The number of young graduates actually starting u a business after their studies is rather low! We need more entrepreneurs in Belgium. Here are some tips on how to convince your parents and friends that you want to start a startup. Stop Talking, Start Building!

1. HOW TO CONVINCE YOUR
PARENTS AND FRIENDS THAT
YOU WANT TO BECOME AN
ENTREPRENEUR

2. THIS HAPPY BUNCH JUST
GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY
MEET
LAURA
NICOLAS

3. MEET
LAURA SHE GOT A
MASTERS DEGREE.
HOORAY!
WHAT NOW?
SHE STARTS HER
WORKING CAREER
HER OPTIONS:
SME’S
STARTUPS
BIG CORPORATES
LAURA CHOSES FOR
A WELL PAID JOB AT
A BIG CORPORATE
1
2
3

4. HE GOT A
MASTERS DEGREE.
HOORAY!
WHAT NOW?
HE BECOMES AN
ENTREPRENEUR
HIS OPTIONS:
MEET
NICOLAS
START A STARTUP
NICOLAS
STARTS HIS
OWN STARTUP
1
2
3

5. WHAT BELGIUM THINKS
LAURA
NICOLAS
JOB AT A BIG
CORPORATE
STARTS HIS
OWN STARTUP
CRAZY FOOL!GOOD GIRL!
X1000

6. WHAT BELGIUM THINKS
LAURA
NICOLASCRAZY FOOL
“THE NUMBER OF YOUNG
GRADUATES ACTUALLY STARTING
UP A BUSINESS AFTER THEIR
STUDIES IS LOW”

7. WHAT BELGIUM NEEDS
LAURA
NICOLAS
JOB AT A BIG
CORPORATE
STARTS HIS
OWN STARTUP
GOOD GIRL!
X1000
GOOD BOY!

8. HOW CAN NICOLAS
CONVINCE HIS PARENTS
THAT HE ISN’T A CRAZY
FOOL?
MEET
NICOLAS
NICOLAS
STARTS HIS
OWN STARTUP

9. DON’T TELL THEM YOU
ARE BUILDING THE NEXT
FACEBOOK ;)

10. TIP #1
DON’T GET TOO FULL OF
YOURSELF
NICOLAS
SHOW YOU THOUGHT YOUR IDEA
THROUGH TO THE LONG TERM.
NOT JUST WHAT YOU HOPE
HAPPENS IN SIX MONTHS.
SOURCE

11. TIP #2
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
NICOLAS
BE THOROUGH IN EXPLAINING
WHY YOU WANT TO DO IT, AND
WHY NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT.
NO SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT
DECISION!
SOURCE

12. TIP #3
TALK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE
NICOLAS
GO TO MEETUPS, PITCH NIGHTS,
OPEN COFFEES. ANY
ENTREPRENEURIAL EVENT
THAT’S RELEVANT. TALK TO
FELLOW ENTREPRENEURS. TEST
YOUR IDEA AND GET FEEDBACK

13. TIP #4
KEEP THEM IN THE LOOP
NICOLAS
THINK OF YOUR PARENTS AS
INVESTORS. YOU NEED TO
UPDATE THEM ON YOUR
PROGRESS. THEY COULD HELP
YOU. EMOTIONALLY AND
BUSINESS WISE.
SOURCE

14. TIP #5
SHOW YOUR PASSION!
NICOLAS
SHOW THAT THIS PASSION IS
MAKING YOU HAPPY. YOUR
PASSION FOR BECOMING AN
ENTREPRENEUR IS AN
IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR
PERSONAL JOURNEY.
SOURCE

15. TIP #6
JOIN OTHER
ENTREPRENEURS
NICOLAS
DON’T STAY IN YOUR BEDROOM.
GET OUT OF THE BUILDING. JOIN
OTHER ENTREPRENEURS
(ACCELERATORS, INCUBATORS,
CO-WORKING). CONVINCE THEM
YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE
DOING THIS.

16. TIP #7
BE COMPLETELY HONEST
NICOLAS
HAVE ULTIMATE TRUST BETWEEN
EACH OTHER. IF YOUR PARENTS
ARE HELPING YOU FINANCIALLY,
MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND
THERE’S A CHANCE THEIR
INVESTMENT WON’T PAN OUT
SOURCE

17. TIP #8
SHOW THEM WHAT YOU
BRING TO THE TABLE
NICOLAS
YOUR PARENTS KNOW WHERE
THEY ARE GOOD AT. CONVINCE
THEM WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT.
SHOW THEM YOUR SKIllZ!
SOURCE

18. TIP #9
FIND A MENTOR
NICOLAS
TRY AND LOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE WILLING TO GUIDE YOU IN
YOUR JOURNEY. SEASONED
ENTREPRENEURS ARE WILLING
TO HELP. THEY LIVE BY THE PAY IT
FORWARD PRINCIPLE
SOURCE

19. TIP #10
EXPLAIN YOUR IDEA ON
THEIR TERMS
NICOLAS
SHOW THEM YOUR IDEA IS A
GOOD ONE, THAT YOU ARE
CAPABLE OF ACTUALLY
CREATING IT, AND CONVINCING
PEOPLE TO USE IT. SELL THEM
YOUR PRODUCT AS IF THEY WERE
YOUR CUSTOMERS
SOURCE

20. YOU CONVINCED
YOUR PARENTS?
WHAT NOW?
APPLY FOR THE
TELENET
IDEALABS
ACCELERATOR
YOU GET:
MEET
NICOLAS
GUIDANCE BY 80 MENTORS
25K (NO EQUITY)
NICOLAS GETS
ACCELERATED!
1
2
3
WORKSPACE
ACCESS TO TELENET TALENT & NETWORK
BE SURROUNDED BY STARTUPS
ATTEND A LOT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EVENTS

21. HEY LAURA, YOU SHOULD JOIN
NICOLAS IN HIS JOURNEY!
MEET
LAURA
NICOLAS
APPLY NOW FOR THE
TELENET IDEALABS
ACCELERATOR