CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE

Startup Weekend Amsterdam

August 27, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (0)

So, you have heard of Startup Weekend, but what’s it all about?

Startup Weekend is coming to Amsterdam on 24-26th of September. Mark your calendars because this is no ordinary event. It’s where like-minded entrepreneurs gather for a weekend of company creation. In 54 hours, you take an initial idea from the Friday night pitches through to a mind spinning startup company on the Sunday night.

Sounds intense? It is!

Just don’t think it’s just developers. Its marketing maestros, design gurus, business development wizards, legal geniuses, and the specialist of startups – the jack of all trades coming together as one unit, creating a harmony that can only be envied by the corporate world.

From there? Well, it’s all up to you. Startup Weekend can only help you start your dream. It’s up to you to live it out.

CRAVE decided to partner with Startup Weekend in Amsterdam because we believe in local talents and passionate people that CRAVE inspiring and fresh ideas.

We are giving away one ticket to a lucky winner that helps us spread the word.

• Join them on Facebook and ‘Like’ the Startup Weekend Amsterdam page
  
  
• Follow Startup Weekend  Amsterdam on Twitter and ReTweet: “Enter the @swamsterdam #Giveaway (Ends 1 Sept) and win a ticket to Startup Weekend Amsterdam http://amsterdam.startupweekend.org”

If you don’t win the ticket but really like to participate, head over to the ticket section HERE to find out for yourself what it’s all about!

Vintage for the little ones – bieq

July 30, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (0)

It’s vintage for little ones ! Angelique Roelofsen started bieq a few years ago. Her passion for handcrafts made this Dutch brand succeed. It evokes nostalgia and shows care and attention. Her brand sells completely hand-knitted items, everything made of pure merino wool. Merino garments are light weight, breath well and are non-irritant to the skin. Those are all important qualities, especially for toddlers and babies. Specialized in baby hats, they also sell a wide range of mittens, clothing and beautiful baby-blankets.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
cherish, stylish, pure

What are your most popular products or services?
wide range of hand-knitted hats, mittens and the newly designed baby-blankets.

People may be surprised to know…
that really nothing is produced by machines, but everything is hand-knitted !

What or who inspired you to start your business?
my passion for handcraft and design.

Who is your role model or mentor?
not one particular person, but I see there is market for my business and my passion is really satisfied by bieq,  so I keep on going !

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
not to just trust anyone and also read the fine prints..

How do you spend your free time?
with my family (boyfriend Steven and our two children Seb (11) & Puck (8)) and friends.

What is your indulgence?
have a drink with friends, gardening, jogging and …working on bieq

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
doesn’t matter as long as I am with friends. Of course, a nice location, sunshine and some bubbles always makes it even better !

Keep tabs on Angelique’s latest creations online:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

CALL FOR ACTION: Corporate Social Responsibility

July 20, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (5)

This week the “CSR Netherlands index” passed the milestone of 1000 proudly affiliated companies.This growth demonstrates that CSR is on the rise. Some entrepreneurs are taking ethical and social reasons, others are more of a commercially-built society. The second group is currently the largest, but there is still so much more to gain!

CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility – involves all business actions taken to focus on economic performance (profit) while respecting the social side (people) within the ecological constraints (planet): the triple-P approach.

It is about finding a balance between people, planet and profit. Often it appears that this balance leads to better results for both the company and society and therefore we call it sustainability.

Within CRAVE we have many women who are engaging their business in a sustainable manner and we would love to inspire you and all the readers with these sustainable businesses.

We like to encourage companies to investigate their options and opportunities in finding their balance between ethics and commerce.

To feel socially responsible and act upon, it is a mindset whereby female entrepreneurs prove very active and we are proud to present many inspiring examples among the CRAVE Amsterdam listing.

CALL FOR ACTION:

We like to add an sustainable sign to each CRAVE member who is engaging in CSR. Therefore we would like you to reply to us with a YES we are sustainable and preferably a brief motivation as to what you do in terms of sustainability.

