaurant and hotel operators, such as Not guilty, Mövenpick, SBB, Seven Group as well as several international catering companies. Also, we are proud that we have become the preferred partner for a host of different providers to the restaurant and hotel sector, including POS system providers, payment providers and other technology companies.

What is one piece of advice you would give to your fellow entrepreneurs? The constant dialogue with customers and potential users is paramount to developing the right product. Test the product as early as possible, carefully listen to your early adopters and take their concerns seriously, rebuild your early product for scalability and stay agile during the company’s development.

What has been the greatest challenge with building your business? The greatest challenge has been to convince traditional full-service restaurant operators that the MENU solution provides substantial additional benefits for their operation and, most of all to their guests, as the application avoids service waiting times and, therefore, offers a better and more convenient dining experience.

What are your future plans for the business? Our future plan is to grow internationally as much as possible so as to enhance the guest experience in all types of restaurants so that guests in restaurants avoid waiting times and lines while ordering, reordering and paying for their food and drinks.

As a new business, how do you get clients to trust you? We position ourselves as a long-term and trusted partner to our customers by being in constant dialogue to gather feedback and to provide around-the-clock support and service. Moreover, we partner with other trusted providers to the gastronomy sector, who promote MENU as a trusted partner.

www.usemenu.com

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

ALVER As an entrepreneur, you are a boss. What qualities should a great boss possess?

biscuits are ideal at about 4pm to avoid getting home and raiding the fridge.

Be passionate, curious and encourage all around you to make your company succeed. Obviously, being a good networker, communicator and negotiator is vital.

My kids also love the cookies and have these as a snack in school. From your perspective what is the most important thing or service that every entrepreneur should have access to without any barriers?

What made you realize that you were destined to be an entrepreneur and not an employee?

Unfortunately, building your business is not just about your product. The administration, financing, accounting and legal services take up much more time than expected and are very expensive.

Golden Chlorella is ground-breaking. As the world population will shortly reach 9 billion people, we can no longer ignore the fact that animal protein is not sustainable, both in terms of land and water use, but, also, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very polluting.

What have you learned from your journey? Look after your body to be more efficient. Our body and environment are the most important things in life. If you feel you need to make a change for a better world, then open the doors yourself.

As a protein expert, Mine Uran has spent the past 20 years looking for a complete protein source. After having led teams at DuPont and as Head of Protein R&D at NestlĂŠ, she decided that to have the most impact would be to build a brand that is recognised as being 100% natural, healthy, tasty and sustainable.

What is one piece of business advice you would give your fellow entrepreneurs?

I come from the Wealth Management industry and became increasingly frustrated with the slow progress of ecological/ethical funds. So, when Mine had a sustainable food solution, I decided to tackle the problem by being part of the food evolution. It is so much more rewarding.

If you have something to offer, share your ideas and get them out there. There is no point of having great ideas that stay in your head. We need each other to be successful and the more you talk about your idea, the more like-minded people you will be introduced to.

How do you prepare yourself for an important day?

ALVER Golden Chlorella SA was founded in 2016 by Mine Uran and Majbritt Byskov-Bridges. Under their brand Alver, they are creating healthy, sustainable and tasty foods with Golden Chlorella, a natural vegan superfood. Golden Chlorella is a micro-algae, which is not only high in protein, it is also loaded with vitamins and minerals. Golden Chlorella has been shown to boost the immune system, reduce blood sugar and cholesterol, maintain brain, bone, eye and skin health.

Protein is very important in the morning. After a long night, your muscles and brain need the amino acids. Over the years, our breakfast has become less protein-rich (a quick coffee and croissant), and this leads to a lethargic morning and hunger mid-morning. I start my day with a banana, berry, yoghurt and 20 g of chlorella shake. And a cup of coffee. This keeps me going without making me feel bloated until lunchtime. A protein-rich tasty snack, like our chlorella

www.alver.ch

28 26

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

MINE URAN AND MAJBRITT BYSKOV-BRIDGES

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

VELOCITY Velocity is Switzerland’s first dedicated indoor cycling studio and was established by Mallory Nieman when she moved from Boston to Zurich in 2010. Velocity delivers a new fitness concept with the latest technology in indoor cycling, outstanding customer service, top instructors, and varied class concepts, all within an exceptional space.

