The Initiative Réunion support network for business creators marked its 30th anniversary last May by holding its annual general meeting in the presence of Guillaume Pepy, the former president of SNCF who presides over the destiny of Initiative France, the national network. Strong support also to launch discussions with the Réunion Region with a view to increasing its financing resources.
“Following the passage of M. Guillaume Pepy, and the different meetings held, particularly with the regional president, Ms. Huguette Bello, we are currently working with the services of the Region, in order to be able to re-endow the association’s honorary loan fund, to be able to strengthen our capacity for commitment and respond even more to the needs of Reunion entrepreneurs”, declares Dominique Sery, director of operations at Initiative Réunion. Business creation is on the rise, in Reunion as elsewhere, and the 30-year mark was the opportunity, for Initiative Meeting, to recall his role in this continually growing movement. Born in 1992, formerly “Entreprendre Meeting”, Initiative Réunion is one of the 207 independent associations that have, since, formed into a national network (mainland and overseas territories) pour former Initiative France. A way to give more weight and effectiveness to their action by taking advantage of their mutual experiences. This network has today become one of the main support systems for business creation in France and, More precisely, in each region.
The search for a snowball effect
As the numbers show (see box), the Reunion association is not left out. However, the spirit of the beginnings, that is to say also the voluntary mobilization of practicing entrepreneurs to support projects, has not changed. The president of Initiative Réunion, Jacques Guillamot, former director of the Macoré group and the Caillé group, now retired, wanted to emphasize this : “We have not varied in our reason for being : helping project leaders create their business. We accompany them, from the preparation of the file upstream to the management advice downstream, and we finance them by granting a personal honorary loan which allows you to build up the equity necessary to borrow from a bank and benefit from other aid. It’s the snowball effect. » Some 3,500 companies have benefited from this system in 30 years (320 in 2021). The five-year sustainability rate of projects, almost 90%, shows that the volunteer business leaders making up the Réunion Initiative loan committee were generally right. The number of jobs, maintenance or creation, attached to this action is estimated at 6,300. Initiative Réunion also runs specialized support programs to support women's business creation. (Live my life as an entrepreneur, Pop-Up « 0 » Feminine, Activity Carrier Challenge), young people, job seekers (The Entrepreneurship Factory, The Boutique on trial), by favoring priority neighborhoods.
The ambition to support 1,000 project leaders
“We would have done more with more funding” said Jacques Guillamot during this anniversary.. This is the goal now : do more. The proven formula, Initiative Réunion wishes to gain momentum and be able to support a thousand project leaders this year. The money for honorary loans comes mainly from the Réunion region., manager of the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). This is not a grant, but a provision of funds. Loaned to project leaders, this money is constantly being repaid – 88% reimbursement rate -, to be reinvested in other projects. With this loop, the bottom continues. Initiative Réunion has been operating the same fund since 2013, losses being limited to repayment defaults. On the principle of financing, no change, but to achieve his new goal, the association needs more resources. For this purpose, Guillaume Pepy recommends an annual addition to the honorary loan fund rather than a single payment. This is the subject of ongoing discussions with the Réunion Region..
A human adventure
Beyond the numbers, Initiative Réunion’s commitment alongside project leaders bears witness to a human adventure. For its 30 years, Initiative Réunion had invited two young entrepreneurs whose success is also a source of pride. Construction engineer, Jacques Christophe Abott founded the start-up Feelbat. Specialized in the detection of cracks and movements in building structures or floors, Feelbat designed a new type of ultra-sensitive electronic sensors and mechanical gauges connected to an app. More precise and easy to use, This equipment allows real-time identification and monitoring of anomalies from a smartphone. High-precision Feelbat sensors monitor the rampart of Piton Maïdo weakened by fires. “I do what I always wanted” confides Jacques Christophe Abott, to which Initiative Réunion granted a loan of 25,000 euros to get started. “Already very young, I wanted to be a business manager”, echoes Ludovic Chan Thu, founder of Electricité Câblage Océan indian, specialized in the installation and after-sales service of optical fiber, and computer and electric vehicle charging cabling. Having started alone with the help of an apprentice in 2017, Ludovic Chan Thu currently employs 25 people, with a turnover of 1,5 million euros in 2021. Initial assistance from Initiative Réunion, 15 000 euros, served as his first springboard.
INITIATIVE MEETING IN 2021
•Five reception locations spread across the entire territory.
•19 employees and more than 70 volunteer experts.
•918 entrepreneurs were able to create, to resume, develop or save their business last year thanks to the support of Initiative Réunion.
•On average, one euro of honorary loan generates 3,1 euro bank loan. In 2021, 4,3 million euros leveraged 13,6 million bank loans.
•36% of business projects are led by women.
•23% of entrepreneurs are under 30 years old.
•52% of entrepreneurs financed and supported were unemployed at the time of the creation request.
INITIATIVE FRANCE IN 2021
•61,532 project leaders welcomed and guided.
•29,261 entrepreneurs supported and financed.
•37,351 new jobs created.
•178 million euros in honorary loans.
•1,79 billion euros in bank loans in addition to honorary loans.
