YoungOnes x air up®

Cross-border challenges: The air up® and YoungOnes collaboration

air up®, a German company, faced a unique challenge when they planned to launch a pop-up store in Amsterdam. Their goal was to let people experience their unique water bottle, which uses scent to flavor water, in a direct and personal way. However, setting up and staffing the store quickly, from December 27th, 2023, to March 2024, was complicated, especially since Air up® is based in Germany.

air up® initially faced a hurdle as the first freelancer platform they chose only worked with companies registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK). However, only YoungOnes was able to quickly provide the solution, proving crucial to the project’s success.

This business case highlights the collaboration between air up®, led by Leonarda Komen (Brand Activation Manager), and YoungOnes. Showing YoungOnes flexibility and innovation in securing freelance workers. Their successful partnership emphasized the importance of adaptability and prompt action in business.

Temporary Dutch staffing: Challenges and objectives

Leonarda, leading the project of the pop-up store, faced a multifaceted challenge. The pop-up store needed to be staffed with freelancers, mainly due to uncertain daily demands and the timespan of the store. “We needed a flexible solution. Do we need four people or twenty for a day, how big should the total staff be?” Leonarda reflected. The situation was further complicated by additional constraints. The freelancer platform provider initially chosen by air up® only collaborated with companies registered in the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK). For that reason, the solution and speed offered by YoungOnes was needed.

The YoungOnes solution

YoungOnes stepped in as a beacon of hope for air up®, offering an agile and compliant solution to their unique staffing challenge. Unlike our competitors, YoungOnes is able to facilitate the necessary invoicing and VAT adjustments for a foreign company, thanks to the in-house billing system. This capability, coupled with the ability to swiftly provide a large pool of qualified freelancers on a flexible basis, proved to be a game-changer for air up®. Given the project’s tight time schedule.

Leonarda remarked on the seamless integration, expressing admiration for the rapid and stress-free setup process: “What I really like is just how quick it was. We were so stressed on time, and just like that, we set everything up in a few days with the YoungOnes team, and before I knew it, the gigs were out, and that’s it.”

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Meeting quality standards with flexible staff

The collaboration was marked by strategic staffing and operational excellence. Training sessions were organized to ensure freelancers aligned with air up®’s high standards, with a focus on customer experience, sales processing, and product knowledge. “We trained them for our own reasons because we needed everyone to embody air up®’s standards, which can be difficult with freelancers only working 3 months for the company,” Leonarda explained, highlighting the approach to maintaining quality and consistency.

Cost savings with flexible workforce solutions

The partnership yielded remarkable benefits, with flexibility being number one. The ability to scale the workforce based on daily demand without long-term commitments offered air up® significant cost savings and operational agility. “The biggest benefit is flexibility. I was afraid that there’s not going to be enough people for our store, and this is never a problem” Leonarda shared, addressing a common concern in the retail industry.

Financial savings was another highlight. By partnering with YoungOnes, air up® bypassed the need for full-time hires, saving significantly on staffing and other associated costs. “The cost saving, on a very big level, is just that we didn’t have to hire someone full time. Important for the store to be beneficial” Leonarda pointed out, underlining the financial efficiency of the platform.

Quality and consistency in staffing also stood out. Leonarda liked the ability to create a pool of preferred freelancers, which ensured that the store was staffed by people who not only were trained to meet air up’s® standards but also resonated with the brand’s ethos. This strategic selection process contributed to maintaining high service standards and enhancing the customer experience.

Communication between air up® and YoungOnes was described as “spotless”, “Sophie and Shayenna from Sales Support really ensured everything went perfect,” showcasing YoungOnes’ commitment to customer support and responsiveness.

A new industry standard

The collaboration between YoungOnes and air up® in staffing the pop-up store in Amsterdam stands as a testament to the power of innovative, flexible staffing solutions. The ability of YoungOnes to accommodate the legal and operational needs of a foreign company like air up® showcases the platform’s adaptability and customer-centric approach. As companies increasingly seek agile and cost-effective staffing models, this partnership could well be the blueprint for future collaborations, both within the Netherlands and beyond.

Reflecting on the collaboration, Leonarda affirmed, “We needed a flexible solution. YoungOnes was the most flexible and also in terms of logistics, it was just the easiest.”

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