150 business leaders from France, Belgium, Senegal, but also Italy, Tunisia and of course Morocco will meet on December 2 and 3 in Marrakech. A first organized by Réseau Entreprendre, an association which for more than 10 years has been helping young people to set up their business in around ten countries.
They have all succeeded in entrepreneurship. And they want to help young people to create the business of their dreams. They are volunteers and agree to spend part of their time supporting projects in which they believe. And it works. Initially launched in France, at the initiative of André Mulliez in 1986, Réseau Entreprendre brings together more than 15,000 business leaders who have enabled the creation of some 150,000 jobs, including more than 3,200 in Morocco, within 450 new companies.
The system put in place is simple and effective: young people who want to set up a start-up submit an application to the Réseau Entreprendre in their country. If their application is successful, they must take an essential step: convince the 9 to 11 bosses who make up the validation step and the commitment committee. They are judged on the interest and reliability of their project, of course, but also on their personality, their dynamism, their ability to convince.
And they then obtain a loan at zero interest, which can go up to 225,000 dirhams. But above all, they benefit from a guide, a confirmed business manager who will sponsor them, help them take their first steps. In particular, avoid isolation and help them in their reflection, their anticipation of problems. In return, the young startup leader undertakes to create between two and five jobs in 3 years.
And it works. In Morocco, for example, more than 40 million dirhams have been granted in honor loans since 2011 and 87% of the companies supported by Réseau Entreprendre Maroc are still in existence 3 years after their launch.
But in Morocco, the Network needs to continue its growth. As Mehdi Laraki, President of Réseau Entreprendre Maroc, points out, “many young people want to start their own business. The funding is there. What is more complicated is to convince more business leaders to participate in the adventure. But without them, nothing is possible.”
Admittedly, the Moroccan Network is well established, in Casablanca, Rabat, Agadir, Tangier, Marrakech (which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year) and the business leaders who play the game are now more 300. But this figure must increase significantly because the economic and social stakes are considerable. André Mulliez had this formula when creating Réseau Entreprendre: “To create jobs, let’s create employers.” The formula is more relevant than ever.
The colloquium of December 2 and 3 is therefore very important: this first international meeting is a unique opportunity to bring together members and laureates from different countries, which has never been done before. There is no doubt that many business leaders who are still reluctant to volunteer a little of their time will be won over by contact with all these young people whose enthusiasm, creativity and seriousness are an essential asset for the kingdom.
