Jake Raijmann’s Post

Did You Know Your iPhone Wasn’t Made by Apple? 😮 Ever wondered how big companies handle all their work? Sometimes, they need a little help, just like when you’re super busy with work and your girlfriend helps you by starting to cook 😋 This is called outsourcing. Outsourcing is when a company hires another company to do some of their work.  In the business world, this helps companies manage everything without getting too stressed out 😓 I once worked at Unilever, and we didn’t make all our stuff ourselves; we asked other factories to help us. Even the Apple iPhone is made by another company called Foxconn, not Apple 🍏 itself! And guess what? Even the recruiter who helped you get your job might have been from another company too! It’s crucial for tasks that require special expertise, especially customer service. Why Outsource Customer Service? 1. Expert Help: Specialist companies know how to make customers happy. 2. Saves Time: Outsourcing lets companies focus on innovation and improvement. 3. Happy Customers: Good service means customers are likely to return and spread positive feedback. Outsourcing customer service is a strategic move, it lets companies excel and ensures customers feel valued! Dit was mijn dinsdag weetje 😉

My TOP 5 early business MISTAKES from 6.5 years of entrepreneuring 🫣 Success will come by making mistakes and learning from them. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and the best way to move forward is to reflect and. So if I look back on starting multiple businesses here are my top 5 mistakes. 1. Trusting Too Much, Contracting Too Little 📜 Initially, I relied heavily on verbal agreements and trust. Big mistake! It’s crucial to have detailed contracts or work agreements in place.This protects not just your business, but your relationships too. Always put it in writing! Result of not doing this: Being ghosted 👻 by a co-founder TWICE! 2. Impatience 🚧 I was in a rush to see results, which led to rushed decisions. Success takes time; it’s better to take slow, thoughtful steps than to rush and stumble! Trust the process. I still struggle with this till this day. 3. Taking Failures Too Personally 💔 Every setback felt like a personal defeat. I’ve since learned that failures are not the opposite of success, they’re part of it. Each misstep is a stepping stone towards doing better. Your failures only compound your success. 4. Forgetting the Big Picture 🖼️ In the early days, I’d get stuck in day-to-day issues and lose sight of the long-term goals. Keeping an eye on the big picture helps in making better strategic decisions. 5. Doing everything by myself 🤲 Wanting to control everything seemed right at first but you realise quickly that you're not the right person for every task. Company finances is definitely not my strength and I didn't want to outsource this 🤦♂️ . Learning to delegate has not only improved my productivity but has also helped develop trust within my teams. Every mistake is a lesson in disguise. If you’re going through it, remember these lessons, and maybe you’ll avoid some of the bumps I encountered. 👇What ‘s been your biggest mistake? 👇

“Remote work is the future 💪🏼. "𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗅” A while ago I had a great conversation with my friend and respected business owner Kevin van der Veer. His companies have thrived with remote workers for over a decade. I’ve also leveraged remote talent from early on, like Chaverio, who designed the first website for my previous startup, GlamPop | We're hiring . At ClientMind, remote work is at our heart. 🌍 We offer valuable opportunities for people abroad to work with and for foreign companies. Our team members integrate seamlessly, becoming vital parts of their organizations, sharing in both challenges and successes. Here are 3 things I’ve learned from working with remote teams: 👉🏽 Communication is key: 📞 • Make clear agreements and document them. 👉🏽Build a strong foundation: 🏗️ • Get to know each other well. 👉🏽. Create a growth path: 🚀 • Develop opportunities for employee advancement. Extra Tip ✨ 👉🏽 Provide a clear briefing, share your DNA, and foster a shared culture. 🌟 What are your experiences with remote employees and team members? 🤔 Are you welcoming remote employees/team members or are the challenges just too big?

