Interview James Bluemink CEOpener and founder of Bottlocase
Bottlocase has been set up since 2013and designs and develops IPhone bottle opener cases.
Your company has been tipped as one of Amsterdam’s most exiting start up’s, can you explain why?
Yeah sure.
We initially tested our products with a cross sectional target market that included students, bar staff, breweries and beer lovers worldwide. This was the typical reaction we received from testers.
Wow… did that actually happen?Seriously….. Where can I get one on?
This was enough evidence to validate the market so we pushed forward with our designs and built the brand bottlocase.
We’ve received real a rapid uptake from our customers securing contracts with The Student Hotel and No curfew events prior to launch. We’re also applying for theRockstart accelerator program next year and a number of high profile tech magazines such as tech crunch
How do you view the current business market in The Netherlands, also considering the recession?
A guiding principle I’ve followed throughout my start up career has been: In the face of adversity lie the seeds of opportunity. The more that people harness this theory the faster the economic recovery. The power of positivity is also one of the greatest stimulants.
My experience of the Dutch market thusfar ,has been positive. I think people here are very receptive to new technology and they’re not afraid to experiment with new ideas. This is very important for start up’s in general as it’s the early adopters that really give us market recognition.
Naturally due the Dutch sandwich techniques it attracts some of the worlds most successful companies, which can only add value to their economy. Also from a geographical point The
Netherlands is the gateway to Europe making it one of Europes largest distribution hubs.
There’s something for everyone in The Netherlands……..unless you enjoy mountains that is!!
What kind of employees does Bottlocase work with, what is their expected education, language proficiency and previous experience?
Entrepreneurial minds.
We like to consider the people of bottlocase as team members rather than employees which gives them more loyalty and a sense of reward. We want all our staff to love what they do because if you love what you do nothing feels like work and productivity levels increase.
We believe experience is just as important as education. Everyone who steps into the bottlocase arena adds value to the company and compliments existing skill sets.
All our team members consider themselves as entrepreneurs not employees…… even the finance department!
What are the possibilities of a career growth offered to internationals by Bottlocase?
he possibilities are endless. We have a super cool scalable product where everyone with an iPhone is a potential customer to us
For recent international graduates with limited work experience, what are the chances within Bottlocaseor how would you advise them to build the required experience?
We are a young company, with a young team and a dynamic disruptive product.
There is a lot of opportunity to build and grow a career within bottlocase providing yourproactive and have a thirst for success. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, a team player and always think outside the box you’ll go a long way in life. As we are a small team everything you perform if recognisied by both customers and management.
My advice on building experience:
• Don’t ask for too much too soon. No one is born with a silver spoon in their mouth especially in our work place.
• Hit your targets by under promising and over delivering,
• Don’t be afraid to shout out and present new value adding ideas to the management.
• Be PROACTIVE and show people you really want to make a difference.
• Remember there are no short cuts to any place worth going.
How important do you consider social media to have become, for companies?
If you are not using social media as a company ( no matter what your company does ) then you don’t exist.
That’s how important!
How do you see Bottlocase evolving over the next years, what are your goals and plans for the future?
We aim to become the European market leader for smartphone bottle opener cases.
We are currently developing new products to add to our portfolio as well as designing cases that are compatible with other smartphone brands not just apple. We’re also looking to move into the functional tech accessories market to diversify the brand.
The future is bright for bottlocase and we will continue to pioneer new designs and open up new markets.
We look forward to opening a few with you.
Copywrite Together Abroad