Entrepreneur, a real profession A long

The Newsletter of Initiative Saint-Martin #5 - octobre 2013
Entrepreneur, a real profession
There are a few essential ingredients
necessary for an entrepreneurial
project to work. A good deal of anticipation and foresight from the entrepreneur, who in turn needs to know
the business market and have a clear
idea of his strategy: who will pay, what,
how much and to whom. He has to
really believe in his development plan,
because he will have to be very persuasive. At this second stage, creating
the actual business, the key factors
are tenacity and dedication. This is the
step of meeting people, getting advice, readjusting the project following a
recommendation from a friend or from
a business-creating specialist. This is
also the time to listen. The key moment to adapt the means to the needs
of the business. The moment of returning to the bankers or associations
offering interest-free loans, those who
know how crucial the timing strategy is
between equity and debt when starting
a business. Following this, the entrepreneur’s actions remain fundamental.
He must be able to establish himself,
manage his business and his team,
steer them, set goals, motivate his
network of partners, innovate, unite...
And be able to teach himself about the
most technical details, to learn and to
regularly take stock of the situation so
that one day, as each member of his
network hopes, he will succeed !
Antoine Rousseau
Territorial Director of Guadeloupe,
“Caisse des dépôts” & board member of
Initiative Saint-Martin
Since a couple of months, project holders
are lucky enough to be able to benefit from
a training course to teach them the basics of
their future profession as an entrepreneur.
After two days, their project starts to take
shape : their clients are identified, the location for their activity is defined and they
have a clear idea of what a company is, its
social and tax obligations... They have elaborated their business plan, know how to
calculate a turnover or margin. Later on,
once the ball is rolling, Initiative will be
there to support them with a personalized
follow-up that allows them to develop real
skills from the basics covered during the
training course.
Mireille Cochrane (left) ran this training session for 10 project holders
A long-term partner
Besides offering support, training and a personalized follow-up, Initiative Saint-Martin,
thanks to several financial packages, helps
the company to grow, to hire, to boost it
when times are tough or to realize exceptional projects.
that they can look to Initiative to help them
through this difficult period
n Interest-free loan: initial staff hire
This loan aims to support sustainable employment and business growth to companies
less than five years old in providing the nen Interest-free loan: setting up
cessary cash to hire, for a minimum period of
This personal loan granted to the entrepre- one year, a job seeker of more than 12 months
neur, without interest and without collateral, or one eligible for a subsidized contract.
is intended to finance tangible and intangi- n Interest-free loan: to an outstanding buble investment needs related to the creation siness
or takeover of a company.
This interest-free loan aims to help compan Interest-free loan: growth
nies, of any age, whose projects (creation,
This loan is intended for companies less than takeover or development) show outstanding
five years old and experiencing a develop- characteristics in the environmental, sociement in activity. This loan helps to increase tal, territorial sectors and innovation.
their production capacity and to invest.
The amount of these 0% interest loans
n Interest-free loan: boosts
vary from 2,000 to 25,000€, depending
A number of companies facing temporary on the project and the personal circumseconomic difficulties - late start to the tou- tances of the applicant. In certain cases,
rist season, late paying customers, weather, a it is obligatory to get a complimentary
default with a major customer – aren’t aware bank loan.
The number
28
This is the number of loans and subsidies granted to project holders since the beginning of 2013, for an amount of 251,000€. 22 of these projects have benefited
from an additional bank loan, for a total of 275,000€. Thus, a total of 526,000€
was injected into the local economy.
''
> Growth and innovation in Saint-Martin
''
Crisis give birth to great opportunities
Is it possible for a company in 2013 in
Saint-Martin to grow and innovate? The
answer is yes. Contrary to the current negative outlook that discourages many project
holders, there are companies today that are
taking the lead and are expanding nicely.
This growth is seen through the increase
in their staff, their production tools, their
turnover, profit and / or their market share.