What was your motivation to start Velocity?

oneself. The “a-ha” moments we have at Velocity are experiences within ourselves. It could be perceived like a massive weight has been lifted or like a clearing in the clouds. These moments happen when we let go, when we stop controlling our thoughts, when we stop worrying about what’s stressing us out and we open ourselves to feel whatever it is we need to feel. In life, we work so hard to fill “that” void. In these breakthrough moments, you actually crack open a brand-new hole and the beauty is that you start filling it with what truly brings you joy. You find clarity and acceptance. You break habits, you deal with loss, you face fear, you push yourself further than you thought you could, you experience a shared joy. You let go of what no longer serves you, and you start saying yes.

Growing up near Boston, I was always the girl who did sports at least once a day. Whether it was horseback riding, skiing, or running, I craved the mental switch flip when I could forget about school, work, whatever, and just get it all out. I then moved to New York City in 2006, and started to experience what was then a very new trend of Boutique Fitness Studios that really elevated everything to a whole new level. But I didn’t discover the bike until I moved to Zurich in 2010. I was somehow coerced into doing a couple Ironman triathlons (thanks to my husband) and did a lot of spin classes as part of my training. It was clear to me that a lot could be accomplished indoors (in fact, it can be way more efficient than outdoors) but at the same time I was rather uninspired. The generic gym concept just wasn’t doing it for me. Around the same time, I went back to NYC to see a friend who asked: “Have you tried SoulCycle or Flywheel?” And so I did… many times. I was getting these amazing hits of energy and I was recharged. There were moments of freedom in each class that I hadn’t found elsewhere. And then it just sort of unfolded from there.

I’m so excited to further build a community and share it with many more people.

What are your future plans for the business?

Oh, I’m definitely not finished. I see lots to come for Velocity and for Velocity’s riders. Our next step is expansion in Zurich, and the dream would be to reach many countries in central Europe. I’m incredibly excited to see the momentum building. And grateful above all. The team at Velocity has really become a family. Every time I witness an interaction between Instructors, Front Desk Managers or Riders, it makes me beam. Sometimes, there are shrieks of joy when someone walks in the door, or when one instructor attends another instructor’s class. It makes me feel so lucky. I found a built-in community and I’m growing with it. I’m so excited to further build the community and share it with many more people.

What have been your biggest achievements so far with Velocity? Personally, my biggest achievement is to witness our riders have a “breakthrough moment” on the bike at Velocity. A breakthrough moment is incredibly hard to describe. It’s an emotion, something you feel, an experience within

www.velocityzurich.com

30 28

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

MALLORY NIEMAN

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

ECOBROTBOX.CH What was your motivation to start your company?

As a new business, how do you get clients to trust you?

I have quite a healthy lifestyle especially when it comes to nutrition. My focus is on clean eating and whole foods. I’m also preparing my food for the next few days. And when I was putting so much effort into the quality and origin of the ingredients of my meals, it was horrible for me to store them in plastic containers. By a fortunate coincidence, in 2015 I got to know the beautiful products from ECO Brotbox from Berlin. It was love at first sight and also the beginning of my engagement towards a zero-waste lifestyle. The decision to import these awesome products and resell them in Switzerland was made very fast.

I have a strong presence on Facebook and Instagram and make daily posts about my products which also means that I’m in regular dialogue with my customers. I do enjoy this very much. Communication and being present builds trust.

What have been your biggest achievements so far with the company? Ok, for me personally this was a “girl, keep calm, keep calm” situation when WWF Switzerland was asking for reseller conditions. Starting in September, they will sell Tiffin Swings via their online shop. I made a happy dance on the day they ordered.

What type of business partnerships would you be interested in? I’m always happy when shops make requests for reselling and orders. But I would be really interested in sponsorships for my project Das Tiffin Projekt Schweiz. Any company that can identify with the same objectives and values of the initiative which aims to reduce and avoid plastic packaging at takeaway restaurants would be highly welcome.

If you have a business idea or just fall in love with products that you would like to distribute (as I did), just go for it without hesitating.

What has been the greatest challenge with building your business?

What is one piece of advice you would give to your fellow entrepreneurs? If you have a business idea or just fall in love with products that you would like to distribute (as I did), just go for it without hesitating. Start somewhere, start small, be brave but definitively do it.

What are your future plans for the business?

I have a 100 % job as a marketing manager. Although I love my job and the online shop, sometimes it gets tricky to handle both at the same time. Of course, I’m committed to my employer and my job always comes first. So I’m using the evenings to take care of the online shop, preparing orders and answering requests. In addition, I started the initiative Das Tiffin Project Schweiz to fight single use plastic items at takeaway restaurants. So, there is not much time left for private activities when I spend even weekends with my businesses. The challenge here is to keep friendships alive and not sacrifice them for the company.

