Tag Archives: Alon Ben Joseph

Why we started the June Dating app

Why did we start a new dating app? My buddy Jonathan Salomon and I started a new company back in September 2017 named: Mokum Tech B.V. We did so because we are both serial entrepreneurs whom always have a zillion innovative ideas twirling around in our heads. The first development of this company is June Dating, a new dating app for both singles and matchmakers.

June Dating logo

I hear you thinking: 'another dating app?' and that is also the first thing we said to ourselves, should we really create another one. But, after many fueled brainstom sessions, discussions and research quests, we were conviced we had a winner in our hands. Our aim with Mokum Tech is to create products, technologies, software and tools that actually add value. That improve our lives. So, whatever we come up with has to tick that box. Please it needs to bring positivity and good karma.

June Dating app in the Apple iTunes App Store

June Dating ticked all these boxes and we truly believe we created something that is not out there yet. It adds value, it is innovative and it is definitely good karma.

What makes it really different is that it is actually a matchmakers tool, it makes life of matchmakers easier. And, for singles it really adds value and creates qualitative matches. Please read more here about the application and what the added value and benefits are.

We love Simon Sinek. We have read his book "Start with Why" several times. These are the reasons why we have started June Dating:

Necessity
Love is a necessity. According to Abraham Harold Maslow it was, but we kind of agree with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. But, that is not what we mean when we formulate The Why of June Dating. We mean there is a necessity in today's world for a new dating tool. A tool that is more qualitative. More fun. More today. June Dating is that app that helps singles find the needle in the haystack.

Technology
Jonathan and I, love technology. We love bringing people together. The combination of the tool, plus timing (the technology finally makes it possible) to launch the app June Dating.

Fun
It is important to have fun in what you do. Especially in your work. So, Jonathan and I, childhood friends, love to work as a team and have a lot of fun. But, we have also decided that June Dating needs to be fun. Fun for all users. Both the singles as the matchers. Not fun in a childish way. Not fun like a computer game. Not fun as in a fashion trend. No, fun like it gives pleasure and really adds value.

Good Karma
Besides having fun working as a team. The both of us also want to add value in everything we do. And, not only adding value in a monetary way, but also bringing value to all stakeholders. We do believe that the ultimate form is: good karma. Karma is that age-old universal theory of getting what we deserve based on our thoughts and actions. We believe love is good karma and therefore June Dating is an excellent 'good karma tool'.

The June Dating app is available for free in the Android Play Store and the Apple iOS App Store via this link: https://k7s2p.app.goo.gl/invite.

Please try it and share your thoughts and experiences with me.

Have fun.

#JuneDating #OnlineDating #DatingApp

Why the book Blue Ocean Strategy is still relevant

Have you read the book "Blue Ocean Strategy" by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim that came out in 2005 and create quite a buzz in the business world? Well, I did just when the book came out as a buddy of mine finishing his MBA at INSEAD recommended it to me. Now 11 years later I think it is still very relevant. What made me realize this, is when ING Bank asked to interview me for their homepage on the topic of books that inspired me...

Alon Ben Joseph describing Blue Ocean Strategy book

Although I love technology and everything digital, I am still very old school with somethings... I adore mechanical watches and physical paper books & newspapers. So, when I got asked by ING Bank to think of a book that inspired me as an entrepreneur, I went to my home office and browsed to all my (paper) books standing in my huge book case (collecting dust - huge disadvantage btw). When my eye fell on this book with a blue cover I read more than a decade ago, it clicked in my head. This book turned on so many lights in my head, I had to pick this one.

But, then a few seconds late, while holding the book in my hands and flipping threw it, I wondered if the theory/strategy described in this book still was relevant. I looked at when the book got released and it shocked me that more than 10 years have passed since it got introduced. This book and strategy created a buzz in the business world and not only for myself and our family business.

Before I jump to the interview and the reason I think a Blue Ocean Strategy is still a very relevant strategy, let's give a quick executive summary of the theory:

"Blue Ocean Strategy was developed by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne. They observed that companies tend to engage in head-to-head competition in search of sustained profitable growth. Yet in today’s overcrowded industries competing head-on results in nothing but a bloody red ocean of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool. Lasting success increasingly comes, not from battling competitors, but from creating blue oceans of untapped new market spaces ripe for growth." (Source: Official website Blue Ocean Strategy)

Alon Ben Joseph's book review of Blue Ocean Strategy on www.ING.nl

Since the interview with ING Bank was done in Dutch a published on their website today (April 4th, 2016) for six weeks, I will translate the original text* here for my dear international readers as published via ING.nl:

"Alon Ben Joseph, together with his brother Amir, runs the family business Ace Jewelers since 2012, although both have started in the company since 1998. Ace Jewelers has the most exclusive collections of jewels, watches and diamonds. Their main goal is to serve customers skillfully and friendly, both physically as well as digitally. Alon was responsible for the launch of Ace Jewelers' eBoutique that they opened in 2008, the first luxury jeweller in the Netherlands to do so. 

