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Added value of a strategic sounding board

You receive subsidies from the SME portfolio only if you work with a partner who is certified by the Flemish Government. For that registration, proof of sufficient experience and high customer satisfaction are essential. That way you can be sure of advice that really adds value.

JDI is a registered service provider for the Flemish Government and:

  • Brings experience from various industries
  • Is familiar with different types of business models
  • Applies numerous trends and challenges to your business
  • taps into the collective JDI memory.

This allows you to work from your expertise and market knowledge:

  • thinking out-of-the-box
  • seeing new angles
  • Discover opportunities to appeal to new customer groups
  • Explore other uses for your products and services.

The importance of your own story: successful start with SME portfolio

We mold that combination of JDI with your business into a distinctive individual whole. And this is so important because:

The basis of all business today: being aware of your own story and exploiting that story.

Just ask this client who wanted to work toward one online sale per week. A rather small SME in interior materials – with its own placement service and for do-it-yourselfers – knocked on our door in early 2020 for a strategic sounding board session. Of course, with support from the SME portfolio.

After their story was written out very pragmatically, we put it into practice together. Very targeted, with optimizations of the existing website and social media campaigns to clearly defined target groups.

After three months, the target has already been far exceeded: there are currently 2-3 online sales per week. In addition, the sales region expanded into the Netherlands. And we haven’t even finished all the webshop optimizations!

For exactly this kind of guidance, you can get financial help of up to 7,500 euros in the form of the SME portfolio. The Flemish Government thus contributes up to 30% annually for your investment in increased growth.

What the SME portfolio provides grants for

The SME portfolio of the Flemish Government supports advice that improves the functioning of your business. Provided those core processes strengthen in partnership with a registered service provider…. The goal is to help you make correct and thoroughly informed decisions.

From problem analysis to planning change projects to supervising the implementation of those plans … many things are possible!

We usually work with our clients on:

  • Strategic plan

    After a few strategic sounding board sessions, your story is clear and also:

    • Where you want to be in 1, 3 or 5 years
    • How to accomplish that in a realistic way
    • How to measure whether you are reaching your objectives and when

    With the answer to these questions, you will have a concrete plan and measurable goals in a one (1!) page business plan with concrete steps to achieve your goals.

  • HR policy

    Growth is often translated into ratio: higher sales, more leads and conversions, a bigger margin,… But that only works if your employees also have the right talents for it and the gusto to work on it.

    Together, we hold your HR policy up to the light and refine it depending on growing pains.

  • Marketing Strategy

    In marketing, together we develop a clear positioning with a strong identity. One that shows the added value for your customers, in a uniquely distinctive way. Standing out, and preferably more than your competitors, that’s the goal.

    Together, we develop a marketing plan that provides more and better leads.

  • Sales Strategy

    The buying process, both in B2B and B2C, has changed significantly: customers often make their purchase decision before they even interact with a salesperson. This has seriously changed the role of the traditional salesperson. Not only does the sales team need to work better with marketing and communications to attract new customers, the entire organization needs to be customer-centric.

    Together we look at how we can provide that and make more sales.

  • Concrete examples of advice for SME portfolio

    Examples of advice for which you can get grants are:

    • New positioning or strategy or updating an old one
    • figure out digitization opportunities for your business
    • communication plan
    • develop commercial plan
    • Prepare SWOT analysis and link it to action items
    • devise marketing plan
    • Making market analysis with accompanying advice
    • realize investment analysis
    • plan to strengthen the talent & organization in your company
    • …

Added value of JDI as a registered service provider

In this context, the SME portfolio is limited to consulting. That often means receiving a report. Point.

JDI, however, comes from Just Do It. We are doers with a very pragmatic approach. Our SME portfolio advice is also tailored to your daily reality. Moreover, with us you will also find the operational help to implement those advices. That means they are always achievable and realistic. Because especially when we come to do it ourselves, we want to deliver on our promises.

Our collaborations with both the smallest and largest SMEs make for ideal cross-pollination:

  • insights we gain from large companies, we apply them to the smaller
  • agility and flexibility that we experience with small businesses, we transfer to the big ones

JDI thus provides you with a strategic plan and also works it out very concretely into tactical actions. Moreover, where necessary, JDI provides the operational support to implement them.

This is how we contribute to the strengthening, growth and transformation of companies in Flanders.

The SME portfolio: practical

The exact amount the Flemish Government provides for you under the SME portfolio depends on the size of your business:

Small business

As a small business, you will receive 30% of your investment

(your company is small if you employ fewer than 50 FTEs, and if your annual turnover does not exceed 10 million euros or your balance sheet total does not exceed 10 million euros)

Medium-sized company

As a medium-sized company, you will receive 20% of your investment

(your company is medium-sized if you employ between 50 and 250 FTEs, and if your annual turnover does not exceed 50 million euros or your balance sheet total does not exceed 43 million euros)

Regardless of the size of your business or your investment, you will receive a maximum of 7,500 euros annually from the SME portfolio.

In a nutshell, the application proceeds like this:

  1. request your quote from JDI:

    contact us for an exploratory discussion

  2. upload your offer to the online services of the Flemish Government
  3. deposit your share of the investment to Sodexo, which is the financial services provider for the SME portfolios
  4. Develop your new strategy with JDI, create plans, work together on your new growth,…
  5. Review JDI’s services and approve payment to Sodexo.

Download SME portfolio roadmap

This handy roadmap shows in 1 page how to score your SME portfolio!

Download roadmap

But exactly what steps to take to do that, we’ll tell you as you go along, too. Therefore, ask for an exploratory discussion to see the possibilities:

Yes, contact me about the SME portfolio

Just give it a try, get to know us and give it a chance.