I have no concrete plans for my online shop, but I would love to launch Das Tiffin Project Schweiz. I believe that this is something that could change our daily habits regarding single use items and have an impact on the throwaway society. If someone makes the small effort to say no to usual packaging and yes to reusable containers which they need to bring back, then they may also rethink the usage of other unnecessary pollutive items, too.

SUPPORT BETUL’S CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN VIA WWW.100-DAYS.NET/DE/PROJEKT/DAS-TIFFIN-PROJEKT-CH/PROJECT. 32 30

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

ECOBROTBOX www.ecobrotbox.ch is an online shop for sustainable and fair lunch ware. Their lunch boxes and water bottles are made of 100% stainless steel and are free of harmful substances, protecting your health as well as the environment. In addition to EcoBrotBox, founder Betul Cam has recently launched Das Tiffin Projekt Schweiz through a crowdfunding campaign to encourage takeway restaurants to use resusable packaging.

BETUL CAM

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

ELIANE PRINGLE Elaine Pringle is a commercial photographer and photojournalist with clients ranging from private individuals, SMEs to multinational corporations. After working many years in the corporate world in the UK, her move to Switzerland allowed her to reassess her priorities and focus on her love for art and photography. Her work has been published in the Guardian Travel, Timeout Switzerland and My Switzerland, amongst many other publications and platforms.

ELIANE PRINGLE

36 34

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

ELAINE PRINGLE What is the most challenging aspect of being an entrepreneur in Switzerland and how have you overcome this?

What have been some of the most interesting projects you have worked on? Usually, the most interesting projects are the most recent ones, or even the ones I am currently working on.

Of course the language/s. Learning German is not enough, you have to even understand (if not speak) some Swiss-German. That, of course, is if you live in the German part. Well, I’m still learning German – so I have some way to go! It keeps the grey matter alive.

A recent one came about unintentionally. I was on commissioned work to cover the competitors and winners of the Swiss Derby, but in the process looked and turned my camera to the people behind the scenes. The ones that are involved, however small a role, in the making of a successful event. The intention was to tell their story in a way so that they too counted. I started this with a blog on my website [http://www.elainepringle. com/team-sports-photography-journalism/], but am taking this further, because I believe they are actually part of the team.

Another is you don’t automatically know who to contact for X, where to go for Y, what are the rules/laws or even taxes for business owners. I’m knowledgeable about UK laws, but that is not always useful here. So, that was a learning curve. What have you learned from your journey?

What have been your biggest achievements so far?

You learn a lot about yourself, the people around you and kind of support individuals are willing to give.

It really depends on what and how you are measuring. Tangible achievements are lucrative assignments with multinationals, photographing celebrities and well-known public figures, having my work published in The Guardian and other well-known hubs, qualifying and gaining membership to prestigious professional photography organisations as well as being nominated or winning awards for some of my images.

When I started my business, I was confident of it and thought I would have to convince others of the same. That was not the case. The support came left, right and centre – especially from family. Friends were brilliant too, from volunteering to helping build my portfolio, to advice, constructive criticism and encouragement. You feel lucky and you want to return that support in whichever way you can.

The non-tangible achievements and what really drives me is to actually do something that allows me to be me and feel good about it. I couldn’t honestly say that in the corporate world. It is a sharp exhale of breath to know that through this change of direction I am achieving what I have yearned the most – time for things that really matter.

www.elainepringle.com

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

GIRLS IN TECH Girls in Tech (GIT) is a global non-profit focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of girls and women who are passionate about technology. GIT aims to accelerate the growth of innovative women entering into the high-tech industry and building startups. They do this through the creation of proprietary, innovative programming and strategic global partnerships.

Why was Girls in Tech – Switzerland established?

What services do you offer your members? As well as monthly events about tech and career skills, we partner to provide coding courses, and we offer job and volunteer opportunities as employers use our job board to reach the talent pool in our community. In 2018, we will be organising a series of panel events on technology that will have a far-reaching impact on our lives and industries: artificial intelligent, virtual reality, blockchain and more.

Making unconventional choices can feel lonely, any entrepreneur will tell you. When I moved back to Switzerland after 7 years away, I was starting a business and working in tech– it was an unconventional and lonely place to be. I struggled to find a group who energised and inspired me the way Girls in Tech - London had. So, Girls in Tech - Switzerland was created to bring together those lively, determined women and to support them in achieving their goals. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.