🤔 “But Jake, why on earth are you starting a customer service agency?” I’ve been getting this question a lot lately. ⚡️The spark for launching a customer service agency ignited at the end of last year. I was working at Voggt, launching in the Netherlands, and they were scaling fast. Their primary goal was to capture as much market share as possible in a very short time. We achieved product-market fit within weeks. But success brought its own challenges. We were growing fast, but suddenly realised we had no one to address customer issues as they arose.😫 Initially, I was the one resolving support queries—everything from payment issues to “How can I contact the seller?” and my personal favourite, “Where is my package?” 😅 😳 It took us six exhausting months to find a competent Dutch-speaking customer support agent. We tried everything. Finally, we hired a customer service freelancer from Suriname, and just like that, our problems vanished. She wasn’t just fluent in Dutch; she was professional, had a strong work ethic, and our customers loved the responsive and empathetic service she provided. 👉🏽 That experience was transformative. When I left Voggt, I knew I wanted to replicate this success for other startups. Effective customer service can truly redefine a company. It builds stronger relationships and strengthens customer loyalty. While startups focus on growth, I wanted to ensure they had the support infrastructure to excel in customer care. So, that’s why I started ClientMind. To help startups excel not just in growth, but in customer satisfaction and loyalty.

📈 A locally known chocolatier recently went viral online. How did they manage it? 🍫 Pistachio Kunefe, a trend made famous by TikTok. Their chocolate bar got featured by a popular TikToker, catapulting their impressions from 1 million to 6 million almost overnight. 📊 Result? Website traffic exploded. Sales? Multiplied by 22. Suddenly, they had to scale FAST.. Website management, order handling, customer service… Everything needed rapid expansion. A dream scenario, but a logistical nightmare! 😱 🤓 Leveraging the strategy I shared in a previous post, I spotted their job post on a freelance site. Employed my earlier shared hack: Reached out with a tailored email, and followed up to ensure they received it. To my surprise, they responded that they had already hired a Customer Service agent from Suriname for the upcoming months. I was both surprised and delighted, and I congratulated them on their swift action. 🕵♂️ This scenario is not unique to viral moments on TikTok but can occur during any peak sales period like Black Friday or the Christmas holidays.  Sudden demand spikes are universal. And yes, remote Dutch-speaking customer service agents can be your solution. 💬 Yet, this approach requires careful management: hiring the right freelancers, vetting them thoroughly, onboarding them efficiently, and setting clear performance indicators. Should a customer service freelancer leave after just a week, it could mean the end. 💼 At ClientMind, we specialise in managing these kinds of peak periods. Our team consists of dedicated, trained, and empathetic customer service agents ready to jump into action. We can quickly assemble your team, onboard them alongside your staff, and ensure they’re fully prepared to meet your needs within just a few hours. Let us help you manage the chaos of success smoothly and effectively. Soo, what will your company do when you suddenly go viral?

My simple hack for landing clients didn't go as planned..🤦♂️ here's what happened... In my quest to innovate our sales, I experimented with what seemed like a smart hack. 🤓 The strategy was simple: utilize sites Freelancer/Upwork to find job postings and freelance opportunities under terms like “technical customer service,” then directly reach out to these potential leads with a customized email. 🙆♂️ I focused particularly on the e-commerce sector and online webshops, aiming to connect them with our team in Suriname for outsourcing their customer service needs. The results where not as I expected 😮 • Many leads confused us for a recruitment agency, no we don't need you 😡 • We encountered a high number of non-responses. • A few had already hired freelancers. This tactic was meant to test market awareness of available customer service outsourcing options. However, it revealed that maybe ‘hacking’ sales isn’t the most effective method. What I discovered is that companies are increasingly open to outsourcing their customer service to countries like Suriname, recognizing both the cost savings and the potential for improved service quality. 😄 I also had the opportunity to connect with a company that recently went viral online, and they did outsource their customer service to a remote agent from Suriname. Although not through ClientMind, I was still pleased to learn about their success. In my next post I will share more about this ⏰ So... have you tried similar ”hacks” to enhance your sales or outreach or any other process? What succeeded, and what failed? Or is it better to avoid shortcuts and instead focus on forging genuine relationships and crafting compelling content? Please share these so we can all learn from our mistakes 😜 ?