Making choices you don't really want to make
Decision making stress! As a starting entrepreneur, we, like many others, face a huge challenge.
The challenge
2020 would be the best year to date for our company Bike Villas Mallorca. From February to October our own Bike Villa Son Flora was almost fully booked. The results for our website with 35 Bike Villas, which started at the end of 2019, were hopeful.
Now everything is different at the end of April. We have been staying in the Netherlands since the beginning of April after my father passed away. Bizarre and very sad to have to lose your father in these circumstances. A hard “reality check” that health is indeed the most important thing. However, the reality is also that our company has no income since March 15. And it looks like we will have little or no income this year. In addition, we have to take into account a significant fall in turnover in 2021, because many bookings of this year are and are being postponed. These guys have all made a down payment this year. And also the ignorance of people wanting to get on a plane next year. Phew ...
Making decisions
Lots of questions about how to get on with the company and our family:
Are we staying in the Netherlands for the time being? Are we going back to Mallorca in the short term and when? Can we go back from Mallorca to the Netherlands? Are you able to get some items to the Netherlands (we now live from a backpack)? Are we going to look for temporary work in the Netherlands? And how does that work as a resident of Spain? Where are we going to live in the Netherlands? How long can we continue to live and work in the Netherlands as a resident of Spain? Is Floor going back to her old school? And can she just start in an VWO 6 exam year? Does Floor have to be registered in the Netherlands again? What do we do with the rent of our own house on Mallorca? Can we keep Bike Villa Son Flora on? Should we accelerate another strategic choice with the company? Rolling out the Bike Villas concept to, for example, the Ardennes-Vosges-Alps? Etc etc etc…
Louisa and I have to make choices based on 50% information. There are still many uncertainties about the course of this enormous crisis. Also in Spain. They are also all choices that we do not really want to make at all. We prefer to sit comfortably in our house on the mountain in Mallorca and we are busy with our guests and the development of our company. Decision making stress! I want to make action and choices and Louisa wants to wait. Louisa thinks I'm a bit clumsy and I think Louisa denies reality. It's nice to run a company together as husband and wife ;) The only one in our family who doesn't have decision making stress is Maartje.
No doubt about our future
However, Louisa and I have no doubt about one question: our future is in Mallorca! We take for granted that we temporarily have to take another step. And it is not a punishment if we live and work in the Netherlands for the rest of the year. We already enjoy being with the family and family / friends close by. We have only been away from the Netherlands for over a year and a half and living / working in North Limburg still feels like (almost) at home.
We overcome this challenge! In fact, we are going to capitalize on this crisis. Our Bike Villas concept will accelerate as soon as we are in the new normal. More and more people will look for a smaller scale for their (cycling) holiday. No crowds in hotels, but with your friends / family in your own Bike Villa. Clean, safe, cozy and completely cared for.
At the moment only making the right (temporary) choices at the right time…