How can someone become a member? Start by following us on @girlsintechswitzerland (Instagram) and @GITSwitzerland (Facebook). Join our mailing list for tips and updates. Then, attend an event. When you’ve decided you love it, you can sign up to a member package that includes access to 4 events and an invitation for a friend. Our events are designed to be accessible to all. You can pay as little as 10 CHF to attend an event.

When was Girls in Tech - Switzerland created? Who is on the board of advisors? Girls in Tech - Switzerland launched with an event on “Communication for effective leadership” in February 2017 . Our most popular event yet was “How to negotiate a higher salary” and we plan to repeat it every year. The board is composed of five tough-as-nails, dedicated and generous women. Hela Jaffar works as a data analyst for the WEF and launched a business upcycling coffee into men’s skincare products. Priska Burkard founded skills-finder.com, a platform for matching consultants with projects in the finance sector. Manon Rostykus is a PhD in photonics at EPFL, Aashree Vionnet works in Supply Chain Management for P&G and Bahar Sandal is a solutions engineer (sales team) for software company Salesforce.com.

What advice would you give regarding achieving success in business? Invest in relationships: build your own and enable others’. It’s rewarding personally, since you can learn something from everyone you meet, and professionally, since people who know, like and trust you will recommend your work.

www.omaas.ch

38 36

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

GIRLS IN TECH TEAM

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

AZADO

ANDREAS AND MANUEL

40 38

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

What was your motivation to start your company?

What type of business partnerships would you be interested in?

I have always been full of innovative ideas. A big motivation was knowing that I would be able to realise them. By doing this, I can work to achieve my own dream instead of working for someone else’s dream. This makes me feel free, happy and motivated, which is the mood I am most creative in.

We are always open to synergetic partnerships. Possible partners could include a production site company, investors, someone with know-how, a big network and time, or even a very different person we never thought about, who just suits our philosophy very well. What we need is people with motivation, passion and never-ending drive.

What makes you stand out amongst all other businesses?

What have you learned from your journey so far?

We are in this business with all our heart. We build it in a way that makes us want to own the product ourselves. We try not to grow too fast in order to maintain close and honest customer contact.

Everything I have learned so far is definitely a lot more than I could tell you in a couple of sentences. Two basic pieces of wisdom that have always guided me are: Control is better than trust, even if you work with specialists; and write everything down, you will need it one day.

What have been your biggest achievements so far with azado?

What is one piece of advice you would give to your fellow entrepreneurs?

The first two series of azado BBQs sold out very quickly. We have just established a partnership contract with Schützengarten Beer and there are more than 20 stores waiting to sell our product.

Try to work with partners who someone you know suggested to you, it will save you a lot of time. Check your finances every week; always be on top of things. And don’t give up, otherwise you will never know how close to success you have probably been.

What has been the greatest challenge with building your business? The first step was the most difficult of all: to get out of the everyday life, quit my regular job and start working for myself. Another challenge was and still is the development of a high-quality product and the entrance into a market full of competitive products.

What are your future plans for the business? We want to make sure we build a solid base first, on which we can then build one business level after the other. Always do one step at the time.

As a new business, how do you get clients to trust you?

AZADO

We are honest in telling the truth about our products and us. Our background is very credible, because, at first, we designed an azado BBQ for our own use. Only gradually did we start sharing it with others, just because it had a huge positive response and people were asking for it. And at the very end, it’s the product’s reliability and special features that make people trust the brand.

Founders Andreas and Manuel came up with the idea of azado in 2010 after discovering their shared love for Argentinian barbeque. After researching and testing a number of prototypes, they were able to develop a premium grill product and launch it on the Swiss market in 2016. They are now working on a number of other products to cement their position as the premium grilling brand in Switzerland.

www.azado.ch

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

POOPOURRI What was your motivation to start your company?

colon condition. To help reduce embarrassment and boost confidence in someone’s life is the best achievement ever.

My first motive was a passion for entrepreneurship. I had an intuition to start a company and decided to follow my gut feelings. I always wanted to be my own boss and since I share Suzy’s love for natural products – plus being an avid fan of PooPourri – I just wanted the whole world to find out about this product.

What has been the greatest challenge with building your business? Learning to be patient and overcoming the fear of not knowing whether I will be successful. As a new business, how do you get clients to trust you?

As an entrepreneur you are sometimes criticized by your consumers. How do you handle criticism?

Communication is very important to us. I have the best customer service team and whenever (which is rare) we have an issue with a client, we do our best to hear their problems and provide a solution as quickly as possible.