For a business to grow, the director must
possess and maintain a competitive advantage. It may be by developing new business,
opening a new service abandoned by companies in the sector, a new way of addressing and treating the customer, adapting a
product or service to a new customer segment... In any case, distinguishing oneself
by innovating establishes a competitive
advantage that favors growth. Despite a
stagnating economic situation, growth and
innovation are very real from the moment
the entrepreneur pays close attention to
fluctuations in the market and he does not
hesitate to call things into question.
Businesses that are blooming
Sebelec
Domotique Antilles
Product innovation
Innovation in technological know-how
«Débouya pa péché» (being resourceful is not a sin in creole) is Sebastian Morvant’s motto, who sells, installs and services air conditioners. Without personal experience, his bank did not believe in the
project and he was «obliged», as he says, to go door to door to find
customers as quickly as possible. He chose to diversify his offer
and take an interest in the renewable energy sector, offering solar
air conditioners, as well as solar panels. «We can’t wait for a peeled
banana to be put into our mouths”, he says with a smile.
Sébastien Morvant
Florent Conties
Florent Conties, a stereo and video expert, and his IT electromechanical engineer business partner, Renaud Bencarel, sell their
technological know-how and quality products. They chose advanced technologies and are considering home automation in its broadest sense : smart homes, living comfort, video surveillance, and
also desalination systems, sewage treatment plants, automatic
devices... They work, a lot, and meet their customers’ demands,
no matter when, even on weekends. Being the best is their motto,
and apparently it works!
Yög’Art
A unique concept with a well thought out business strategy
For Gabriela Penaloza and Alejandro, the creators of this unique concept,
the success of the yoghurt ice cream Yög’Art is due to good products,
excellent quality, infallible service, good opening hours and the right location. Opposite the Marina Fort Louis, the small, brightly colored shop
with cutting-edge design has a loyal clientele fond of yoghurt ice cream,
with less calories than traditional ice cream, and who have fun with the
self-service distributor without hesitating about the choice of «toppings»
and get to taste everything in the end! You pay by weight, people like this
concept, and they like the sales team as well, who listen to the customers in order to be able to make them happier. “They ask us for biscuit
cones, and we find out how we can get them here” says Gabriela.
The Newsletter of Inititative Saint-Martin #5 - october 2013
Gabriela and Alejandro
> Growth and innovation in Saint-Martin
The ingredients for growth
For Charles Apanon, the Director of
the IEDOM, the prerequisite to growth
lies primarily in the director’s desire
to see his business grow. And he adds :
“It’s not a matter of business sector, but
of opportunities and entrepreneurial
skills”. The magazine «Chef d’entreprise»
agrees with him and tells us that a good
leader must be a good sales representative, a good technician, a good admi-
nistrator, a good manager, courageous
and even have a touch of madness. Once
these qualities are combined, growth
may happen in several ways : export, by
going where the growth is; innovation,
to differentiate themselves from competitors; lots of potential customers, a
must; not to mention good management
of working capital and payment terms
and conditions.
Charles Apanon, Director of the IEDOM
Businesses that are blooming
SARL Garnier Électricité
Atelier CCB
Bounces back by exporting
Samuel Garnier (right) and his team
After a growth spurt between 2007, the year the company began,
and 2010, Samuel Garnier’s electricity company suffered under
the government policy that is less favorable towards the photovoltaic and he had to lay off three employees. He then had to
rework and canvass the area of conventional electricity and be
very proactive. Well connected with Guadeloupe, where he took
several qualifying training courses, Samuel had the opportunity to
put his supervising skills to use on several projects and thus was
able to increase his company’s turnover. Word of mouth was the
best form of advertising and he continues to expand his network
in Guadeloupe. And as renewable energy is our future, he is now
interested in wind power.
Production optimization
Corinne Lesage and her companion (and business partner) - «David and Coco» - were not confined to their initial business activity of
signage advertising and embroidery, but chose to respond to their
customers’ demands. «A hotel that wants embroidered polo shirts
also needs kitchen clothes,» says Coco, who supplies to several
establishments, and she also created CocoArt a line of decorative
textile objects. By extending the range of products, the embroidery machines are made financially viable. The company has grown
so well that they have had to leave the original workshop for larger
commercial premises.