All CRAVE members who reply will get the sustainable sign in their CRAVE Amsterdam spread. The CRAVE company is working on a sustainable listing on the website, if it’s ready we’ll inform you about it so that you can add your businessin the sustainable business index too.

As we are now in the middle of the design process for the CRAVE Amsterdam book we are looking forward to your prompt replies!

On behalf of the CRAVE Amsterdam team,

I am looking forward to your replies!

Featuring new talents in leather design – Sanne Gils

July 19, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (0)

We love meeting women that make their passion a successful business out of it. Just recently we meet one of Amsterdam’s new talents in leather design, Sanne Gils, owner of Sanne Gils Bags & Accessories. Her designs are handmade in small quantities, which means that each bag is unique. The starting point of her designs is the material, the leather. The leather is carefully selected according to suppleness, colour and structure. One of her unique ideas we liked the most was her “pump ups”. She creates custom chique covers for your shoes and bags so you can achieve different looks for different occasions to go with your wardrobe.

Sanne Gils Bags & Accessories can be found at www.sannegils.nl and several shops in The Netherlands.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Stylish. Daring. Colourful.

What are your most popular products or services?
The most popular products are the bags, ‘pump ups’. ‘Pump ups’ are covers for your pumps or boots. You can give your pump another look every time

People may be surprised to know…
All the designs have their own name, like: Thula, Juffs or Flo

What or who inspired you to start your business?
I was inspired by all kind of little stores in town who sell their on personal designs

Who is your role model or mentor?
Other people who make beautiful designs and run their own business

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
I learned to always pick up the phone, because you can miss great opportunities by not doing so.

How do you spend your free time?
When I have free time, I spend it in company of good friends. I like to cook and make nice dinners for them.

What is your indulgence?
I like to give every woman a beautiful bag and make her feel wonderful!

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
A good restaurant, a nice evening and some good Italian food

Interview with Rachel, owner of ROOFF

June 18, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (1)

Rachel van der Ploeg started with a dream written on a piece of paper. Several years later she is conducting a successful production office in Amsterdam.

ROOFF is a full service production office with over 12 years of experience producing photo shoots (commercial, editorial & projects) and film (commercials & videos). They provide you a full service production fit to your request: regarding approach, quality, atmosphere, efficiency and budget! ROOFF can arrange the production from the beginning to the end or just a part of it. Their motto: ” Strong execution makes a strong idea a better idea”. Read her interview below:

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Passionate, Punctual, Personal

What are your most popular products or services?
I do not have a most popular service. It is always a package people ask for.

People may be surprised to know…
…that I can’t do all just by myself.

What or who inspired you to start your business?
Myself. I always dreamed about owning my own business. When I was 20 years old, I wrote all my dreams on a small letter. One of them was to own my own business before by the time I was 35. So in the year I turned 35, I started working on my plan and quit my job. 6 months later, that dream came true.

Who is your role model or mentor?
If I really have to pick somebody than it is my mom: she is a very strong woman. Who does the things because she wants to and not because people expect it.

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
That I say ok to every job eventhough my agenda is full.

How do you spend your free time?
Having fun with my boyfriend, the kids, family, friends & my little dog Monster. Shopping, traveling, dining..

What is your indulgence?
My indulgence is spoiling myself. Shopping, a nice walk, a good book, music, good food, etc…..Me time!!!!

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
As long as I am with my friends it doesn’t matter where it is.

Daddy’s Day is Almost Here!

June 15, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (0)

Father’s Day is around the corner and every year its the same. We ponder WHAT to get our dear dads for a gift. We all know that whatever we hand them they’ll be thankful for; but we always want to push the envelope! When we are pressed for time and don’t have the  effort left to make something extremely sentimental, here is some advice from your friends at CRAVE on what to do that will make him smile.

Try and remember what your dad is passionate about. Is he an outdoors-man? Cook? Tech-savvy? Music lover? With some passion he has in mind its always easier to direct your gift towards a certain theme and come out successful. It will help you avoid spending hours shopping with no clue of what to get as well as guaranteeing that he will appreciate the gift and the thought you put into it.
If still stuck on where to begin with finding a gift, maybe go in a different direction then a simple gift from the store. Does your dad love a certain comedian or band? Grab tickets to a concert.