I think criticism is important because it helps us grow, both on a human level but also as an entrepreneur. Sometimes, you just make mistakes but that’s how you learn and get better. There is no time for righteousness in this work. If you fall, you just have to get up, dust yourself off and keep going. The key to criticism is to be humble and recognize when someone is right. So, it requires a lot of self-honesty and the willingness to change.

What type of business partnerships would you be interested in? Since we are all about spreading the love for PooPourri, we are looking for retailers, shops, hotels, spas, gift shops, health food stores etc. that would resell PooPourri.

What makes you stand out amongst all other businesses?

What have you learned from your journey so far?

I don’t compare my business with others. I think everyone is unique in their own way. The only thing I can think of which can differentiate us from others is that we use a sense of humour to promote a rather taboo subject.

That persistency, consistency and determination are fundamental elements in growing a business. What is one piece of advice you would give to your fellow entrepreneurs?

What have been your biggest achievements so far with the company?

It’s about supporting and empowering each other, versus competing with one another.

For me the biggest achievement are customers’ reviews when they say PooPourri changed their lives. Recently, a hospital contacted us saying how much this product is helping patients with

What are your future plans for the business? Keep growing and having fun along the process.

www.poopourri.ch

42 40

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

POOPOURRI PooPourri Before-You-GoÂŽ Toilet Spray was developed in the USA by Suzy Batiz. Based on her belief in the product, her friend Sofia Calangelo decided to introduce the product to Switzerland and became the official distributor. Sofia now has a team of six employees assisting her with accounting, logistic, marketing & coaching. The spray is made of a pure blend of natural essential oils that stops bathroom odour by trapping it under the waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface.

SOPHIA CALANGELO

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

BONJU

BonJu was created by Judy Okten to help busy people eat more greens daily. Their hero range includes the BonJu Super Green Smoothies, which are blended daily in their lab in Geneva. Each day, the BonJu team blends delicious combinations of leafy greens, fruits and healthy fats (like chia & flax seeds), bottles them and delivers them by bike all over Geneva. With just one 500 ml bottle, BonJu â&#x20AC;&#x153;green addictsâ&#x20AC;? get their daily dose of green goodness with four servings of fruits/vegetables per bottle. Their products are now sold via their website as well as at Manor, Boreal Coffee shop and Elsalad.

44 42

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

What was your motivation to start your company?

As a new business, how do you get clients to trust you?

A few years ago, I was looking for ways to bring up my energy levels and I stumbled upon green smoothies. I started blending lots of leafy greens with different fruits daily, and after a few weeks I noticed a massive improvement. I had SO much more energy - I felt like I could run a marathon after work! As a bonus, I lost my baby weight, my skin looked extremely healthy, my digestion improved and I felt mentally sharper than I had in years. As much as I loved my new habit, it was taking a lot of time, time I didn’t have as a working mom. I had to come up with recipes that tasted good. I had to shop for ingredients constantly. I had to make time to make the juices and smoothies and clean up. So, essentially, my motivation to start the company was to solve my own problem! I wanted to make it easier and more convenient for super busy people like me to get more greens into their lives - because I knew how powerful and life-changing they could be.

First, we let them try the product and meet us every chance we get. Corporate events, tastings in shops, pop ups – we do our best to connect directly with clients and give them juice for free, so they can discover for themselves how great it is! For sure, in Switzerland, people appreciate meeting the team behind the product. Without a retail location, it is important for us to create those opportunities to build trusting relationships with our clients.

What has been the greatest challenge with building your business?

What type of business partnerships would you be interested in?

I’d say our biggest challenge is to convince buyers to stock a premium, fresh product with a relatively short shelf life. Being in the beverage category, buyers generally expect the product to have a very long shelf life (like soft drinks), and they aren’t used to working with fresh products that are meant to be consumed quickly. So, our challenge is to drive trial and purchase relatively quickly in each new point of distribution, to ensure our consumers get to know our product and try it. Once they do, we have a very strong repeat rate so we’re confident they will come back to repurchase, closing the loop and ensuring the product moves quickly off the shelf.

We are very interested in partnerships that help us add value to our clients – for example, with spas and fitness centres, other healthy and delicious food brands, events that target the same clientele. Essentially, creating win-win opportunities with brands that target the same people we do.

Then, we deliver on our promises. Our smoothies are super energizing, satisfying and can replace a meal – usually breakfast or lunch. After even one week of drinking BonJu daily, our clients start to notice a difference in their level of energy, and overall have a sensation of feeling healthier. That’s when they become “green addicts” – they love the feeling of drinking greens daily and subscribe to weekly deliveries.

