In the French region of Centre-Val de Loire, the Indre Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports business creators and buyers to ensure the sustainability of their projects. A profitable development strategy for the local economic area.
In France, a project to sustain businesses is one of the keys to local development
- 16 January 2020
The creation-acquisition of a business is of real added value economically and socially, as it contributes to the preservation and development of activities in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is an essential component of regional planning and neighbourhood initiatives, as well as also playing a real role in social mobility by creating employment. The project is a success as jobs have been created or secured and the number of entrepreneurs has stabilised.
To maintain and develop the economic and social network of the department of Indre, a very rural area, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry has set up a project to support creators and buyers of businesses. This results in a greater sustainability of business owners, fewer business write-offs, safeguarding of employment and the acquisition or creation of businesses by players from outside the area.
Tailor-made support
As of 1 January 2017, there were 8,800 artisan, commercial, industrial and service companies in the area targeted by the project. With 1,231 or 14% of them being registered in the Trade and Companies Register as newly created or taken over in 2016. Today there are 200 more.
To be effective, the creation-acquisition of a business must offer a good response to the market, real integration in the area and be able to remunerate its director. One of the keys to its success has therefore been for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry to set up tailor-made support for business creators, buyers and sellers from experienced advisers. The business has been reviewed, offers have been posted on the Transentreprise portal and a network of professionals specialising in transfers has helped bring together buyers and sellers.
A solid economic model
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also designed events, such as an annual forum dedicated to the creation, acquisition and transfer of businesses, which brought together nearly 300 project leaders and 100 professionals. Collective workshops were also organised, as well as individual meetings, to allow project leaders to approve a strong and coherent economic model.
Since the project began in 2009, some 400 jobs have been created or secured in the local economic area. Support and training are aimed at men and women from diverse backgrounds and the region comes out a winner thanks to the creation and development of new commercial, industrial and service activities. The project thus had the effect of enhancing the attractiveness of a rural area.
Total investment and European funding
Total investment for the ‘Support for the creation-acquisition-transfer of businesses in Indre’ is EUR 104 669; the European Regional Development Fund contribution amounts to EUR 20 934 under the ‘Operational Programme for the Centre-Val de Loire region’ cooperation programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority of ‘Competitiveness of Businesses and Entrepreneurship’.