Vlerick Expertise in Entrepreneurship

The Belgian mergers and acquisitions market gradually seems to be reaching its peak. It is not just the number of transactions but also the selling prices which rose for the fifth year in a row in 2017. The highest valuations are found in the real estate sector followed by pharmaceuticals, technology and healthcare. The demand is greater than the supply and competition is increasing. In addition, more and more foreign players are showing an interest in Belgian companies. In view of the anticipated further growth in 2018, there is a danger of overheating. These are the main conclusions of the M&A Monitor, an annual survey which involves over 150 Belgian mergers and acquisitions experts and advisers.

Half of the organisations surveyed in the Rising Star Monitor, a report on the trends and challenges for young, high potential ventures in Belgium, intend to grow, but not always at very high speed. A second major finding refers to the fact that founders often forget to enter into a proper shareholder agreement, which is worrying as one in four founders leaves their company within the first three years. To support high-potential ventures in their path to rapid growth, attention should be paid to attracting potential employees in a more professional manner and providing existing employees with more feedback and a clearly defined career path.

A growing number of established companies are turning to e-commerce as an additional sales channel. Plenty of smaller start-ups, however, choose to set up only an online shop, without investing in physical points of sale. How can you convince first-time consumers to buy your products or services online, as an unfamiliar vendor? Are all kinds of guarantees sufficient? Or should you consider investing in a customer review module?

Rather than start a new company from scratch, entrepreneurs often choose to buy a small business instead. But many people underestimate how complex and time consuming this process can be. Our white paper sets out ten frequent mistakes people make when buying a small business.

Many family businesses aren't making full use of the potential of private equity. Is it because they fear what they don't know? Or are they worried that bringing a financial investor on board will be like inviting in a Trojan horse? A ‘meeting of minds’ between Professors Sophie Manigart and Miguel Meuleman, Dr. Jeroen Neckebrouck and Koen Dejonckheere, the CEO of investment company Gimv.

Although they form a small minority of all Belgian companies with at least 10 employees, high-growth companies are making their mark on both employment and economic growth in Belgium. This is evident from the 'Belgian High Growth Monitor', an annual study by Professor Hans Crijns and researcher Yannick Dillen into the evolution and characteristics of Belgian growth companies.

Vlerick business experts work across all sectors and with businesses at many different stages of growth. They are renowned in the fields of finance, strategy, entrepreneurship, people and reward management, and many more. In this paper our 6 Vlerick experts each give one key insight for growing your business.

As an entrepreneur with an SME, you would like to see your brainchild grow and become a successful adult. That’s why you invest all of your time and energy in your company − a magnificent adventure! But do you still invest in yourself, your organisation’s most important asset? This white paper discusses the success factors that are linked to your business and to yourself. Those success factors evolve. And as an entrepreneur, it’s best that you evolve with them. With insight into the success factors, you can anticipate the obstacles that will inevitably come up and that make your adventure even more fascinating.

Microloans are currently regarded as one of the most promising ways of encouraging entrepreneurship and combating poverty. Statistics show that the majority of the loans are repaid. We can therefore conclude that the system works. But is this actually the case?

The image of entrepreneurship in Flanders could be a great deal better, especially in comparison with neighbouring countries. This is why the Flemish government agency Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship, with the support of Flanders DC, Voka, and Unizo, is starting a multi-annual campaign to show that Flemish entrepreneurs have diverse and palpable motivations. What’s more, they often go into business to make a positive impact on their own living environments, or on society as a whole. The campaign is based on the first scientific study into the social aspects of entrepreneurship in Flanders