Wed, 22 February 2012
| Index | Last | Var.(%) |
|---|---|---|
| BEL 20 | 2258.97 | -1.23 |
| DAX | 6843.87 | -0.93 |
| IBEX 30 | 8657 | -1.26 |
| CAC 40 | 3447.37 | -0.52 |
| FTSE 100 | 5916.55 | -0.20 |
| AEX | 326.77 | -1.13 |
| DJIA | 12957.29 | -0.06 |
| Nasdaq | 2941.15 | -0.25 |
| FTSE MIB | 16557.62 | -0.92 |
| TSX Composite | 12685.23 | 0.49 |
| ASX | 4372.1 | 0.09 |
| Hang seng | 21549.28 | 0.33 |
| Straits Times | 2995.59 | -0.97 |
| ISEQ 20 | 511.23 | -0.65 |
Text size
Italian expat Francesca Polo appreciates the Dutch culture "for the sober yet creative attitude when it comes down to business," and advises expats to take advantage of training at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce.City of residence: Amsterdam
Name of company: Yogatha / Office Oasis
Date of company launch: Yogatha, August 2004 / Office Oasis, January 2005
Can you give us a brief description of your business and how it is going?
I run two businesses: Yogatha and Office Oasis. Both stand for: Yoga Management, where ‘management’ refers to ‘handling’ and yoga refers to ‘unifying what is separate’ or ‘becoming whole or healthy’. 
Yogatha and Office Oasis aim to reach individuals in different settings, like in the yoga studio or at work, and soon just anywhere, as a yoga book by Yogatha is ‘in the making’! The offer varies from weekly yoga classes and yoga retreats and workshops to coaching through cranio-sacral therapy and healing massage (Yogatha); and from regular yoga classes at work to a team-building laughter yoga session, chair massage or lecture at the office or anywhere else (Office Oasis).
What hurdles did you encounter when setting up?
Certainly not objective ones: my own insecurity!
How has the economic crisis affected your business?
The rising of ever cheaper possibilities to practice yoga has led me to a crossroads and has forced me to sharpen my offer and my niche. As to my practice for coaching through cranio-sacral therapy and healing massage, I had to make sure I was put on two professional registers so that my clients could get reimbursements from their insurance companies.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs setting up business in the Netherlands?
Make use of the many possibilities this country has to offer, like (almost) free courses at the Chamber of Commerce or offered by the ‘Ondernemershuis’. If you network, visit a couple of different environments first and finally choose the one where you feel most at ease and feel you can be just yourself.
Joining Expat Voices
To add your voice to Expat Voices in the Netherlands, simply download the Expat Voices questionnaire via this link and return it by email to editornl@expatica.com . You can choose to take an Expat Artist, Expat Entrepreneur or Expat Writer questionnaire if this is more relevant to your lifestyle. We'd love to hear what you have to say about life in the Netherlands!
A guide to telephone, internet and television along with utility services water, electricity and gas in the Netherlands.
Lost in the Dutch immigration system? Look no further than this guide compiled for our Survival Guide 2012.
Expatica offers a whistle-stop tour of life in the modern Netherlands.
The challenges and benefits of the maternity system in the Netherlands and how it differs to other countries.
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
Flickr
0
