From craftmanship to entrepreneurship

"What's the goal of the research project? 

Willem: "We want to turn young crafters into entrepreneurs. There are lots of youngsters out there that are passionate about their craft, the so called 'young makers'. They're talented, they're creative, they're skilled and they're ambitious. Most of them want to make a living out of their craft, but few of them know how to do so." 

Why is that? 

"It isn't easy, that's why. There's the paperwork, the scouting of clients, the marketing and communication issues. That's why we're mapping the pathway to succes. How do young entrepreneurs realise their dream? What are the obstacles that need to be cleared away from the path? What drives them? Who supports them? And can we identify needs that aren't currently met? The ultimate goal is to set up a project that stimulates young makers in turning their idea into reality."

Why is this important?

We're living in a society in which there's a huge gap between technical and general education. Young makers bridge that gap, and in doing so they inspire a lot of other youngsters. At Trendwolves, we have been working with crafters for over five years now, building the Urban Crafts by Hello bank! community (check out Hello crowd!, the crowdfunding platform developed by Hello bank!, which enables makers to raise funds for their projects). By supporting young makers we support cultural innovation, at the intersection of youth, education, employment and future thinking. 

We hardly see you at the office. How come? 

"I'm interviewing organisations that support entrepreneurship, such as Unizo, Voka, Flanders DC, fablabs, co-working spaces and youth clubs. But mostly I'm talking with young makers at their home or in their working space, to have a chat about their life and work, about their plans, about the way they set up new projects and how they anticipate new customers. These talks are very inspiring, because the people I have met until now mean business. They persevere, even if things don't go as planned, and even if they fail. I have the feeling that they're is a thin line between succes and failure."

What's the most surprising thing you learned up until now? 

"I've had to alter my own prejudices, that's for sure. The experiences of the crafters are very alike, and at the same time very surprising. Here I was thinking that the paperwork would be one of the biggest obstacles for the crafters, but that hypothesis has been altered already. The people I've spoken with are rebellious, and they do things differently than other people. Therefore they make for a very interesting study."

When can we expect the first results? 

"We'll present the report at the end of may, and than we'll see how fast we can kickstart a project to stimulate and support young crafters in turning their skills into a healthy business. So stay tuned!"