Youth council member Ricardo van Os on business succession

For him, it was clear early on. As a scoolboy, Ricardo worked in the family business, Van Os plant nursery. He started on the shop floor, in production. But soon his parents involved him in decisions. "I was still at VMBO (Dutch secondary school) when I started thinking about solar panels, screen cloths, and other sustainability measures."

Big step
‍Business succession is an important topic for the cooperative, not just in the Youth Council, notes Ricardo. "I knew right away that I wanted to be in the business. But for many young people, it's different. That's understandable because it's a big decision. Doing business in floriculture means being on duty seven days a week. And the stakes are often high."

For several years, Ricardo has been co-owner of the family nursery alongside his parents. In the process of business succession, they benefit significantly from their accountant and business advisor. "He and I drew up an action plan: how are we going to tackle it? He also makes sure we keep talking about it, by organising a session once every six months."

Learning from each other
‍Ricardo walks through the greenhouse, pointing to the Chrysanthemums still in full bud right now. "When my parents got into the business, it was only a fraction of the size that it is now," he says. "They developed alongside the nursery as it expanded. However, if you start out in the world of work at a young age, you are often thrust immediately into a completely different environment. Production, as well as sales, is higher. You have to deal with many different concerns." Other issues affect you, such as complex regulations and the high costs of energy and staff. All in all, this makes a business takeover quite complicated. As a successor, you're choosing entrepreneurship. But at the same time, you must be prepared with a clear vision about where you want to go. That's quite a lot to handle when you're just entering the industry. "These are issues we discuss regularly in the Youth Council. How do you prepare yourself properly for that?

Ricardo and the other members of the Youth Council like to spark conversation about this among other members. That is why they are organising an interactive session during Cooperative Day. This is a role-play that invites participants to put themselves in the situation of one of the stakeholders in a business takeover. Consider: a mother, father, son, daughter, nephew or niece. According to Ricardo, this is where the strength of the cooperative lies. Helping each other and exchanging experiences, especially on such complex issues. "There is an enormous bank of knowledge. It is nice if we can learn from each other in this area."