Setting up a start-up: advice and software selection
Today, entrepreneurship is a temptation for many talented people. Yet many fail. How can you be one of those who succeed? What do you need to know? How do you use BI (business intelligence)? Alone or with others, do you have an idea and do you want to become an entrepreneur? You're full of goodwill, but you sense that there are pitfalls ahead... How can you avoid them? And failing that, how can you prepare yourself to innovate while overcoming them? appvizer sheds light on how to succeed in the adventure of setting up your own business.
1/ French Tech: the ideal breeding ground for innovative businesses
Aware of the importance of digital technology to the country's growth and global competitiveness, the government has launched a programme you've probably heard of: French Tech. First under the aegis of Fleur Pellerin when she was Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, and then with Axelle Lemaire, the phenomenon has continued to grow ever since.
Cities have been invited to roll out and enhance their digital infrastructures, and have been given budget allocations to develop them in practical ways. Lyon, Toulouse, Montpellier, Nantes, Bordeaux and areas such as the Côte d'Azur, the Alps, Lorraine and Normandy have all been awarded the label.
What does this mean in practical terms for you as an entrepreneur? That the context is favourable! That many SMEs are emerging in these regions, buoyed by a favourable wind. And as success is not the result of a single initiative, but rather of a set of favourable conditions, this ecosystem is a good one for any young innovative company that's just starting out.
Find out more: what FrenchTech schemes are available to help you? Which events bring together the key players? "Networking is a must. Meeting entrepreneurs enriches your vision of the business, and teaches you about the market and new technologies. Get in touch with incubators, accelerators, etc. Take part in pitch competitions. You'll come out stronger and better for it.
2/ The pitch: the key to seducing young entrepreneurs
At the root of everything, there's the pitch. It's a brilliant and fearsome exercise. It involves explaining your project... in 3 minutes! A good test. It's a classic phase, but one that requires real preparation. The first few times, your speech will seem cluttered. The arguments pile up without relief. Gradually, you find the right shape, the guiding idea, until in just a few sentences you manage to set out a taut trajectory, with unstoppable logic, from the why to the how. This is where the Prezi presentation tool comes into its own: the links between cause and effect offer real nuance. So you're better able to put your approach into context. Its visual representation accompanies the message and makes it more powerful.
3/ A convincing business plan
Convincing is all the more important because you need to rally people around you to find associates, partners, early adopters and investment funds! While investors will be sensitive to your ability to seduce them with your idea, they will also be looking at your figures. As founder, how do you intend to find customers, generate orders and sales? How will you add value compared with existing players? In what order will you proceed, and what are your prospects for the short, medium and long term?
To answer such questions straightforwardly, there is only one tool: the business plan. This is where you detail your vision and the mechanics of your business model. The Montpellier Business Plan Classic tool helps you build your business plan. appvizer also provides three templates to help you:
4/ Fund-raising tools
Successfully raising funds is a sine qua non. On the one hand, business angels are investors, managers of large companies, who can decide to invest and support you... or not. Another phenomenon that has exploded in recent years is participative financing. This is known as love money. Peer-to-peer crowdfunding platforms are a huge success. As a company, you can also create your own fundraising interface with the dedicated Particeep software.
To find out more, click here:
5/ Open innovation, companies and start-ups
Companies also have the opportunity to interact within the dynamic ecosystem of start-ups. This is known as open innovation. An increasing number of companies are backing external projects, backing and supporting innovative initiatives:
- for the entrepreneur, with the partnership adding value,
- for the company, where a wind ofinnovation blows in.
Software tools such as Azendo can help you put in place the right project management to ensure the success of this type of approach.
6/ Business intelligence for better business management
For many start-ups, the analysis and visualisation of data enabled by BI means that the results obtained can be better interpreted. Monitoring your business in Excel can become tedious when you have to enter everything by hand. The vizzboard online tool saves you precious time: for example, you can import your data files and design your own dynamic dashboards. You share a precise dashboard with the people you choose (customers, partners or employees). You use dynamic indicators that you have defined in advance. The output is automatic: you can manage your data intuitively. All in all, this business intelligence tool gives you considerable productivity gains.
To find out more, click here:
The entrepreneurial adventure is a formidable journey, albeit fraught with pitfalls. That said, good preparation and in-depth knowledge of the ecosystem, combined with a choice of high-performance, specialised tools, are the best way to ensure that your project is a success.
Article translated from French