What does entrepreneurship mean to you?

When I think about entrepreneurship, I think about the following keywords:  creation (to make something out of nothing), relevance (adding value), creativity, leading and having fun. Since my early childhood I wanted to be an entrepreneur and even before I started working in the family business full-time, I already started an internet company. I am very fortunate to not only work in our family business Ace Jewelers, but also have had the ability start-up two more companies. Alle mentioned keywords are relevant for me on a daily basis and are the source of my energy and satisfaction.

What book has inspired you?

Many books have inspired me. Often auto biographies of other entrepreneurs, but a real eye-opener for was 'Blue Ocean Strategy' by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim back in the year 2005.

What did you learn from this book? And, how did it affect your daily operations?

It has been eleven year since the book been published and the theory launched, but it is still very relevant today.In a nutshell the book makes you see the market/economy in four quadrants. Three of these quadrants are oceans filled with blood, so-called: red oceans. Only one quadrant lacks blood in the ocean, hence a blue ocean. In case your company has a novel strategy that both deploys new technologies and penetrates new markts, then you are head of your competition and therefore the company will not bleed... Read: swim in a blue ocean.
What I have learned from this book is to think  'out-of-the-box'. To push boundries and redefine parameters. This book stimulated me to redefine the core strategy of our family business, to mutate from a classic brick-and-morter retailer to an omnichannel retailer. In 2007 we were the first luxury jeweler in the Netherlands and North West Europe that got authorized by the luxury brands to sell online. Ace Jewelers' website and URL have been online since 1998, but we only got authorized to convert this to an eBoutique where we could sell online in 2008. Insights learned in this book redefined our core being and that made us an industry leader and trendsetter. Today our omnichannel strategy en the actual Blue Ocean Strategy  might not sound that modern or innovative anymore, but many retailers still have to make the transition in to a modern organisation to cater the novel wishes and demands of consumers today. So, this book is still very relevant and I highly recommend it."

So, this is my short book review of "Blue Ocean Strategy" by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim, a decade to late, but still so relevant. My next book review will be about the hard cover "#AskGaryVee Book" by Gary Vaynerchuck.
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* Original Dutch text published on ING Bank's website:

"Alon Ben Joseph runt samen met zijn broer Amir het familiebedrijf Ace Juweliers sinds 2012, maar is er al werkzaam sinds 1998. Ace Juweliers heeft de meest actuele collectie van sieraden, horloges en diamanten. Ze hebben als doel de consument vakkundig en vriendelijk te woord te staan, zowel in de winkel als digitaal. Alon heeft in 2008 de eBoutique geopend en was daarmee de eerste luxe juwelier in Nederland die online ging.

Wat betekent ondernemen voor u?

Als ik denk aan ondernemerschap denk ik aan kernwoorden als: creatie (van niets iets maken), zinnig (waarde toevoegen), creativiteit, leiden en plezier. Van jongs af aan wilde ik ondernemen en heb voor mijn toetreding in het familiebedrijf een internetbedrijf opgericht. Gelukkig heb ik de eer om nog steeds voor het familiebedrijf te werken, maar ook de kans gehad nog twee additionele bedrijven op te richten. Alle kernwoorden waar ik aan denk zijn dagelijks aan de orde en daar haal ik veel energie en voldoening uit.

Welk boek heeft u geïnspireerd?

Vele boeken hebben mij geïnspireerd. Vaak biografieën van andere ondernemers, maar echte eye-opener was voor mij, 'Blue Ocean Strategy' van Renée Mauborgne en W. Chan Kim in 2005.

Wat heeft u van het boek geleerd? Wat ging u wellicht anders doen?

Inmiddels elf jaar later is het boek en voornamelijk de theorie nog heel relevant. In een notendop heeft het boek inzichtelijk gemaakt dat er vier kwadranten zijn waar ondernemingen in opereren. Drie daarvan zijn oceanen gevuld met bloed, rode oceanen dus. Slechts een kwadrant daarvan is bloedloos en dus blauw. Als je een strategie volgt die zowel een nieuwe techniek en nieuwe klanten/markten aanboort zal je de concurrentie voorblijven en dus niet bloeden... Lees: zwemmen in een blauwe oceaan. Wat ik van dit boek geleerd heb is om 'out-of-the-box' te denken. De grenzen te verleggen en de parameters te herdefiniëren. Wij zijn onder andere hierdoor de strategie van ons familiebedrijf gaan herdefiniëren, van een klassieke brick-and-morter retailer zijn wij veranderd in een omnichannel retailer. In 2007 waren wij de eerste luxe juwelier in Nederland en Noord-West Europa die geautoriseerd werden door luxe merken om online te verkopen. Toentertijd een unicum, omdat de luxe merken fel gekant waren tegen online verkopen. Wij waren online met Ace Juweliers vanaf 1998, maar konden pas daadwerkelijk in 2008 online verkopen. Door inzichten geleerd in dit boek, hebben wij onze hele organisatie aangepast en zijn wij voorloper geworden in ons segment en industrie. Vandaag klinken zowel onze omnichannel strategie en de Blue Ocean Strategy niet zo modern en innovatief meer, maar vele retailers moeten nog steeds de slag maken om hun retail organisatie mee te laten evolueren met de wensen van de consument. Dus het boek is een echte aanrader."

