Digitization works, tell these entrepreneurs
More and more companies in our region are taking smart digital steps—from automating their administrative processes to utilizing online marketing and data analysis. Investing in digitization makes these entrepreneurs more efficient, sustainable, and future-proof. This is important for their businesses, but it’s certainly also important for employment and the quality of life in the region. That’s why, at Key Region Leiden, we’re committed to helping businesses take advantage of opportunities for digitization.
At Key Region Leiden, we are therefore happy to help you take advantage of opportunities for digitization. Click the button below to visit our dedicated project website, Digitaliseringwerkt.nl.
Read the experiences of entrepreneurs
On days when Holiday Park Koningshof is fully booked, the Rijnsburg family business receives as many as 1,100 guests a day. Crazy, then, for the people behind the reception desk. Fortunately, they got help answering simple questions. A chatbot tells guests, among other things, what kind of coffee makers are in the rental properties and what time to check out. Courtesy of digitization vouchers from Make Digitization Work for You.
With the help of the voucher, Firma Freek van Os has taken an important step: a link between InSmart and its own ERP system. Thanks to this link, the company automatically receives notifications about boilers and heat pumps that need maintenance in the near future. Normally, maintenance is carried out every 20 months, unless InSmart signals earlier. The ERP system then automatically generates a work order, which can be scheduled immediately.
We’ve been working hard for months to get Toko Winkelhof open on time. The result is a beautiful, modern Asian supermarket with a fresh food counter. Scanning all these products was a massive undertaking, Sandhu says. “But we believe it’s worth it to set things up right from day one.” They use digital shelf labels that are linked to inventory and financial accounting systems. They also opted for two ordering kiosks for takeout meals. “Older customers still prefer to order at the register, but the younger generation much prefers a kiosk where they can scroll through all the dishes.”
Using the voucher, Huschka developed a smart link on their website that allows clients to digitally sign quotes. This replaces the traditional printing and scanning process and increases service speed and reliability.
“Our previous website was about eight years old by then and no longer reflected who we are as a company or what we do today,” says Cees van Duijn. “Since we had—and still have—plenty of work, this simply wasn’t a priority. Still, we felt it was important to project a professional image to our partners, clients, and other parties we work with. Thanks to the voucher, we were able to make the site even more professional. The result is a digital business card we’re proud of—one that truly shows who we are and what we stand for.”
You have to keep up with the times, but with the current (too low) rates for physical therapy, it’s hard to invest, says Anne Kluivers of the Paulides + Partners physical therapy practice in Voorschoten. “So when you can get a grant for much-needed digitization and cybersecurity, that’s incredibly helpful.” Using the “Digitalization Works ” voucher, Paulides + Partners expanded its services to include a user-friendly app where patients can find their exercises, among other things.
Angela Beresford started Phoebeees as a creative venture at her kitchen table, driven by a passion for workshops and children’s parties. But like many small business owners, she found that gaining online visibility and attracting customers was a challenge. The online store was up and running, but how do you make sure people find you and keep coming back? To do that, she used a voucher from Key Region Leiden.
A company website is the company’s online business card. Therefore, it is crucial to keep it up-to-date so that potential customers can immediately see what the company stands for. Using a digitization voucher from Key Region Leiden, Wouter van den Aarsen of Palfinger invested in a new website that not only increases visibility, but also improves security levels and is ready for AI integration.
Vouchers, workshops en coaching
Sinds de start van het programma in 2021 hebben we met workshops, coaching en vouchers veel ondernemers kunnen helpen.
- Sinds 2021 zijn ruim 1.800 mkb’ers in onze regio ondersteund bij hun digitaliseringsstappen.
- Bijna 1500 ondernemers mochten we verwelkomen bij workshops.
- Ruim 300 ondernemers hebben met behulp van een voucher hun ideeën omgezet in actie, met meetbare resultaten.
- 133 ondernemers hebben 1 op 1 advies gekregen in een coachgesprek.
- Er zijn 346 vouchers uitgereikt die investeringen hebben opgeleverd van in totaal 740.000 euro. Dit is een multiplier van 2,14x aan publieke middelen.
- Zo’n 85% van de investeringen zijn geland in onze regio.
- Bij de bedrijven die zijn ondersteund door het project, werken bij elkaar 7.183 FTE.
Take advantage of a voucher in 2026, too! Click the button for our project website. There you will find all the information.
Why is this important?
Our society relies largely on SMEs. Many people find their jobs there, and the city and region benefit from good services and products from the manufacturing industry with a short supply time and distance.
- There are 9,140 SMEs in our regi (this excludes zzp)
- Together account for about 90,000 jobs
- 20% of SMEs are among the leaders
This means for our region:
- Approximately 1,830 leaders
- Approximately 7,310 broad SMEs
- About 20% of SMEs use AI and
- Approximately 20% of SMEs do NOT have basic digitization in place
These figures show that the task is both urgent and has great potential. There are gains to be made for all our partners.
- For entrepreneurs: digitization saves time, expands your reach and makes your business ready for tomorrow.
- For municipalities, each step toward digitization strengthens our regional economy, increases competitiveness and contributes to broad prosperity.
- For education: through our initiative, we link knowledge and skills from the mbo and hbo to the questions of entrepreneurs. This is interesting and instructive for both.
Why is this important?
Our society relies largely on SMEs. Many people find their jobs there, and the city and region benefit from good services and products from the manufacturing industry with a short supply time and distance.
- There are 9,140 SMEs in our regi (this excludes zzp)
- Together account for about 90,000 jobs
- 20% of SMEs are among the leaders
This means for our region:
- Approximately 1,830 leaders
- Approximately 7,310 broad SMEs
- About 20% of SMEs use AI and
- Approximately 20% of SMEs do NOT have basic digitization in place
These figures show that the task is both urgent and has great potential. There are gains to be made for all our partners.
- For entrepreneurs: digitization saves time, expands your reach and makes your business ready for tomorrow.
- For municipalities, each step toward digitization strengthens our regional economy, increases competitiveness and contributes to broad prosperity.
- For education: through our initiative, we link knowledge and skills from the mbo and hbo to the questions of entrepreneurs. This is interesting and instructive for both.
