The journey of a fairground operator to business growth using passion and digital payments

In today’s dynamic and competitive small business landscape, adaptability and determination are the key to success – and it’s those entrepreneurs who passionately embrace change who often rise to the top.

Elisabeth Arjaans is a business owner who shows how it’s done. Born into a family of fairground operators, she fell in love with the magic of fairs as a child and later decided to open her own food stall. Elisabeth had to navigate major challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, but nothing stopped her. With the support of her family, she is now a successful entrepreneur with multiple different stalls at some of the biggest fairs in the Benelux area. For almost seven years, she has also been earning an extra income as a consultant for myPOS, where she helps other entrepreneurs purchase payment solutions and provide excellent service support.

From legal secretary to food trucks and consulting

As a child of fairground operators, Elisabeth was destined for this vibrant industry, however, her parents advised her to pursue a different career. So she obtained a law certificate and started working as a legal secretary. Yet, the monotony of office work couldn’t compete with the dynamic fairground environment. In 2010, Elisabeth took a bold step to establish her own food stall, marking the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey. Today, along with her partner and daughter, Elisabeth Arjaans operates three churros stalls, a bubble tea truck, and an ice cream tuk-tuk.

The risk of transitioning from law to fairground operations paid off but Elisabeth’s path wasn’t without its challenges. The biggest hurdle she had to overcome was the COVID-19 pandemic. Elisabeth shares that during that time she faced immense uncertainty, not only about the future of her own business, but the fairground industry as a whole. Despite the instability and financial pressure, Elisabeth didn’t give up and now attends some of the biggest fairs in the country and continues to find new events to try out. After more than a decade, she still holds great passion and excitement for her work, because, as she puts it:

“The great thing about a fair is that it’s never the same.”

The power of passion and adaptability

Small businesses play a crucial role in the economy, often driving innovation and providing more of a personal touch. Elisabeth believes that the survival of small business is key for preserving the vibrance of the business landscape. She says the heart of your business should always be in the centre of your operations and advises future entrepreneurs to take the leap of faith.

“Follow your dreams. Life is short and it is better to regret the things you have done than regret the things you haven’t done.”

However, passion isn’t the only thing that makes a successful business. After more than a decade as an entrepreneur, Elisabeth has seen shifts in consumer preferences to which she had to adapt – the biggest one being the rise of digital payments. In 2017, Elisabeth noticed a growing demand for contactless card payments. This prompted her to look for an affordable and reliable payment solution which is how she found myPOS.

A payment solution so good you want to sell it 

Elisabeth integrated myPOS into her business operations during the Tilburg fair – the largest event of its kind in the Benelux area. Her positive experience was so great, she made a joke about introducing the payment devices to her colleagues. The joke became reality and she started as a consultant for myPOS. Elisabeth has a large network and in-depth knowledge of both her industry and the myPOS payment system. This provides the confidence her fellow fairground operators and small businesses need to follow her advice. Today, Elisabeth is seen as a reliable payment consultant and valuable myPOS entrepreneur.

“A myPOS sales manager came to the stall to ask me about my experience so far and I jokingly asked if I couldn’t sell them. That’s how the ball started rolling. The myPOS features I find most interesting are there are no subscriptions, the terminals are affordable, and very easy to use,” Elisabeth shares.

These features provide flexibility to the business owner who has to adapt to the fast-paced digital economy, where being flexible is about survival and growth. And as the digital payment landscape keeps moving further, the question every merchant should answer is – can my payment partner continuously deliver the most innovative technology products and provide my customers the secure and fast payment experience they expect? Elisabeth is confident with myPOS as her payment partner, she can offer the latest payment options for her company in the future. That is why she is happy to share her experiences with other businesses.

She says: “For businesses that are on-the-go, such as food trucks and market vendors, digital payments offer unparalleled flexibility. Modern payment tools and mobile point-of-sale systems allow merchants to accept payments anywhere, without the need for a traditional storefront or expensive equipment. This empowers small businesses like mine.”