Dad’s love knowing you want to spend time with them, so if time allows, do an activity that involves doing something together. Time spent is more precious than any other gift money could buy!

Remember first and foremost that its your dad’s day! All that truly matters is that you make sure to tell him he’s special and you love him.

What can a wedding planner do for you? Seeds of Love has the answers!

June 11, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (0)

First of all, being a wedding planner here in The Netherlands is not as common as it is in the States. But it’s starting to settle down in the market and according to the CBS (Central Bureau for the Statistics) there will still be 70.000 marriages this year here in Holland! It’s all about the approach. Lots of people still think that hiring a wedding planner is for the rich. It’s a luxury they can not afford. But it’s not anymore. Couples actually don’t know what kind of benefits a wedding planner can give them.

We have coupled with Inge Bergakker of Seeds of Love to give you 5 reasons why you should consider hiring a wedding planner:

1. They save you time

Planning weddings takes enormous amount of time.  In fact the hours can count up to over 200 hours just planning this special day. A good wedding planner will save you time and energy by doing the research of the best vendors, taking care of most of the details and has various creative ideas to make your wedding special and amazing.

2. They save money

Organizing a wedding can be extremely expensive. Couples can save a great deal of money by hiring a wedding planner because they provide so much business to vendors that they are often able to negotiate discounts for their clients. Wedding planners also help couples set their budgets and help them sticking to it.

3. Offers you advice

Wedding planners can also help couples with some good advice. They have planned numerous weddings and by experience know exactly what works and what doesn’t. Wedding etiquettes for example have no secrets at all to them. Furthermore, wedding planners are able to recommend the best vendors because this is based on their personal experience.

4. Creates schedules

Because of the fact that there are so many events leading up to the big day, wedding planners make detailed itineraries for all involved (including the vendors) and making sure that everything happens on time.

5. Handles crisis

Whether we like it or not, most big events involve crisis. For example the bakery doesn’t deliver the wedding cake on time or the flower girl throws a tantrum? Or how about making sure that the guest who had a little too much to drink departs safely? Wedding planners know how to handle all unforeseen circumstances and take care of any crisis.

If the above has convinced you that hiring a wedding planner definitely has its benefits, then contact Inge Bergakker and she’ll make sure you’ll have a wedding every girl deserves and dreams of. She creates weddings with a perfect balance between style and grace but also with pure elegance and romantic details. The aim is to create truly personal and distinctive weddings and always to exceed the expectations. Partial help, advice or being the Day Of Coordinator is also one of the services she provides.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Stylish. Elegant. Professional.

What are your most popular products or services?
I will help clients save time, stress and money. I’ll oversee the proceedings and generally ensure that the day runs smoothly, leaving them safe in the knowledge that everything will be managed professionally.

People may be surprised to know…
that Seeds of Love has an office in Utrecht but operates throughout the country!

What or who inspired you to start your business?
My husband! He never stopped believing in my creative thinking and organizing skills. He encouraged me to combine these qualities and to follow my dreams!

How do you spend your free time?
Cooking, reading, listening to music… but most of all spending quality time with my family!

What is your indulgence?
Herbal teas and sushi!

You can also contact Inge on twitter or follow her updates on her blog.

CRAVEamsterdam book prelaunch

June 9, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (4)

On June the 7th, the women of CRAVEamsterdam came together  again to
celebrate the prelaunch of the very first CRAVEamsterdam guide – the
most unique and stylish guidebook for Amsterdam living. It is a
celebration of women entreprenesses that showcases some of the most
creative, interesting, and gutsy proprietors throughout our city. In
the typical CRAVE fashion, this meant a glam gathering of savvy women.
With the help of Amsterdam’s coffee@last providing us with a
fantastic venue, the best coffee in town, tea and scrumptious
minicakes, the guests were entertained.

