In this student entrepreneur David Castaño Estévez shares his experiences about starting a company and running it. The interview is made in collaboration with Starterslift Tilburg, which is the center of Tilburg University for entrepreneurial students with great talent and ambition.
Could you briefly describe what the business involves and what it is trying to achieve?
Servicio Audiologico Aseyas is a Spain-based company focused on the hearing aid industry. We distinguish our business from others by offering the right service and care where it matters most: in the comfort of our patients home. We maintain the highest standard of service and quality and provide a flexible and highly customized service, which results in a superior level of satisfaction among our patients.
When did you come up with the idea of starting your own business?
I’d say, a mix of proactiveness, curiosity and a bit of youthful audacity will generally create situations in which you start to wonder ‘what if’. For me, this meant a journey of sharing, discussing and creating up and till the most logical next step was to find something to make a living off of.
What made you make the first step to start for yourself?
I was working as manager for Uitgetypt, where I often shared and discussed (business) ideas with the owners of the company. One of the more potential ones was suggested by one of them; a partnership with the Netherlands-based Tonen Hoortechniek. The conversations gradually grew into discussions and later on market studies, business cases and so forth.
Can owning and running a business be combined easily with your studies?
Easily? No. You don’t just switch your lifestyle overnight. But it’s a matter of learning as you go and can definitely be done.
What is the most important thing you have learned while working for Tonen/Aseyas and cannot be learned during an education?
“Never miss an opportunity to talk or meet people.”
Everyone has the potential of bringing something to the table, and if not, you’ll have still extended your network. Not a week has gone by without meeting somebody who has either helped me or vice versa. Furthermore, especially having a business focused on people, it helps me learn more about what matters to them and what I can – and should – do to align my service better to those wants and needs.
What skills have you gained during your education which you are now using in your daily activities as an entrepreneur?
Actually, most skills gained during my education are useful. Running a business has many facets; think about marketing, accounting, HRM, logistics and that’s just to name a few common ones. Admittingly, I have not yet done any regression analysis, but when the time comes, I know it will be another useful tool to improve our business in one way or another.
How do you see the future of the company?
These are exciting times, as we’re learning whether the Spanish community is ready for a different perspective wherein the focus shifts from product to service offerings. We know the appreciation it receives from our Dutch patients and we know it’s a process that’s taking place across industries. We also know the Spanish community has a high preference for smaller monthly payments rather than a one-time larger payment, which is in consonance with the service offerings we wish to roll out.
Finally, what would you like to say to students who are also planning to start their own business?
I have said it before; talk with people. Seek for guidance, advice or simply people to test the appeal of your future business. You are going to dedicate significant amounts of your personal time on this, so you should want to ascertain what market is out there for your product or service, and whether fine-tuning is needed. But first and foremost: work hard enjoy doing it.