What are your future plans for the business? We would like even more people to become green addicts with us! We hope to expand our distribution footprint into more shops across Swiss Romandy, and keep expanding our product line up. We will ensure our consistent superior quality remains a top priority with every step as we continue to scale our business. Thank you! Feel free to reach out to me directly with any partnership ideas or feedback at judy@ bonju.ch.

www.bonju.ch

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

SAGANA Geneva-based social start-up SAGANA has redefined the art of sweetening, baking and cooking. Their keystone product is a high-quality, authentic, certified organic, fair and undiluted 100% coconut blossom nectar which acts as a healthier natural sweetener alternative. SAGANA works to create ‚green jobs‘ with premium fair wages, promote healthy living while directly supporting the sustainable community-based initiatives of our partner rural farmers in the Philippines. SAGANA was founded by Cattleya Romero-Faude and her sister Sheila Romero who both share business degrees in International Business-Export Management and an entrepreneurial drive to help alleviate poverty by creating a forward-thinking ‚business with a conscience‘.

CATTLEYA ROMERO-FAUDE

46 44

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

SAGANA What do you regret about when you think back on your entrepreneurship rollercoaster?

What is the biggest achievement for you within the last 12 months?

When I let doubt creep in and overwhelm me because I had to do many things for the first time, then I ended up overthinking, procrastinating (for months!) and complicating tasks. For example, creating and publishing our website felt so daunting. Approaching potential partners was difficult because rejection hurts...often we simply need to take the plunge and see it as a learning experience.

SAGANÀ is the first-ever, Filipino-owned, purpose-driven, premium healthy lifestyle Swiss brand built from scratch. We paved the way for Philippine specialty ingredients to enter the Swiss mainstream market. In December 2016, we were able to convince both Manor AG and Claro Fair Trade of our flagship products’ excellent quality. Thanks to our seven pilot partner stores who trust us and support our social initiative, to date, we’ve reached 150 stores nationwide, thereby, increasing our visibility and credibility. We also have begun collaborating closely with the Philippine Commercial Attachés to the World Trade Organization (WTO). We exchange knowledge, gain access to high-level networking opportunities and receive international business support services. In fact, Sidley Austin Geneva took us under their wing recently thanks to their nomination! Wish list granted, we can fully aspire to market expansion via e-commerce backed by a solid global legal team under their Emerging Enterprises Pro Bono Program.

What were your biggest fears when you thought about starting your own business? I was scared of the uncertainty and that being too ambitious would be our downfall! I neither speak Swiss/high German nor did I have existing social or business networks to tap into. Having access to mentors, coaches and co-working spaces both in Zurich and Geneva opened doors and guided us in our decision-making. If we let limitations and the daily grind distract and discourage us, SAGANÀ would have never moved an inch! What have you learned from your journey?

What are the negative sides of having your own company?

Always be grateful, turn difficult life experiences into positive energy in order to reinvent oneself. Dare to be very ambitious, have patience and be persistent!

SAGANÀ Association is still a baby in the scheme of things. Access to funding for women entrepreneurs remains limited. Multi-tasking everything often means isolation, no fixed working schedule and frugal living. The struggles are real on a daily basis so developing crucial traits such as resilience, resourcefulness, optimism and patience is necessary.

What would you say to someone who is hesitant about starting their own business? Plan ahead and discern the purpose before diving in – is it for your survival or a hobby? Ours is for survival. Expect hardships so surround yourself and collaborate with like-minded, passionate, authentic and proactive people. It will motivate you to do your best and work hard in making things happen.

www.sagana.org

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

THINK BALANCE As an entrepreneur you are sometimes criticized by your consumers. How do you handle criticism?

As a new business, how do you get clients to trust you?

Any feedback, good or bad, is always a chance to improve. We are always very attentive to any concerns our clients might have, and provide service that is up to date with our clients’ expectations.

The best way to persuade people to have regular massages is to demonstrate the benefits to them. Once I get a client to sit in my massage chair and to experience the magic of relaxation, they are hooked!

What makes you stand out amongst all other businesses?

What type of business partnerships would you be interested in?

Positivity. Our goal is to help people find their work-life balance. We are convinced that our customers will find it much easier to get to the balance with a friendly, positive and energizing massage therapist. For us, the massage is not a purely mechanical act which is to be executed, but a process where the atmosphere is playing a big role, too. That’s why all our massage therapists bring along experience and qualifications as well as a positive spirit and motivation.

