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Tell us about your venture: what is its name, what exactly do you do and when did you start it up?

I make my own terrariums and during the COVID-19 pandemic. I had more time for that. Family and friends liked that, and I then first just started giving them away for a small price because the material does cost something. That’s how even more people became interested in it.

That eventually became a small one-man business as I started selling terrariums. At the same time, I also gave occasional workshops to learn how to make terrariums yourself, at our University of Antwerp through the biology group and the Fauna & Flora working group. In Antwerp, I also organised a few. Those workshops have also come more into rotation, so that's actually mainly the goal now. I think it's cool that it has become a combo of a product and a service. Last year, I gave a workshop for a concept store with many creative people. I also organise aquarium-building workshops for the specialist shop I work for, for example. And that's how my startup Sennariums was born.

What do you personally find unique about your venture?

I think what people like the most is that I don’t try to push my prices or products but do this entirely out of passion. People actually just kind of come to me naturally. I think that's a unique approach. People do appreciate that, especially in my university bubble with friends who don't really like to be associated with sales. I also find that I can add a personal touch to my terrariums. You could call it a form of art. Each terrarium is something quite unique in itself, I think.

You don't start a business overnight, of course. How did you get financing?

I actually almost break even rather than trying to make a profit. I do this simply out of passion. That's much less stress for me, in the end.
Now, for example, I have to pay a Vlam registration, a tax of about 100 euros. Having made a terrarium a few months ago allowed me to pay that tax.
During the start-up phase, I did have to work hard to pay my registration fee at Xerius. Fortunately, I was able to build many terrariums. I now get most of my jobs through word of mouth, thanks to the workshops I give.

​In the summer, I wanted to get a bit more action into it and organised a small 'treasure hunt' around town.​
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Have you used any other strategies to market your product and service?

Social media, e.g. Instagram, boosted it by also just sharing the concept through my personal account so many friends could share it further. Through university, people also talk about it and the name Sennariums occasionally drops. Or people come to the home of a client of mine and ask where their terrarium comes from because they really like it. I feel I have made some connections that way. I also once happened to be interviewed on the street in Antwerp when I was on my way to work. That article then generated a larger number of extra followers. In the summer, I wanted to get some more action into it and organised a small treasure hunt in the city. I made little terrariums and attached cards to them with my Instagram handle on it, including tips on how best to take care of a terrarium. I had hidden them around town. I got a lot of reactions and photos from people telling me, "hey, that's cool!". This also brought in new customers.

During the start-up phase, I also did a giveaway on my Instagram. People could win a terrarium if they shared it via the comments on their story with at least 2 friends. That immediately gave me a more extensive network, because of which I gained a lot of connections. That was actually the initial base.

Approximately how long did it take you to be successful? And what do you understand by success?

Success for me is that I can get enough satisfaction out of it because it is not about profit. What is important to me is that it feels fun and as long as I can do about 1 workshop per semester, that is ideal. I don't really care how many orders come in. Back in the COVID days, it was a bit of a hype, so to speak.
Now that school work is pretty much coming to an end, it's also kind of nice to be able to switch a bit from the business or one-man business to school work.
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And do you need a lot of space to build a terrarium?

You just need a bucket and a thick piece of plastic to keep it somewhat clean inside but other than that, you don't really need a lot of space. What does take up a bit of space is surplus material.

What are your future plans with your business now that you are graduating?

I do toy with the idea of merging Sennariums with my flexi job at the specialty shop I work for. We are currently still looking into this.

 I attach great importance to buying the 'right equipment' so that the terrarium remains high-quality, decent and alive.

Do you place different priorities now than in your start-up phase?

In the beginning, I focused pretty hard on what material to buy. I really like working at Nada so I definitely want to keep that. I have very good connections there. For Sennariums, the priority is to still be able to give a good service when people ask for it. I really like to make good quality material, good terrariums. If you use dried material, for example, you get mould. I therefore attach great importance to buying the right material so that the terrarium remains high-quality, decent and alive. In my first collaboration with an external company, I made a mistake there by having the company buy their own material. Now I impose my own conditions to deliver quality. When buying material, I look for quality and a balance in price that is also feasible for the customer.

What does a typical day look like for you?

It is actually similar to that of an average student. My one-man business is very easy to combine with my studies. On days when I receive an order, I go to the shop to buy materials in between studying. After studying in the evening, I then put the terrarium together. Depending on how big it is, this only takes a few hours.

Looking back, would you handle certain things differently?

In the start-up phase, I would have kept a closer eye on my finances. It wasn't as efficient to have to go looking for my expenses in my bank account afterwards. For keeping track of my finances, I would now immediately use the Excel sheet that VLAIO offers to student entrepreneurs.

I would also have paid a bit more attention to my materials and done a different pricing. Sometimes I was running at a loss in the beginning because I didn't estimate properly.
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What is your motivation for doing it all?

I actually just enjoy doing it. You also do get in touch with cool people. For example, through my friends I got in touch with someone who works for the media service of De Lijn. They gave me the chance to put together a nice terrarium for their "Beweeg mee naar minder CO2" award. That also creates a lot of motivation. When I receive messages for other fun projects, it gives my day momentum. I think that's worth a lot.

I think it is very important to do what you like to do.

What tip would you like to give to future student entrepreneurs? What do you consider to be good qualities for a future entrepreneur?

I think it is very important to do what you love to do. For me, the focus is very much on liking what you do and getting a lot of satisfaction out of it. As a start-up entrepreneur, you also don't have to be afraid if you get a little less activity in your business or sometimes more orders than eventually thought. Especially in the start-up phase, things can be very slow but that hasn't demotivated me. As a start-up, you just have to still fall into your bubble where people like your product and like your service. When you start from passion, I think you automatically fall into that bubble where other people appreciate what you do. Then you don't need an economic hard sales booster. Your qualities as an entrepreneur are then expressed, so to speak, because you are working in your comfort zone.

Has there been a particular decision in your journey that you didn't find easy to take?

I mostly just accepted the orders that came my way. I've also had a lot of support. One of my best mates' father is an accountant. Those contacts have given me a lot of support to keep things from going unexpectedly. I did realise after my first workshop that I have to make good choices in what materials I buy. I have started to pay more attention to that.

Currently, I am a bit in a dichotomy whether I should continue doing it because once you are no longer a student, there are a lot more things to consider and higher costs as well. Maybe I will keep doing it as a secondary profession. To get rid of that doubt, I can fortunately attend a start-up session that the city is offering in the spring.