Speaking at NetComm Suisse event

A week after I spoke at the Webwinkel Vakdagen 2016 event in Utrecht, the Netherlands, I have been invited by NetComm Suisse, the Swiss counterpart of the Thuiswinkel Organisatie to speak during their event: e-Commerce and Digital meet Luxury Watches on Thursday February 2th, 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Alon Ben Josep speaking at Netcomme Suisse event in Geneva

NetComm Suisse enables their members to build a strong community of e-Commerce operators. Through networking events, training, institutional relations and research into the digital market, the organization enables greater consumer confidence in e-Commerce and greater success for operators in the industry. They also engage proactively with the media and international institutions, providing information, concrete data and a voice for the wider industry, seeking above all to help build a more engaged and successful future for the Swiss eCommerce sector.

On February 25th, 2016 NetComm Suisse in collaboration with Fongit will host the “e-Commerce and Digital meet Luxury Watches” event. The event will look at the latest trends in digital and e-Commerce for luxury jewellery and watches industry. In this domain our speakers will share knowledge on:

  • Digital innovation, smartwatches, wearable jewellery devices
  • e-Commerce for the luxury industry
  • Online counterfeiting and digital reputation
  • Digital influence in purchase decisions
  • Start-ups to help solving industry problems

An increasing number of consumers is turning to the internet to get their purchase decision. In addition to that, upwards of 70% of people in Europe have shopped online, amounting to some 247 million consumers, with commerce between countries continuing to grow. As regards the luxury sector, e-Commerce represents an excellent opportunity for the industry, including the smartwatch sector, to open itself up to a global market filled with internet- savvy consumers, add this to Switzerland’s long history of watchmaking, perfectly blending a spirit of artisanship plus innovation, and the opportunities in this particular brand of digital innovation are clear to see.

As you might know I love to speak about my passions: fine watches, diamond jewelry and eCommerce. I am humbled that Netcomme Suisse has heard about me and booked me to speak during this event in Geneva next month. Together with managers from the Swiss luxury industry, companies like: Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Richemont, I will speak about my experiences in this industry we have built up with Ace Jewelers. I am also very curious to hear what experts from Facebook, eBooster and Deloitte, attending as speakers during this event have to share.

On that day I will travel from Amsterdam to Geneva and at 16.55 hours I will have the honor to speak about the topic: "Digital influence in offline purchase decisions."

To attend this event, please register via this direct link: Eventbrite.

 

Webwinkel Vakdagen 2016

As you might know I love to speak about my passions. As CEO of Ace Jewelers Group of Amsterdam,www.AceJewelers.com I have been invited to speak during the Webwinkel Vakdagen 2016 (#WWV16). I will speak about Customer Experience in the luxury industry on Wednesday January 20th, 2016 in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Alon Ben Joseph speaking at Webwinkel Vakdagen 2016

The Webwinkel Vakdagen, also know as WWV, is the leading event in the Dutch Internet industry and this is the 10th anniversary edition. In 2006 it was the first time I have attended and it is amazing to see how the fair has grown to an industry meet-up you can not miss! The title of my presentation is: Luxury Customer Experience, online and offline. I will elaborate on critical success factors of Ace Jewelers in creating the ultimate customer experience in the luxury industry we operate in.

Hope to see you at my lecture at noon on the 20th of this month.

For an overview of all my speaking engagements, please visit this page.

 

Speaking about the future of gold during Schone Symposium

I have been invited by Umicore's subsidary Schone Edelmetaal B.V. to speak during their Symposium on Monday November 3rd, 2014, which they are organising in honor of their 275th birthday.

Schöne Edelmetaal B.V. has been a household name in the world of precious metals since 1739. Having originally started out as inspectors of gold and silver at the Exchange Bank, they have grown into being the main supplier to the European mints. They got to where they are today by capitalizing on their rich history. But they don’t just live in the past, as they continue to go for gold. Since 2003 we’ve been doing that under the wing of Umicore.

Alon Ben Joseph speaking at Schone Symposium 2014

The title of my presentation is: "De gouden toekomst van goud", which translates to: "The golden future of gold". I have been invited by the management of Schone to inspire all their guests, partners, customers and employees. As I am: a jeweller, consultant, innovator in the jewelry industry with regard to multichannel retail, Shopping2020 Expert and Schone customer, they asked me to philosophize about the future of gold in the 'New Economy'.

I have the honor to share the stage with TV personality Humberto Tan, Gold Expert Willem Middelkoop and Inspirator and consultant Richard van Hooijdonk.

Do you want to learn more about my personal view of the future of retail, the luxury industry and the consumption behavior of gold? Please visit Oak Consultancy's page.