Integrating a franchise is a tempting step for entrepreneurial souls. The amount of the entry fee can however slow down more than one applicant. It is indeed necessary to pay between 12,000 and 50,000 € to put the name of a brand on its business. The Association for the Right to Economic Initiative (Adie) therefore created an innovative concept ten years ago: the solidarity microfranchise.
On the program: a limited entry fee, an activity that is simple to set up and quickly profitable (the person must be able to generate an income equivalent to the minimum wage at the end of the first year) and, icing on the cake, a financing plan up to €12,000 to make certain investments necessary to start the activity (purchase of a utility vehicle, for example). “We offer microentrepreneurs or people far from the labor market and bank credit turnkey microenterprise projects, accessible and easy to create. The strength of the franchise model, combining a brand, a profitable economic model , know-how and training, is thus placed at the service of micro-entrepreneurship and solidarity”, summarizes Basile Albert, development manager of this microcredit organization.
More than encouraging results
Of the four courses initially created, only two remain: O2 Adie petit jardinage and My digital assistant. But the results are more than encouraging. “The microfranchisees show revenues and amounts of turnover that are much higher than those of the entrepreneurs that Adie usually supports”, comments Basile Albert. One of the explanations lies in the reassuring image that the brand conveys to customers. “The brand is a guarantee of quality. This is what leads a person to pay twice as much for a pair of Adidas sneakers as for a lambda pair, illustrates Pierre-Charles Garrigues, the deputy director of 02 Jardinage and 02 Bricolage. , between an anonymous gardener who posts his services on Le Bon Coin for €25/hour and a gardener from our franchise who charges €50/hour, the choice is quickly made for many customers, especially since this rate entitles you to a tax credit.”
To join one of these solidarity microfranchises, nothing could be simpler: just contact the sign concerned. Funding by Adie will come later, once the project has been validated.
“I had set myself a turnover of between €30,000 and €40,000 the first year. I exceeded it!”, rejoices Adrien Ramelet, of Mon Assistant Numérique, seduced by the values of the solidarity micro-franchise .
© / PDS
After 10 years in the business, Adrien Ramelet dared to take the step of franchising. A gamble he owes to the arrival of the Covid. “I had wanted to start a business for a long time. The confinement allowed me to think about it more concretely”, says this 33-year-old Strasbourg resident who is passionate about IT. While surfing on LinkedIn, he came across an ad posted by My Digital Assistanta microfranchise created in 2014 that offers home computer help and support.
A largely positive assessment
Bingo! The 30-year-old gets closer to the head of the brand. Together, they exchange on the nature of the activity and the motivations of the applicant and, very quickly, a meeting takes place at the head office, in Tours. “The low amount of the entry fee – €7,000 – weighed in the balance. If it had been much higher, it is not certain that I would have started”, concedes the new franchisee. Adrien Ramelet draws on his savings to the tune of €10,000 and turns to Adie for additional financing of €4,000. At the same time, he registered with Pôle Emploi and benefited from aid for the takeover and creation of a business (Acre). Everything is ready for him to sign his franchise contract.
Eighteen months later, the results are largely positive. “I had set myself a turnover of between €30,000 and €40,000 the first year. I exceeded it!” rejoices this entrepreneur, seduced by the values of solidarity microfranchising.
An article from the Franchise special issue of L’Express. On newsstands March 16, 2023.