The success story of bookstore Klondyke.
In the world of rare books and special editions, Klondyke is a true legend. For three decades, owner Matthijs has not only supplied beautiful books to enthusiasts worldwide but has also created a unique workplace for students who love working among books. With the growth of his business, Matthijs faced challenges, particularly in personnel and payroll administration. How has he tackled these challenges, and what is his experience with the collaboration with Tentoo? We speak with him in his natural habitat, among the books at Klondyke.
From book markets to the digital age.
Over thirty years ago, Matthijs began his adventure at book markets. With the rise of the digital age, he became one of the pioneers in the industry to go online. "Over the course of 30 years, I've gradually moved more towards online. I was one of the first, thanks to my handy brother who works in IT and was able to build a webshop for me." Over the years, Matthijs built an immense stock of books, allowing him to hire people to speed up the work.
The challenges in the warehouse
There’s plenty of work waiting in the warehouse. Books on every subject imaginable are waiting for a new owner. The books come from near and far – mostly from estates – so they need to be picked up, sorted for suitability, and the unsuitable ones need to be disposed of. To give you an idea: one estate of books can sometimes contain up to ten thousand books. After that, the ordered books are pulled from the warehouse, packed, and shipped. So, there's always a lot to do. Matthijs now has 7 employees who help with picking up the inherited books, order picking, packing, and taking them to the post office.
The collaboration with Tentoo
Hiring more staff also led to more administration. Matthijs initially worked with a payroll administration office. Many of his employees are part-time students and school pupils, and this became too expensive. He had to pay for a full payslip even for someone who only worked a few hours a week. “Sometimes, the cost of the payslips was higher than the employees’ salaries themselves. So, I wanted a more efficient approach.” His accountant told him about Tentoo, with a satisfied client as a reference. “The flexibility and reliability appealed to me, especially in a time when employment laws are changing rapidly. As an entrepreneur, you don’t have time to monitor every month whether someone’s contract is expiring or whether they are entitled to a permanent contract. Tentoo takes care of all that, which saves me a lot of time.”
The benefits
This collaboration with Tentoo has been going on for about four years now, and Matthijs is happy to share the benefits he has experienced:
Complete payroll administration taken care of
Being relieved of the payroll administration saves Matthijs a lot of valuable time. “Tentoo handles the entire payroll process, including ensuring legal compliance. This not only saves us valuable time but also guarantees that our employees receive everything they are entitled to. With the constant changes in the labor market, keeping up with these complex matters is time-consuming, but thanks to Tentoo’s regular updates and support, we always stay up-to-date without any extra effort.”
Immediate receipt of the Invoice
Matthijs mentions the immediate receipt of the invoice after submitting the hours as an additional advantage. “It’s something I only realized later, but I’m actually really happy with it. Normally, you're inclined to pay invoices at the end of the month, but for me, it works much better to do it weekly. That way, you avoid surprises at the end of the month, which brings more financial peace of mind.”
Always available for questions
“During my meetings with my contact person Menno, which take place about once a quarter, I’m always informed about any changes and consistently reassured that everything is properly implemented. In addition, I can reach out with questions via WhatsApp or just give him a quick call. This works really well, and I always get a prompt response.”
"With Tentoo as our partner, we’ve reduced our costs and eliminated all risks"
Moneypenny has been working with Tentoo for a year now. “We were looking for more tailored solutions. We considered many options, but Tentoo’s custom approach and personal touch really appealed to us.”
Marianne Sturman
founder and owner of Moneypenny
"The risk distribution and favorable conversion factor really appealed to us”
“In my previous job in the hairdressing industry, I experienced firsthand how much risk you take on as an employer when employees fall ill or go on maternity leave. You’re responsible for the costs and often lose someone for an extended period, which can become quite expensive. That was the main reason, along with the fact that you don’t have to handle payroll administration yourself.”
Regina Pietersma - de Vries
Owner Brasserie Om de dobben
"Tentoo always provides us with honest and transparent information"
From the very first contact, Tentoo shared so much information I wasn’t even aware of. Staffing agencies we worked with before had never told me any of that. Tentoo always provides us with honest and transparent information about legal changes and obligations, for example regarding contract extensions.
Kuno Lipperts
Plant Manager Signode
Tentoo's mission
Tentoo ensures that you, as an employer or freelancer, can move carefree with everything the market demands and offers. And what works best for you. Tentoo is the partner for employers, clients and freelancers when it comes to payroll or other payroll-related services. We want to contribute to the success of our clients.
- Tentoo achieves continuity by being a reliable and expert partner.
- Tentoo distinguishes itself by the flexibility in its services and by its approachable character.
- All our employees provide direct or indirect service with the aim of allowing our clients to do business without worries.
We don't just do it differently,
we do it better
Innovative solutions and personal support play a key role in doing processes differently and better. At Tentoo, we believe that balance requires constant movement. That is why we continue to innovate and respond to the real needs of the labor market. We make processes not only different, but better. We do this with the following core values:
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