Ambitious students – Get inspired by Maxim

It seems like a mission impossible: study, work, maintain a social life, change your bed every now and then, and also start a business. But nothing is less true. More and more students choose entrepreneurship during or shortly after their studies. This is also the case with Maxim van der Lee, a fourth-year student at the School of Entrepreneurship and Retail Management and resident at Amsterdam Amstel. What started as an idea during his minor has turned into a serious business with big future plans: boogy-amsterdam.com.

The goal of Boogy is for everyone to enjoy sports with innovative products. The first product that Boogy launched are hip and sustainable sports socks. Maxim explains how that idea was born: “I run Boogy together with 3 other students. We all follow different studies and have different backgrounds. What we have in common is a passion for winter sports. We mainly looked at what it is we miss ourselves when standing on the slopes. Good quality ski socks are expensive and look pretty dull. It became our mission to change that dusty image and ensure good quality for an affordable price. And we did! Boogy ski socks are protective, warm, comfortable, durable and available in three different prints.”

Sustainable

The sustainability of Boogy ski socks can be found in its quality. Some parts of the socks have a special thickening so they last longer (at least several winter sports seasons). Maxim wants to become even more sustainable in the future: ''In the long run, I would like to develop a fully recycled product. This is very difficult to achieve without compromising on quality and/or price. But, as an entrepreneur, I find it very important to give back to society.”

Studying and running a business

Now that the minor has ended, the boys are searching for a good balance between their studies and business. ''We pass on our schedule to each other every week and make time to work on Boogy together, apart from our individual tasks. Fortunately, the division of tasks is quite organic and we help each other where we can. After all, you have to make the most of each other's qualities. This is where our different backgrounds are in favor. One of the guys is very strong in the financial part and another good in website building and online marketing. I mainly focus on sales and social media. At this stage it's especially important that we expand our reach and people know who we are and where to find us."

The future

At the moment Boogy only sells sports socks, but we can expect other products in the future as well. The website already features a ‘coming soon summer collection’. Follow Boogy on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest news. “I hope to one day make a living with Boogy, keep innovating and having fun and that we’re able give something back to people and society. For example with sustainable products or helping young people on their way to start their own business. Then the circle is complete," says Maxim.

Last but not least Maxim has a few tips for students who also want to start a business. ''It sounds like a cliché, but it really is true; make sure you enjoy what you do and just start somewhere. Don't be afraid to fail, but see mistakes as learning opportunities."

- Student Experience residents get an exclusive discount of 20% on all Boogy socks with the code BOOGY20 -