Mastering Growth

For entrepreneurs who want to reach the top

Four unique master classes that are tailored to the different growth phases a company goes through.
For entrepreneurs in emerging companies and fast-growing companies with more than 250 employees.
Exclusive meetings with fellow entrepreneurs, hands-on experts, and corporate growth experts.

Learn from fellow entrepreneurs
Discover your style of entrepreneurship and how you can improve it.
Learn from experienced "corporate growth experts", apply what you learn... and achieve your growth ambitions!

Four unique master classes
The Mastering Growth program is a unique and comprehensive program for entrepreneurs who want to grow: as companies and as individuals. The program consists of four master classes that are tailored to each of the growth phases a company goes through. The below Critical Growth Phase model (CGM) is the starting point. The size of your company (number of employees or comparable revenue) determines which master class suits you best. More information about each master class is provided further down.

Practical advice on critical growth phases
Each growth phase has a growth ceiling: a period in which it is difficult to continue growing. This is what we call a “critical growth phase.” Making the right decision when this phase occurs boosts a company's growth. But making no decision or making the wrong decision will bring growth to a standstill, or even worse, cause the company to lose ground. The Mastering Growth program addresses the prerequisites for successful growth in depth. How does one successfully get through the critical growth phase? And what is the real secret of success? You will find the answers to these and other questions together with fellow entrepreneurs who are facing the same challenges, and together with corporate growth experts.

The master classes revolve around the following three notions:
1 Your colleague is your best advisor
Experience has shown that the best tips and advice for growth entrepreneurs come from other entrepreneurs.

Moreover, talking to people from different industry sectors with the same growth challenges provides new and creative insights. The Mastering Growth program emphasizes the sharing of knowledge and experience. With successful entrepreneurs as well as with colleagues who are going through the same phase.

2 The “growth wheel” has already been invented
The question why one company grows better than another in comparable circumstances has been extensively studied around the world. The corporate growth experts who contribute to the Mastering Growth program have a treasure trove of knowledge at their disposal. You, the entrepreneur, need clear advice and practical tips that are tailored to the growth phase your company is currently in. That's why we carefully choose which corporate growth experts attend which master class. We also offer each participant a tailored approach.

3 Entrepreneurship is a personal experience
Your personal leadership style marks your organization. The way you approach life, your ability to change, and the way you start relationships are important factors. We lay the link between growth and you as a person. Because you are often the factor that has the most impact on growth.

Approach
All of the master classes are exclusive. The approach is personal, intimate, and informal.
Meeting with fellow entrepreneurs is an important part of the program. Your fellow entrepreneurs are, in fact, your best advisors. Not only during the master class, but often for many years after. Take advantage of it!

Knowledge Transfer Group of Fast Growers Companies from 5 to 15 employees
Your company is doing well. It’s growing fast, and that's a great achievement. Growth, however, brings changes with it. A different approach is needed, and you, the entrepreneur, may need new skills. Where are the bottlenecks? And how do other fast growers deal with this? The knowledge transfer groups will enable you and your fellow entrepreneurs to discover just that.

Master Class Emerging Growth Companies from 15 to 35 employees
You run an organization that wants to grow or is already growing quickly. People expect you to provide direction and make the right decisions. You're good at both. But every once in a while, you need to catch your breath, exchange experiences with fellow entrepreneurs, and soak in new ideas and knowledge. Not only about your own organization, but, for example, your own style.

Four sessions:
Module I: Growth Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Module II: Financing and Monitoring
Module III: Business Partners and other stakeholders
Module IV: Market Positioning and Creativity

Master Class Fast Growth Companies with 35 or more employees
Your company is growing fast and the prospects are good. Especially if the job vacancies have all been filled. And yet, you can’t help feeling that you don't have enough grip on your company. You have trouble answering questions. Does our organizational structure still match our growth pattern? Am I the ideal manager, or am I more of a strategist? How do I finance further growth? Do I have the right people in the right places? How do I keep my staff motivated? Key questions for entrepreneurs who want to move forward. In this exclusive seminar for entrepreneurs in fast-growing companies you, and the other participants, will look for the answers.

Six sessions:
Module I: Motivation to Grow
Module II: Financing Growth
Module III: Growth, Organization and Staff
Module IV: Internationalization (Barcelona)
Module V: Leadership; you make the difference!
Module VI: How to keep your enterprise enterprising

Invitational Master Class for Growth Companies with 250 or more employees
You are a successful entrepreneur and have already started one or more companies. Everything is running smoothly. But you know you can do better. You want to get more out of yourself and your company. You have a general sense of direction, but feel the need to exchange thoughts with experienced entrepreneurs. About your ideas and your approach. And it’s your turn to be inspired. You want to move from a well-performing company to a high-performing company. The Invitational Master Class for Growth gives you the opportunity to work on growth in the exclusive company of top-notch entrepreneurs.

Five sessions:
Module I: Motivation to Grow
Module II: Strategy
Module III: Financing and Monitoring
Module IV: Leadership
Module V: Innovation

"You talk about how your company performs and how you perform. All those years, I saw myself primarily as an entrepreneur. But fellow entrepreneurs told me that my strength was my charismatic leadership. They thought I should use it more to my advantage. That was a real eye-opener. Sometimes you just don't see yourself the way others do."
Jelle Boelen, founder of Vitae

"The quality of the participants, the openness, and the excellence of the experts and guest speakers make the Fast Growth master classes very valuable for me and my company."
Kees de Jong, founder and CEO of Bloomerce.

This program is organized by:
Port 4 Growth, Ministry of Economic Affaires, de Baak, Management Centrum VNO-NCW and Syntens.

Price: € 3.200

Information and guidance
To qualify and register please contact the Training Advice Bureau, telephone +31343 55 6369 or info@debaak.nl