Becky Helped Us Enhance Our Business

How Florys built a successful nearshoring partnership with Becky.works. Discover how clear preparation and team integration help firms grow and maintain quality.

June 15, 2023

Post by Wilma Ivanisevic

“We were very curious and asked a lot of questions to understand how Becky works before we decided to try it out. Whatever questions we had, they had an answer. We also spoke to another Dutch company working with Becky, and their experience was very positive. — Marco Visser, Partner at Florys”

About Florys

Can you provide an overview of your company, Florys, the services you offer, and the position you’re in?

Florys is a Dutch administrative services firm that helps businesses manage their financial and payroll processes. The company specialises in bookkeeping, annual reporting, payroll, and tax services.

Florys is part of the broader Florys Group, which employs more than 140 people across several business units. In addition to financial services, the group also includes a recruitment company and a payroll and HR services division.

Today, the Florys accounting team consists of 22 people — 20 based in the Netherlands and 2 in Belgrade. The company adopted a fully digital way of working in 2015, completing the transition ahead of schedule. This early shift proved invaluable during the pandemic, enabling Florys to adapt quickly to remote work.

While the firm continues to operate digitally, maintaining personal connection remains a priority. Florys now works in a hybrid model, giving employees the flexibility to choose how they work, while ensuring that space for social interaction remains an essential part of the company’s culture.

What were the reasons that led you to choose Becky as a partner?

Like many firms in the Netherlands, Florys struggled to find qualified professionals. This is a challenge across many industries, but especially in accounting. Firms often compete for the same talent, which does not solve the underlying problem.

During a conversation with a business contact, Florys first heard about Becky.works. The idea sounded promising, but naturally raised questions. How would it work with people in another country? Would communication run smoothly? Would new team members fit the company’s culture?

You heard about Becky in January, and in June you already have 2 employees. Would you say that the collaboration with Becky has been going well?

Rindert describes the partnership very clearly: “I would say the collaboration has been going perfectly,” he says. “At first, we thought there might be challenges, and we were thinking about possible solutions. But in the end, it all proved to be much easier than I expected. We approached it with full focus, which I believe is key. If you only do something halfway, it won’t work.”

From the beginning, the Florys team took the time to fully understand Becky’s model. They asked many questions to clarify how the collaboration would work. Every question had a clear answer. They also spoke to another Dutch company already working with Becky, which gave them further confidence to move forward.

It was equally important for Florys to involve their own team in the decision. They openly presented the idea internally, and the team fully supported trying this new approach.

Soon after, Becky presented six candidates. Florys shortlisted four and then narrowed the selection to two. Marc and Rindert travelled to Belgrade for the final interviews — their first visit to Serbia. After the interviews, they decided to hire two candidates, Milica and Branka.

Both new team members started in Belgrade in May. Shortly after, they travelled to the Netherlands for two weeks to work onsite, meet colleagues, and fully understand how the firm operates. This in-person onboarding was essential in helping them feel part of the team from the very start.

Soon after their return to Belgrade, the Florys team attended Becky’s Partner Event, bringing five colleagues from the Netherlands. And the connection continues to grow. “Next week, we have an event here in the Netherlands, and of course we have invited our colleagues from Belgrade as well. They are part of our team. The work they do is the same as our colleagues here,” says Rindert.

Has the language been a barrier?

Language was another question at the start. The Florys team initially wondered whether it might be a barrier in daily collaboration. But this concern quickly faded. They soon found that communication worked well and that mutual understanding was what mattered most. As Rindert puts it, perfect grammar is not the priority, clear communication and a good working relationship are.

Looking ahead, what are your future plans and expectations regarding the partnership with Becky?

Florys sees strong potential for the future of the partnership with Becky. Before starting the collaboration, they had reached a point where they were close to turning down new clients. The team simply did not have enough capacity to take on additional work without increasing the load on their existing staff — something the leadership wanted to avoid. Protecting a good work-life balance remains an important part of the Florys culture.

With the Becky team now in place and the collaboration running smoothly, Florys is confident about future growth. Having the right people on board means they can take on new clients with the assurance that quality and standards will be maintained.