The hardest part of "starting a business" is not so much the entrepreneurship itself, but the act of "getting started," which is the most difficult.

We tend to think that starting a business is beyond our reach because it involves sacrifices, and a financial and/or moral burden that is too heavy. We especially think we don't have all the necessary skills and therefore feel illegitimate to take the plunge.

It's important to know that there are far more people with ideas, skills, money, or even time to start a business than we think. But there are far fewer people who dare to do so. Even if we are delighted to see more and more entrepreneurs trying their hand at it and succeeding wonderfully.

Before starting and creating Cahé, both Cathy and I went through all the questioning phases, and that's N.O.R.M.A.L. We each had a life and habits that can sometimes be difficult to break, however, we gave ourselves a chance because we believe more than anything in what we do. And today, we are happier than ever to see our project materialize day by day. So yes, we don't promise you full nights of sleep and days filled with glitter and roses, but we do promise you great pride and real personal growth! Here are, at our humble level, a few tips to help you:

No need to be rich to start a business!

First prejudice to debunk. You're not rolling in money? Good, neither are we! If you have an idea and believe in it wholeheartedly, you will succeed. There are many national, regional, and even departmental solutions to help you develop your project without needing a significant personal contribution at the outset.

Firstly, to get advice and avoid being alone in setting up your business, find out about incubators and possible support related to your sector of activity or your region. Secondly, also inquire about the aid and loans you can benefit from! You will get all the details on the following points.

There are many aids and loans in France

We are lucky in France; entrepreneurs have many opportunities to unlock funds. Depending on the domicile of your company or even the level of innovation of your project, you will be able to benefit from various loans and aids. Here is the link to the catalog offered by BPI, which lists all possible solutions. Don't hesitate to contact your regional representative, who will inform you about the aids and loans available for your project and will find with you all the solutions to help you in the development of your business.

Initiative France, the leading network of associations for financing and supporting business creators. It allows you to obtain an honor loan to help you in setting up your business. You are accompanied and advised until the committee meeting where you present your project. Rest assured, the committee members want to see if you believe in your project and if you are highly motivated to get started! They will base their decision solely on you as an entrepreneur. If you are under 30 and are a job seeker, you can benefit from the inclusion bonus, also offered by Initiative France (please note that criteria vary by region). If you are considering a bank loan, don't panic! The France Active guarantee can help you secure your bank loan for up to 65% of its amount. To do this, you contact a representative who will take care of you and explain all the steps to follow.

You don't have the skills? Surround yourself with others!

The good way for Cathy and myself was to join a specialized structure. This was actually the first thing we did before creating our company Cahé: searching for our ideal incubator.

Definition and benefits of an incubator

As a reminder, an incubator is a support structure for business creation projects. The benefits are numerous! It means being surrounded by experts who will guide you on subjects where you are least comfortable and help you develop your skills. Not to mention that you will also benefit from meetings within the structure. These could be entrepreneurs like you or people such as speakers, local elected officials, partners, etc. They will be delighted to cooperate with you in setting up your project. This is also a point to consider: networking is just as important for development!

Joining an incubator

To join this type of organization, you don't necessarily need to create your company, and you can still be at the idea stage. There are incubators all over each region. Some are specific to a sector of activity or a "category" of people, such as for women entrepreneurs, and others are more general. Take the time to research and compare. Contact them to discuss and select the one that best meets your needs in the short and medium term. Moreover, we have written an article dedicated to the subject of incubation; you can consult it right here: Our choice to be in incubation

Also, to strengthen your desire to start a business and take the plunge, you can follow a training course dedicated to entrepreneurship. For our part, when we were still at the idea stage of our project, we participated in, and we recommend it if you are a woman, the training Willa Possible. This one is paid, but it was a real boost! This can be a good way to overcome the famous imposter syndrome and regain self-confidence.

Last point, train yourself online! It's an inexhaustible source of resources! There are many free training videos. Not all of them are necessarily of good quality, but it might be worth watching.

Listen to your little inner voice

You know this little voice better than we do, the one that speaks to you at certain moments in your life and tells you: "Do it!" A sudden urge that seizes you in the morning and invites you to take that risk. At this point, you might be thinking: "Oh my, Hélène, that all sounds a bit cheesy." And yes, but it's true! You have an abstract idea and you feel that now is the time, that you need to take the plunge. So yes, listen to yourself! You have your idea and a small flame of motivation. Let it grow and talk about it around you. Talk to people who inspire you and push you forward. This can be a good way to build your confidence and challenge yourself. You'll see, a more concrete image of your project will then emerge.

If you fail, it's okay

No one is destined to drop everything, jump into the deep end, and succeed on the first try; asking questions and hitting brick walls (sometimes you have to speak bluntly) are also part of the process.

When we think of entrepreneurship, we picture the greatest successes in history: Apple, Amazon, Ali Express, Uber, etc. Yet not all business launches are necessarily successful. However, there have been attempts, and that is also part of the adventure. You tried, and you can be proud of yourself. For Cahé, we have no guarantee that everything will work out on the first try; our business might need to be reviewed, modified, or perhaps we'll have to start from scratch. But we have the chance and the possibility to do so. We will emerge stronger from this challenge, and we know that in the future, it will bring us a lot.

So, we hope this article helps you take the leap or simply ask yourself the right questions. If you want to follow our entrepreneurial adventure and get news from Cahé, you can subscribe to our newsletter right here.

To be continued in the next episode!

Hélène