Entrepreneurship is a way of life that is suitable for me, says Jyri Metsälä, merchant at K-Rauta Vantaanportti. He has been an entrepreneur since 2014.
– At first, I wondered if I could get used to being constantly at work. Once I got used to it, I understood what an entrepreneur's lifestyle means. It’s a way of living. Your own life and entrepreneurship go hand in hand, and this way of life suits me perfectly.
In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic intensified in Finland when the merchant was preparing himself for a busy summer season. From the very beginning, the effects of the pandemic were very different in different industries. In hardware stores, the pandemic manifested as an increased interest in nesting at home as foreign tourism declined and recreational opportunities decreased.
– I became a merchant at the age of 27, so I didn’t experience the 1990s recession or the financial crisis of 2008. At first, the situation with the coronavirus was very strange because at the beginning of the pandemic, the outlook was unclear. However, we were able to adapt to the new situation and change our operations very quickly to ensure safe transactions and supply of goods.
Metsälä became an entrepreneur through Kesko’s K-Academy.
– It felt like I had found my home when I started the training course. In the training, I met my future colleagues, and I realised that there are many like-minded people among K merchants. In entrepreneurship, I value customer-driven development and the responsibilities and freedoms it gives you.
In terms of risks, Metsälä believes in coverage and that an insurance company is a partner that specialises in risk management.
– Personally, I want to be covered for the so-called rare events because anything can happen in either the company or in my personal life. Therefore, I try to have a relatively comprehensive insurance cover, and throughout the years, I believe that I have accumulated quite a good package.
The cooperation with Pohjola Insurance began quite conventionally: with competitive tendering of insurance policies.
– Pohjola Insurance stood out from others because my contact person was the first one who was able to tell me what the insurance quote means in layman’s terms. The rest of them sent me quotes, but I didn’t understand what I would be getting if I approved the quote. It is important that the salesperson knows and is able to clearly specify what they are selling.
In cooperation, Metsälä especially values straightforwardness. It applies to both online services and communications.
– I don’t want to be contacted annually, but if something was to happen, I’d want everything to be streamlined and my part to be completed quickly. I also appreciate that a notification to Claims Settlement is easy to make and that I can call my contact person, who knows me and my company well, anytime.
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