Auto-école Hope Estate
Coco and David
Graziella and Patrice
Competence and service
Work, success and innovation are the three key points around which Graziella and
Patrice work, and which have kept the entries into the driving school flowing. «Our
goal is to get each student to succeed, even the most difficult cases, and our examination success rate has given us an excellent reputation,» says Graziella. Both
partners personalize their support, don’t leave their candidates in front of a screen
without any explanation and don’t hesitate to invest in the latest equipment, whether
it be IT or vehicles. The driving school has opened a second school in Concordia,
has expanded its licensing and training and their next goal is to get the TDG (transport of dangerous goods) license and the CACES (driver safety certificate) approvals. What is missing for Graziella and Patrice? Qualified personnel to assist them
and examination sessions.
The Newsletter of Inititative Saint-Martin #5 - october 2013
> Growth and innovation in Saint-Martin
Employment
Forum
Are you looking for a job
or do you want to create
your own job? The Employment Forum will be held
Thursday, October 10th,
at the Maison des entrepriese, from 9am to 6pm.
An outstanding business
in Quartier d’Orléans
Muriel Royer
Muriel Royer’s speech therapy practice is one of 100 outstanding companies among 150,000 companies from the 230 platforms of Initiative’s
network. Congratulations Muriel !
As being a pharmacology engineer in SaintMartin holds little prospect, this mother of two
older daughters went on to study for four years
and in 2009 obtained her degree in speech therapy. With Initiative Saint-Martin’s help, she opened her practice near the pharmacy in Quartier
d’Orléans at the request of surrounding doctors.
Muriel quickly realized after being in contact with
her cosmopolitan and multilingual patients that
the French Metropolitan linguistic characteristics
did not correspond to her patients and that she
needed to adapt her tools, which is what she did
through research on the internet and through Canadian colleagues. «My problems were not ones
of language or schooling, but rather the integration of a predominantly non-francophone population,» she says. Example: A child does not understand his teacher and his behavioral problems
are transferred to his feelings of exclusion, such
as anger, frustration, aggression or conversely withdrawing, when he has in fact a perfectly normal
capacity. Other interacting factors (integration,
family conflicts, cultural misunderstanding) lead
Muriel to create a place of welcome and communication for these children and their families. She
lets the child express itself to his mother in English, and through games in French and English
she tests the vocabulary of the child. And this is
when listening and counseling produce miracles, frustration and aggression give way to positive feelings. The child finally feels comfortable in
class. She innovates by adapting what she offers
to local conditions, especially taking into account
the lack of specialized assistance facilities. Her paramedic mission takes on a social and educational
dimension and favors not only the child’s integration into a new environment, but also that of his
family. Her work puts her in the heart of the challenges of the 21st century because of increased
immigration and the globalization of trade. Today, she shares her expertise and exchanges with
peers, especially at the UNADREO (the National
Union for research development and evaluation
in speech therapy) Congress, which was held in
Paris in December 2012 under the theme «Bilingualism and bicultural : new challenges.»
Contest launch for «Outstanding Business» with the CCISM
Initiative Editorial Director
Marc Chakhtoura
Text Brigitte Delaître
Layout Delphine Gavach
130 Howell Center
Marigot - 97150 Saint-Martin
Tél. 0590 52 83 62
www.initiative-saint-martin.fr
FINANCIAL PARTNERS
Do you think that your business is pioneering? That it has a positive impact on the environment? That it has
a territorial dimension? That it is engaged in a social or societal approach? The CCISM and Initiative SaintMartin are preparing to launch a contest that will reward the most outstanding company in Saint-Martin.
The winner will receive individual coaching with a consultant «a growth and innovation expert», as well as an
interest-free loan!
More details soon in the local press.
Co-financé par l’Union Européenne
L’Europe s’engage avec le FSE
The Newsletter of Inititative Saint-Martin #5 - october 2013
On the program
n Job dating
n Workshops for job
seekers to better
prepare their job interviews and information on
starting a business as a
means to creating your
own job
n Information stands
where the public can
obtain information and
documentation on hiring,
employment assistance
and starting up a business