Creating a Win-Win Business Model

Toine Knipping, CEO and Co-Founder, Amicorp Group

Creating a Win-Win Business Model

When we were kids, we experienced the world as big and full of wonders. Anything could be a toy; anything could be fun. Then we were taught that some objects were not ours to play with, as they belonged to our siblings or friends. That birthday pies and cakes were small and the biggest piece needed to be fought over. At school we were tricked into competition with our class mates, and we ended up being classified.

The smarter ones won more accolades and high marks, the ones born in the most favorable period of the year would win most of the sports prizes or awards. We learned that winning was not only the most important thing, but also the only thing, and that ending up in second place was being the first loser. Winning to a large extent, seemed to happen at the expense of others.

All that installed in us a ‘scarcity’ mentality. The idea that it is important to win ahead, or even at the expense of others, that there is not enough for all of us to share, not enough for all of us to enjoy and to share. And the misconception that we have to fight to get our fair piece of the limited quantity of pie. Our political environment does not help. When I was young, in the 1960’s the Club of Rome predicted the world would run out of food before the year 2000. In the 1970’s, we believed the world would run out of oil before the end of the millennium. By the 1990’s, we had the acid rain and we would run out of trees, and in 1999 we would run out of bits and bytes and the Millennium Bug would stop the world as we knew it. Of course none of this happened as solutions were created and the predicted scarcity was never happened. The world is full of abundance and it’s up to us to tap into its full potential.

The best way to benefit from all there is in the world is to give and to give abundantly. If you want a happy child, you give it something to play with - a smile or a hug. If you want a happy spouse, you spend time with him or her. To have a happy employee you show appreciation for his efforts and give him challenges to put his talents to work. If you want a successful relationship with your suppliers you give benefits, so both parties profit from the business. You always make sure that both parties benefit from the relationship. Same with your clients, you want them to be happy so they not only come back for more of your services or products, but also tell their friends and relationships to do business with you.

This is called the ‘abundance’ mentality and it works in any relationship, especially in a business environment. The world is huge and has endless resources to offer to you, if you are able to tap its potential. One can tap the potential of the whole world by seeing it as one system, one universe, of which you are not only the center, but also its master and are connected to all other parts. What you put in you will get back. If you give it will give back in multiples, if you only take it will soon stop giving.

A company needs to create win-win situations with its main stakeholders. To its employees it must give a fair wage, a challenging task and enough appreciation for a job well done. To its clients and suppliers, fair business terms and perfect service. To its shareholders, it must give a nice return on investment. To the society it is part of, it must add by setting examples in corporate social responsibility. And to the environment it must show respect and not exhaust it unnecessarily. Success will “automatically” come to you when you find win-win situations in all four of these aspects because you get back what you give. In win-win you will always win, in any win-lose situation you will end up losing. Start by being generous and success will flow your way.


About the Author

Toine Knipping is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Amicorp Group. Toine holds the top executive responsibility for strategic development of the Amicorp Group. As co-founder of the firm, he remains closely connected and involved with the global development of new structures for client solutions, as well as the development of new offices and markets. Toine regularly speaks at international conferences on financial structuring.

Other than co-founding and building Amicorp, Toine's past professional experience includes positions with several companies located in Curaçao, the Netherlands Antilles. These include the Antillean Management Corporation Amaco; McLaughlin International Trust and Management Company and the McLaughlin Bank (Supervisory Director); Banco de Venezuela (Interim Branch Manager); and Safra Bank (Managing Director).