I have learned to accept help, listen to advice and work together with others to create what I have right now

I am always looking for interesting collaborations: exhibitors, events managers, HRs, other therapists…I don’t like to limit myself when it comes to joining forces with other specialists. It often brings unexpected, amazing results. What have you learned from your journey so far?

In Russia, they say “one head is good, but two is better”. Never underestimate the importance of the support your team can give you! I have learned to accept help, listen to advice, work together with others to create what I have right now. This isn’t the work of one person, but of many brilliant helpers.

What have been your biggest achievements so far with the company? Our collaboration with the Impact Hub – I have met many great people and gained some regular clients through them.

What is one piece of advice you would give to your fellow entrepreneurs?

What has been the greatest challenge with building your business?

Be positive, creative and don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

For me, personally, the fact that I had to start everything anew in a foreign country. I have only been living in Switzerland for two years so, sometimes, the language can be a barrier, although I am blessed to have excellent helpers on my team!

What are your future plans for the business? My plan is to continue promoting work–life balance by performing chair massages at workplaces and events around Zurich and Switzerland.

www.thinkbalance.ch

48 46

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

THINK BALANCE Think Balance is a Zurich mobile massage company established by Jekaterina Migunova. Before moving to Zurich, Jekaterina worked for many years as a massage therapist in London where most offices are using the services of mobile massage companies. However, coming to Switzerland she found there was nothing like this on the market and decided to establish Think Balance. Her goal is to start a new health and wellness trend within workplaces throughout Zurich and other regions of Switzerland.

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

TRIMOSO Trimoso GmbH is an Airbnb management company based in Zurich and was founded by Dutch couple Ralph Ewalds and Tessa Haan based on their love for home sharing. Trimoso assists individuals who would like to rent out their home permanently or while they are out of town. During their absence, Trimoso takes care of the entire booking process, all guest-related communication, the check-in, check-out, and makes sure the place looks as nice and tidy as when the customer left it.

RALPH EWALDS AND TESSA HAAN

50 48

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

What have been your biggest achievements so far with Trimoso?

What was your motivation to start Trimoso? We noticed there was a niche market in terms of people who would like to rent out their home since they are away a lot, but who lack the time and resources to successfully rent it out. Moreover, we had personally experienced the advantages of staying in an Airbnb home instead of a hotel. Although being in a different city, you still get a feeling of coming home, which is something we really appreciate.

Our biggest achievement so far has been that we reached the same amount of bookings in July 2017 as we did in the last six months of 2016. July has been a month in which we met a lot of interesting guests, welcomed many new customers, and in which satisfied customers came home with extra savings thanks to our services. Although it was hectic sometimes, we always came home inspired and satisfied.

As an entrepreneur you are the boss. What qualities should a great boss possess?

What has been the greatest challenge with building your business?

We meet people from all over the world with a range of cultural differences, behaviours and wishes, and you need to be capable of coping with that. This is obviously not only essential for the boss, but also for our hosts. Furthermore, you should be able to create a proper winâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;win situation for your customers, your guests and your company. I think this applies to almost all businesses: searching for a winâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;win situation is not always easy and will remain an interesting challenge.

It has been challenging to grow as fast as our company did and, at the same time, maintain high standards. You need to ensure that all parties are satisfied; both the customer as well as the guests who stay in the home. We believe that personal contact with our customers and with every guest is very important. It is very important to always keep that personal service in mind, also during busy times.

What made you realize that you were destined to be an entrepreneur and not an employee?

What are your future plans for the business?

If you prefer working whenever and wherever you like then the best thing to do is to start your own company. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a nine-to-five job though, and the company feels like your little baby you need to take care of to let it grow. You are more than ever willing to put everything else aside. I think that is one of the differences between that particular entrepreneurial feeling and working as an employee for a company.

Our future plan is to continue to grow steadily to the point at which we can extend our offering to different cities in Switzerland.

www.trimoso.com

Photo Getty Images

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

Photo Expedia, Inc.

TINDER

NEW UBER CEO, DARA KHOSROWSHAHI 52 50

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

GLOBAL NEWS ROUNDUP Tinder hits top grossing app in the Apple App Store, 1 September 2017

Alto-based artificial intelligence startup, to help Messenger build out a more elaborate virtual assistant for users.

Tinder has hit no.1 position in the App Store for the very first time, which comes as it launches it Tinder Gold version, a monetized version of the app.

Alibaba and Tencent are carving up Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem, 22 July 2017 The two global tech giants are putting their money into Southeast Asia’s startup scene investing in some of the region’s most promising new startups.

