Welcome

About Us

Advice

We help you plan and execute your scale-up ambitions

Training and Guidance

We work side-by-side with you in critical growth phases

Finance and Research

We provides a network of business, investment and research experts

Scaling up is a messy process. As a CEO, it is easy to get lost in priorities.

You could really use some guidance – to maintain growth momentum, to clear the hurdles.

That’s where ESUL comes in. European Scale Up Leaders is both a growth coaching firm and a networking organisation for ambitious scale-ups.

We provide hands-on guidance on all organisational issues that scale-ups have. Be it a personnel problem, personal leadership growth, or targeting the right customers.

ESUL acts on the principle that each business is unique; there are no tailor-made solutions. That is why we always aim to find the right approach, with the right set of people in the right timeframe.

Develop your Scale-up Mindset!

Tools and programs only bring you so far. Going from start-up to scale-up requires a different mindset, both with your leadership team and with (new) employees.

Services

Growth Coaching

Growth coaching for scale-up leaders: in 6 to 9 months, we work with you to improve team cohesion and communication. As a founder or leadership team, you will learn to convert all strategy to effective actions.

Strategic Advice

Strategic advice for durable growth: in 6 to 10 unique sessions, we help you develop a scalable strategy, firmly based on your company’s founding values.

Hands-On Coaching

Hands-on coaching at implementation level. Where needed, we can temporarily come onboard and guide you – or your directors – as you work to realise your growth ambitions.

Our Proven Method

Obviously, each and every scale-up, with its people, leadership and field of expertise, offers a unique set of possibilities and challenges. However, since we always focus on people + processes, we do have a principal set of goals or tasks. These are, briefly put:

People

• Working on a compelling corporate story
• Looking out for intrinsically motivated peope
• Organizing optimal working conditions

Leadership

• Working on personal growth
• Dividing up tasks and organizing delegation

Processes

• Setting up commercial/ operational/ financial systems
• Aligning the right KPIs for each
• Hiring the right professionals for each new division

None of this may appear like rocket science, but keeping an eye on all of this simultaneously proves to be the bottle neck for many, if not all scale-ups. And many find that at least two or three of these goals are hard for them to accomplish.

This is ESUL’s specific area of expertise. We either guide you or temporarily co-lead your company through these tasks.

Contact

Our Mission

Our mission is to enhance the power of scale-ups to grow. We do that by focusing on the effectiveness of people, both individually and working together, and of the processes they employ to organize their activities. Enhancing your power to grow entails enhancing your company’s

• Structural soundness

• Scalability

• Level of autonomy and ownership

• Team focus

We work exclusively with scale-ups that contribute to one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, as adopted by all UN member states in 2015.

What is a Chief Scaling and what does (s)he do?

A Chief Scaling is an expert who provides professional advice to leadership teams of startups and scale-ups, in order to increase the organizational strength for scaling the company.

How does ESUL's work differ from other consultancies'?

Our unique solution combines hands-on execution with strategic advice, providing unparalleled support in scaling your business. We are entrepreneurs who have helped several companies from inception to over a million euros in sales (while maintaining a healthy margin). Our advice is based on personal experience and scientific best practices. We like to be involved in the implementation. ESUL is not an accelerator or a training program.

How does ESUL measure the success of its contributions?

We measure success by key performance indicators such as EBITDA, customer reviews and referrals. We also look at changes in employee satisfaction as a part of our success measure.

How long does ESUL typically come aboard for?

Our collaborations usually last between 6 and 9 months, with a follow-up after 3 months to ensure lasting success.

What is your pricing plan?

We offer a flat rate of €4,850 per month for 1.5 days of work per week, ensuring you transparent and predictable costs. If you opt for individual consulting hours, we charge an hourly rate of €200.

How can I reach out to you?

You can email of call us directly to discuss your needs and schedule an initial consultation to explore how we may support you on your scaling journey. You can also schedule an appointment via the contact module.

Book (In Dutch)

ESUL founder Niels Hardam published a book entitled ‘The Scale-Up Mindset’ in Dutch. The basic principles of the Scale-Up Mindset are explained, and in doing so, Niels provides fundamental advice both to first-time entrepreneurs and to start-up leaders in the midst of their chaotic growth processes.

An English translation of the introductory chapter is available on the Book page.

Book

Network

We firmly believe in sharing knowledge, experience and resources. That is why ESUL is also a network of entrepreneurs, investors and researchers. We are constantly reaching out to new interested parties, throughout Europe. Let us know if you want to join us!