'We just do it all together, at the FOM'

Most pleased with...

Klaas - 'Thinking in possibilities, determining the (investment) strategy together with the entrepreneur, approaching and enthusing other financiers and then seeing the company become successful.

Sybo - "Our social impact. We help make the region more sustainable and innovative. Also not unimportant: employment. I am now reminded of a courageous project that would certainly not have succeeded without FOM's interference. A large number of people with (previously) a distance to the labor market now work there; that was already in the business plan. The main reason for us at the time was to say: we have to go for this. Fortunately, we see more and more beautiful initiatives like that. It gives a lot of satisfaction.

Berber - 'The moment you go to the notary after a long process together for the transfer of shares, knowing that everything has been taken care of down to the last detail. Everyone did their bit and as a team we helped the entrepreneur.'

Thomas - 'Sometimes, after a difficult start-up, a lump of a company finally stands and the loan is completely paid off. The property is now more than twice the size.'

Rob - 'When FOM was founded in 2014, it was initially only about innovation. Later we expanded that to include companies that want to grow and startups, plus usable export guarantees for SMEs, a guarantee for abroad where you can still access your working capital. That service didn't exist in the Netherlands at all. The great thing is that we work in an area where many traditional financiers are not active. So we can really add value for entrepreneurs.

Good to know, about the FOM

Klaas - "We would like to be as accessible as possible for people with a good plan, even if it is daring or unusual. That's why we're close by, in Leeuwarden. If you have a serious question, we'll drop by, always! We are very happy to engage in conversation. I would
If in doubt, call us.

Rob - "Also important to know when you talk to Sybo or Klaas: our investment managers don't make decisions. They work out the whole process carefully - product, market, management, risk profile - and then submit it as an advisory question to an independent investment committee. The members all bring their own kind of experience, so they also dare to say: this is something I once experienced at close quarters, pay close attention to this and that later. That's why we let them take a look during the preparations.'

Sybo - 'We take into account that some entrepreneurs are good at business, but bad at putting a sound business plan on paper. We then know a specialist who can help formulate it.'

Rob - "You can have made a very nice invention, but we always ask: for whom! If nobody needs it, you're stuck with it. By the way, it always starts with feeling something of a hook in your underbelly. If that's there, you do read between the lines in a less well-written plan.'

Thomas - "For starters who want to get started quickly with a relatively small amount of money (up to 100,000 euros), it doesn't have to take all that long. Then we can also get things done quickly, before it's too late. It starts with a convenient, quick online procedure, to check off at home what your plan has to meet.'

Berber - "Our website says 'It kin wol' - we really go out of our way to help an entrepreneur move forward.