Our very own Athalie Stegeman presented the ways you can boost your
business using the CRAVEamsterdam guide and of course, the platform of
entrepreneurs we created. As the evening wound down, our ambassadors
Isrid van Geuns and Athalie Stegeman presented the CRAVEamsterdam’s
guide cover and of course the first finished spreads of the book,
framed and ready to hang on your personal wall of fame. Six of the
women present got to see their pages in advance. We extend a big thank
you to Villa Grafica for helping us with the print and design of the
PR materials present and for their great help with printing the
spreads.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make the CRAVE Prelaunch a
success, and to all the CRAVEamsterdam women who came out to see us
and have some fun!

Check out the photo gallery, compliments of Ronny Rozenberg and
Cristina Stoian, picturing the night in a special way:

Interview with Koter&Co

June 4, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (0)

Koter & Co
Scheldestraat 55-57, Amsterdam

Nothing is quite as special as welcoming a new baby into the world. And well it can be easy and fun to shop from the traditional baby registry – many new moms CRAVE a different approach. This week we found out about Koter & Co, one of  the nicest children store in Amsterdam!  You will find new brands like Calao and Little Feet but also the more familiar brand Imps & Elfs and Bengh. From crib, stroller or TripTrap for the young kids to a sturdy jeans for the youngsters, at Koter & Co you will find everything you need to make a child happy. This Sunday they have a Summer Sale in store! Be there on 6th of June from 11.00 till 16.00 and Anja and Jacqueline will offer you 40% discount on this Summer Collection and 50% discount on older collections and other nice items. Step inside and find the perfect gift for your small ones! Of course we could not resist asking them what’s their story.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Stylish, young and practical

What are your most popular products or services?
Popular products are our clothing collections from basics to party dresses. Along comes accessories for your child and even furniture

People may be surprised to know…
That most of our clothing brands are affiliated to Made-By, a company that stands for no sweat shops, no child labor and honest materials

What or who inspired you to start your business?
Our children have!

Who is your role model or mentor?
We have each other as role model!

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
A too quick expansion drive

How do you spend your free time?
Sailing, dancing, being with friends and our loved ones

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
The beach, and talk about the facts of life, with a good bottle of champagne

You can also follow their updates on Twitter and Facebook.

XllentGuidance, your personal lifestyle management agency

May 21, 2010 by Cristina S. | Comments (0)

Just new in Amsterdam or in the Netherlands or are you on your way to move? Look first into this interesting business. XllentGuidance is a Lifestyle Management agency, in Amsterdam. They offer you more time in your life, more space in your calendar and more room in your head! For expats they developed a Neighborhood Introduction Experience, where they will introduce you to your new neighborhood including its shops, networks and (expatriate) residents. You will receive all the information you need to feel comfortable and at home in your new living area. XllentGuidance also offers an Aftercare Service desk with after opening hours. At their office there are several consultants available to help you out with, amongst others,  the Dutch administration. XllentGuidance is there to help you, just to get back on your feet! LexiaEmerenciana, the owner of XllentGuidance will gladly assists you in handling your time, so you can focus on other important businesses.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Personal, Creative, Unique

What are your most popular products or services?
Most popular are our unique Expat services like the Neighborhood Introduction Experience and the Aftercare servicedesk. These packages make sure an Expat feels more welcome and comfortable in his new living area by taking care of their socially based needs. Introducing an expat to local shop owners, neighbors and things to do in their own neighborhood, makes a huge difference for expats and their families!

People may be surprised to know…
that I am NOT wonder woman!

What or who inspired you to start your business?
I was inspired by the urge to do something different and unique for those who are too busy in life to enjoy it!

Who is your role model or mentor?
I don’t have a particularly role model, but I have a great respect for them who are chasing their dreams with a great believe and succeed in it!

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
Thinking I can do everything myself.

How do you spend your free time?
Wining, dining, laughing, dancing and running!

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
Well…where not?! The most important thing is that we are together and have fun..and that’s basically every where we are!

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