The #React program, run by the House of Entrepreneurship, is designed to help entrepreneurs adapt to the current environment and strengthen their businesses so they can feel more confident about their way forward. We spoke to Conny Nasch, one of the #React program participants and founder of GreenPlate, to learn more about how she has benefited from this support.
Just over two years ago Conny Nasch launched GreenPlate, an e-commerce platform selling biodegradable compostable single use goods and wrappings. With a background in Fine Arts, Conny didn’t have any prior entrepreneurship experience. But her passion for the environment and her drive to make a positive contribution to the planet convinced her to take the plunge and start her own company.
When Conny joined the #React program (see our article “The 7 Benefits Of The #React Program”) she was mainly looking for help with the marketing aspect of her business. Before the pandemic, a large majority of her clients (Luxembourg-based restaurants and catering companies) were secured through door-to-door sales and in-person networking events. With social distancing measures in place and all events cancelled, Conny knew that she had to shift her strategy, but she didn’t know which steps to take to put this into practice.
Through the weekly online workshops offered by the #React program, Conny has been learning about specific approaches she can take to adapt her business model to the current climate. She particularly enjoys the fact that the webinars, delivered by experts in the legal, strategy and personal development fields, aren’t just focused on how to survive the crisis but rather, on helping entrepreneurs to leverage the situation to move their business forward and thrive in the long run, post covid-19.
“He was a great help in clarifying certain points I was not sure about and giving me pointers on what I should do to increase my clientèle.”
For Conny, the best part of the program has been the personalised support she has received from a Marketing expert: “He was a great help in clarifying certain points I was not sure about and giving me pointers on what I should do to increase my clientèle. Of course, the 5 hours together didn’t make me a marketing expert but I’m clearer now on how I’m going to move forward in the next while”.
Through the one-on-one coaching sessions, Conny was able to identify marketing opportunities she hadn’t previously considered (like for example reaching out to food truck companies and take-away stores). She also walked away from the sessions with concrete steps on how to implement her new strategy.
One important lesson that Conny has learned through this support network is that, even though online marketing techniques like email marketing can be effective, she needs to be more proactive when it comes to following up with people who show an interest in GreenPlate.
In the past she has been reluctant to do so for fear of coming across as too pushy but she now realises that she needs to continue to build personal relationships with potential clients, despite the social distancing restrictions. Sending out her online catalogue and building her social media presence is part of the strategy, but the personal connections is what will help her stand out from competitors.
