Ten Years of Innovation and Impact: The Story of HopStep&Leap

Entrepreneurship is the way to make an impact 

“The basis of our collaboration is the belief that entrepreneurship is the way to address social problems. 

Social entrepeneurs like no other have the creativity and guts to show that things can be done differently and the power of change to address social problems. These are the people we love to support in brand and marketing to achieve healthy growth and impact.” 

Ten years ago, Ellen was marketing director at War Child and Isolde was strategy consultant at VODW Marketing (now EY VODW). They had already worked together on the development of War Child as an entrepreneurial NGO. When they met again in 2013 at the book launch of 'Improve the world, start a business', from Willemijn Verloop and Mark Hillen, they knew for sure. It was time for a strategy agency with a 'hands on approach' that focuses only on people and companies that want to make a difference. Thus began a collaboration that has now lasted more than a decade.

“We offer expertise of the highest level in brand and marketing. Think for example about positioning or a growth strategy. We do this with an innovative approach focused on impact entrepreneurs, with which we can add more value in less time. We always make sure that clients are not dependent on our advice and can continue on their own.” 

Ellen and Isolde have been involved with Social Enterprise NL (almost) from the very beginning. They developed several programs, helped build the membership strategy and give master classes for the more than 450 social entrepreneurs in the network. The Masterclass Positioning has been on the agenda every year for 10 years and fills up incredibly quickly.

“The range of programs and master classes offered to our members has evolved in recent years. There are more and more growing social enterprises and we adapt the offerings accordingly. HopStep&Leap's Masterclass Positioning is one of the few Masterclasses that has been on the agenda for 10 years, it is and will actually always be relevant.”  - Leonie Bank, director Social Enterprise NL

An entrepreneur who does well is not automatically a good entrepreneur 

The movement has grown considerably, to which Ellen and Isolde were prime witnesses, what have they noticed in the past decade?

“Social entrepreneurs are often so passionate about their mission that they want to convince others with it. However, it is important to think from the target audience; who are they and what are their needs? While people may be sustainable in their thoughts, other motives play a role when shopping. We advise entrepreneurs to think from the customer's “what's in it for me” perspective. And to always be alert to offering distinctive added value. 

A good marketing strategy is crucial to success, but often undervalued. Social entrepreneurs often see making money as something negative and associate marketing with flat advertising. While we see that companies with a clear marketing strategy and a strong brand are the most successful. Not only commercially, but also in making impact. Marketing is a management tool to grow your organization and touches many more areas than just communication. We help entrepreneurs with clear values a clear mission and vision to a sharp positioning ánd fresh communication.”

Future of social entrepreneurship: working together and showing even better where you are unique. 

Of course we would like to see a 20-year anniversary of Hop,Step&Leap Company, but also the growth of the overall industry. What do you think is needed from entrepreneurs in the coming years? What is your focus in the upcoming time?

“We see that the sector has developed enormously in the last decade. Whereas in the past it was enough to advertise your product as sustainable, now that is not distinctive enough. There are more and more players and the concept of sustainability has been eroded. Together with entrepreneurs, we look at what makes them truly unique and how that meets customer needs. We build propositions on that. This requires entrepreneurs to pay more attention to marketing and communication. We also see many opportunities for entrepreneurs to work together. With each other, but also with large companies to realize even more change in chains and systems in the coming years. In ten years, as far as we are concerned, every company should know and embrace the principles of social entrepreneurship.” 

Are you a member of Social Enterprise NL and would like to attend the Positioning Masterclass? Then register now for the upcoming Master Class on Sept. 24.  

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Birthday treats. Five times a strategy session as a gift! 

A tenth anniversary should of course be celebrated, and the founders of HopStep&Leap Company, Ellen and Isolde, are happy to do so by following the tradition of “he who celebrates his birthday, treats. Five social entrepreneurs from Social Enterprise NL's network will receive a sixty-minute strategy session as a gift. How it works. Briefly describe a question you would like help with and submit it along with your name to hello@hopstepandleap.com

For example: how can I stand out even better in the marketplace? How do I take the next step of growth? How do I properly prepare my company and team for an upcoming investment to make maximum impact? How do I sharpen my propositions? How do I capture my DNA to build a strong brand from within?