Thijs started to get excited. And he decided: this is the moment. Now he is the owner of a successful wall decoration company: Mural-Masters B.V. Thijs: ‘What I learn at Tio, I put into practice right away.’
Entrepreneurship came naturally to him from an early age. As a child, Thijs was always busy earning money, and he had a good example in his father, who also has his own business. ‘I knew from an early age that I wanted to start my own business. I thought it would be great to set my course, to be constantly challenged, to take steps forward,’ Thijs says enthusiastically. ‘The fact that I am now at the helm of my own company... that's really cool.’
The right choice of study
It was obvious that Thijs would choose a business programme after secondary school. But which one exactly? ‘I love to travel and have always been interested in other cultures. This also applies to business: how do you do business successfully in other countries? How do you ensure that you also count internationally? I find that very intriguing. The International Business Management programme really appealed to me.’
Thijs attended open days offering the programme, including Tio Eindhoven. ‘When I walked into Tio, I already knew. It felt right straight away. The small classes, the personal attention, the lecturers from the field; it just suited me. So the choice for International Business Management at Tio was quickly made.’
Student and entrepreneur
Thijs is now in his third year. For his Entrepreneurship minor, he wrote a business plan for a new company. Together with his father, he came up with Mural-Masters: impressive wall prints for home or work. ‘I developed the idea further and wrote a business plan,’ Thijs continues. ‘The lecturer who supervised me was very enthusiastic. I regularly brainstormed with him about the idea, and he encouraged me to really make it happen.’
‘That's what I like so much about Tio: the lecturers are always there for you, and they really encourage you to get the best out of yourself. They are often entrepreneurs themselves, so they know what they're talking about.’
Like a rocket
Thijs purchased a special wall printer, found a shareholder in his father, and got to work. And successfully: his customer base is slowly but surely expanding. Tio Eindhoven is now also a customer. The result of a good plan and hard work. ‘I spend about four hours a day on my business. That's essential for growth. Presently, it's still doable alongside my studies. Thanks to Tio's tailor-made approach, such as for students with a business, I'll be able to combine the two well in the long term.’
Learning by doing
Thanks to the practical focus of his International Business Management programme, Thijs was able to test and adjust his plans right away. He is gaining a lot of professional knowledge that he can immediately apply in practice. For example, thanks to the practical courses and projects, he learned how to write a financial plan, how to conduct a competitive analysis and how to present his product.
He finds personal development just as valuable: ‘You don't just acquire business knowledge, you also learn how to present yourself, take initiative and tell your story. I can see that I've really made progress in that area. Together with the valuable network I've built up thanks to Tio, this helps me every day in my work as an entrepreneur.’
Thijs also benefits from his active role as a board member of Tio’s Cognatio student association. ‘I learned to communicate and organise well, which is helpful now, whether it's recruiting customers, setting up partnerships or just having the courage to approach companies.’
Big dreams
Thijs is bursting with ambition for Mural-Masters. First, he wants to make a name for himself in Eindhoven, but ultimately, he has big plans: to have multiple people creating murals throughout the Netherlands under his brand name. ‘I honestly wish to grow. My dream is that soon there will be someone in every region with a Mural-Masters printer.
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