How did you end up in Finland?

Shortly after our son was born in the USA we concluded that USA is a bit too expensive and intense to raise a child. I had 6 weeks of maternity leave, and I had 10 holidays per year with my job, so it felt like I would never be able to see my child. We also wanted to be closer to our families, in the Netherlands, and Italy, where my husband is from. My husband is a research professor and he found a position in Helsinki. And here we are; living in Finland since 2019.

How did you start your own business?

I studied law at the Hogeschool Utrecht, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and at the Stockholm University. After my Finnish maternity ended and I wanted to get back to work, I found it quite difficult to find a job in law, especially in Finland. I felt I needed to be creative and make my own job if I wanted to work in Finland and I was inspired by Instagram where Dutch lawyers sold their services in website policies like privacy policies, terms and conditions. However, shortly after I started my own business I was approached by a medical company to do a serious GDPR project. That project allowed me to get knee deep into the field. I gained additional certificates, learned the ins and outs, and started to know the letter of the law. From that one customer, and via word of mouth, more customers came in a matter of months. 

Besides my own consultancy I also work parttime at the University of Helsinki as a legal contract specialist. 

Do you also have experience with running your own company in the Netherlands?

No. I sometimes have customers from the Netherlands, but I have never had a company in the Netherlands. I started my first own company once I arrived in Finland.

What are the major differences and similarities in the field of entrepreneurship between the Netherlands and Finland?

Differences: 
The Netherlands is very focused on speed. Things always must be ready yesterday. In Finland business cases are more thought through. Decisions are being made after thorough consideration and they take their time. Finns are also very realistic about deadlines. 

In the Netherlands rules and regulations are considered part of the business practice. In the Netherlands you often get the rules and regulations check quite close before a project is planned to be launched. In Finland it is part of the entire process-making and I’m often consulted or involved before an idea even becomes a project.

Similarities:
The contract drafting is very similar, fortunately. In both countries, weight is given to intention and purpose of the contract, and both countries appreciate short and clear contracts that are transparent about parties’ obligations. Both countries also prefer to know the rules, and companies’ management have often already a good understanding of what needs to be considered or organized legally.

Another similarity is the directness of people speaking. People in business like to express what they think if it is helpful for the case at hand, even though Fins are usually not big on speaking in general. Both cultures appreciate transparent communication. Both cultures don’t like unnecessary legal jargon. I also worked in the USA and the legal culture was quite different. 

Do you have any tips for other Dutch, or international, people who want to do business in Finland?

The international / startup community in Finland is quite small. There are a handful networks, startup hubs, and there is a lot of free help and resources available to get you started. When I decided to continue in the GDPR direction I called a few hubs who were happy to meet with me and got the ball rolling. Finland seems very closed, but if you make an effort, people are willing to help you out and get started. And don’t lose courage if you don’t receive a reply instantly. Fins may take their time to reply, but most often they do respond. 

A peek into the future: where do you see yourself and your company in 5 years?

I am developing an online training platform that I hope will be a solid product in 5 years. I foresee that GDPR implementation becomes quicker now that businesses have gotten used to the requirements, and more automated. However, people are the weakest links in security and data protection measures therefore businesses will have the need for staff training in GDPR – and upcoming EU AI. I’m in the midst of developing a beautiful training product/service and it would be amazing if that has turned solid in 5 years.   

However, I have lot of ideas and will always keep searching for solutions. 

Anything else you would like to bring forward?

Keep trying and keep going. Having a business is a lot more than just selling the tasks you have expertise in. There is so much more to it, such as sales, marketing, finding customers, partnerships, staff, tax, etc. But if you have the motivation and stamina to keep going you will find eventually, after trial and error, what works for you. Try to meet people and listen to their needs. If you are willing to help others, others will also help you.