Sign up for a free exhibitor table in Startup Alley at Disrupt Berlin, 1 September 2017 TechCrunch are looking for 30 outstanding startups from Europe to participate in one of their feature pavilions.

Snap hire Swiss team behind software protection startup, 21 July 2017 Snap Inc. has quietly acquired the team behind Swiss startup Strong.Codes, a maker of tools that obscures software code and makes it harder for competitors to copy.

Same-day delivery startup Deliv expands to 1400 cities to rival Amazon’s Prime Now, 30 August 2017 Crowdsourced delivery service, Deliv, has partnered with 4000 retailers to facilitate same-day delivery and has now announced it has expanded to 33 markets and 1400 cities. Expedia’s Dara Khosrowshahi tells reporters he’ll be Uber’s CEO, 29 August 2017

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Uber Board has offered the Expedia executive the position of CEO and he says he intends to accept it, but there is yet to be an official announcement.

Hack the City 2017, 2 September, Officina Chiasso, www.hackthecity.ch Swiss Future Technology Forum 2017, Dubendorf, www.sftf.ch/2017 Gender of Digitalisation in Switzerland, 5 September, Bern, www.swisstechassociation.com Top 100 Swiss Startups Awards, 6 September, Zurich-Schlieren, www.venturelab.ch/top100 Hack Zurich, 15-17 September, Zurich, www.hackzurich.com Digital Festival, 13-17 September, Zurich, www.digitalfestival.ch

AirBnB boss reveals plans to crack Asia market, 26 August 2017 Co-founder of AirBnB Nathan Blecharczyk has indicated the firm’s focus on expanding in Asia-Pacific.

Silicon Valais, 15 September, Sion, www.startupticker.ch/en/ events/silicon-valais-2017 How to Start a Company in Switzerland, 5 October, Zurich-Schlieren, www.startupticker.ch

Bit Coin splits into two, 1 August 2017 After ongoing debates over how to scale the digital currency, some people have decided to make an entirely new currency called Bitcoin Cash.

Women’s Expo Basel, 7 October, Basel, www.womenexpo.ch/exhibitors Swiss Startup Days 2017, 24 & 25 October, Bern, www.swiss-startup-day.ch Swiss Entrepreneurs Expo, 4 November, Zurich, www.swissentrepreneursexpo.ch

Facebook acquires AI startup to help develop Messenger’s personal assistant, 31 July 2017 Facebook has acquired Ozlo, a Palo

Startup Weekend Zurich, Food and Hospitality, Zurich, 10-12 November, www.communities.techstars.com

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

54 52

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

How to get featured in the Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine Are you an entrepreneur? A start-up founder? A business owner? Or are you launching your new business and would like to announce the launch date? We would love to have the privilege to feature you. Get in touch with us! Share your business news via Swiss Entrepreneurs Media, the premier platform for Swiss entrepreneurs to build their network and connect with potential partners and customers!

Contact info@swissentrepreneursmagazine.ch +41 79 787 82 13

Swiss Entrepreneurs Magazine

Impressum SWISS ENTREPRENEURS MAGAZINE (ISSN 2504-3285 )

SUBSCRIPTION ON OUR WEBSITE swissentrepreneursmagazine.ch

PUBLISHER Madam Larcher Online Concepts Hofstrasse 1c 8192 Glattfelden Schweiz Handelsregister Nummer CHE-180.323.321

FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Angelyne Larcher

PUBLICATIONS January - February March - April May - June July - August September - October November - December

LAYOUT DESIGNER Simon Staeheli www.glorifyvisuals.com

EDITOR Joanna Schuurmann

CONTRIBUTERS Jelan Ong, Roger Koch and Isabel Litzler

ADVERTISING AND PARTNERSHIPS e-mail: info@swissentrepreneursmagazine.ch phone: + 41 79 787 82 13 FEEDBACK, PRESS AND GENERAL INQUIRIES Angelyne Larcher Founder and Chief editor info@swissentrepreneursmagazine.ch +41 79 787 82 13

EURUS Forum 2017 Zurich, October 12 www.eurusforum.org At GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute Langhaldenstrasse 21, 8303 RĂźschlikon

OďŹ&#x192;cial Mediapartner

www.swissentrepreneursmagazine.ch

ecia -15% co de l dis SW cou n 1

Avec nous, ils dĂŠcouvrent le monde...

Sustainable baby and kid clothing - Swiss design - Made in Europe Online shop : www.bajibom.ch Case postale 4 - 1163 ETOY - Switzerland - +41 78.668.20.56 - contact@bajibom.ch

*Terms and conditions on www.bajibom.ch

ISS