Start the international entrepreneurial adventure

To establish or to export? To distribute with one or more partners? Experts agree: the prerequisite is to have a certain base in the local market first. Antoine Cauchon insists on self-assessing before spreading one's wings: knowing one's capacities, strengths and weaknesses. It is then necessary to be structured, and above all, well supported.

There is a wide range of partners to surround yourself with: financial institutions, the network of regional export promotion organizations ( ORPEX ), Export Development Canada (EDC), the Business Development Bank of Canada, Investissement Québec. Not to mention the trade representatives in Quebec embassies and delegations abroad who can activate their local networks and help you get through the administrative layers.

The facilitator recalls from experience that for each market, it is about finding the right fit for its products. The approaches are different depending on the geography: it requires a particular sensitivity to customs and traditions, knowing the regulations, the different markets and adjusting its strategies. Laurent Surrusca concludes that the commercial mission comes after all these steps to explore the market and validate its proposal.

Round table

International: the pitfalls to avoid – March 15, 2021

Moderator: Julien Tougeron (Business France)

Panelists: Antoine Cauchon (Laval University Trade Missions)

Julian Lucchesi (Centech)

Laurent Surrusca (International Support, Desjardins)

Green economy: opportunities for businesses

Did you know that the Orkney Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Scotland, were 100% energy self-sufficient? Patrick Goulet is optimistic, he sees a boom in self-sufficient installations. Quebec has strong potential: it is the only one in the world to produce renewable electricity. Anne-Josée Laquerre, from the think tank Québec net positive , wants to position Quebec as an accelerator of the low-carbon economy and strengthen our leadership in this area. According to all the stakeholders, the economic recovery will be closely linked to environmental issues. Nicolas Gagnon from the Conseil québécois en développement durable talks about the major trend in responsible procurement and Ms. Laquerre assures that “the linear economy that we know is moving towards eco-circularity and the reuse of materials.”

The Green Economy Plan (PEV 2030) launched by the Quebec government in November 2020 is an opportunity for businesses to make the shift towards a sustainable and resilient economy. Renaud Gignac emphasizes that businesses will have to include impact scenarios in their strategies. He also talks about the capital that will be available to develop new technologies, new projects and new markets to seize (see the Écoleader Fund in particular).

Electrification plays a major role in the PEV, particularly for transport, as does the development of clean technologies and low-carbon infrastructure.

Several transition trajectories are possible depending on the sectors. The promising sectors are those of technological innovation, energy (solar, biomass, wind, tidal power, biomethanization and biofuels), waste management and recycling, as well as sustainable agricultural production.

Round table

The green economy: underlying trends, sectors, challenges and opportunities – March 15

Animation: Éric Ferland (Ecosphère Group)

Panelists: Renaud Gignac (Canadian Institute for Climate Choices)

Nicolas Gagnon (Quebec Center for Sustainable Development)

Patrick Goulet (Solar Energy Quebec)

Anne-Josée Laquerre (Quebec Net Positive)

Sometimes it's better to start again!

“When you take over a business, you enter the existing culture. It’s a bit like entering someone else’s house without necessarily knowing them.” These are the words with which Dominique Brown, president of Chocolats Favoris, illustrated one of the fundamental differences between taking over and becoming an entrepreneur. The businessman admitted that he had to overcome many challenges when he took over the Quebec City company founded in 1979. “Changing the corporate culture, to this day, is the only thing I haven’t been able to accelerate,” he said. His advice for getting on a bandwagon that’s already moving without breaking your teeth too much? Find your bearings. First, understand the finances and then know how to surround yourself well.

"Taking over a business feels like entering a hive where everyone knows what to do except you. These benchmarks allow you to work on something tangible and eventually make the changes and growth you want."

More than 15,000 executives want to transfer their business according to the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions , conducted at the beginning of the pandemic fall by Statistics Canada, noted Vincent Lecorne, CEO. An unprecedented acceleration has also been observed in recent weeks at the center. With the aging of the population, 50,000 businesses are at risk of disappearing in the coming years if we do not take more interest in takeovers, he warns.

According to Jessica Grenier, president of the Oria agency, formalized entrepreneurship education is still lacking in Quebec. “We need to replicate the recipe from the 2000s to mobilize Quebec toward an entrepreneurial culture. Let’s now focus on entrepreneurship as a possibility for doing business. We need to talk about it, open up the field of possibilities and show different models.”

“Because starting a business is good! Sometimes starting a new business is better!” concluded Mr. Lecorne.

Resources: CTEQ

Book: Generation of buyers (2020)

EE-MAX

Transfer and takeover: what’s next? – March 17

Animation: Charles-André Morel, CTEQ

Guest: Dominique Brown, Chocolats Favoris

Panelists: Jessica Grenier (ORIA Agency)

Vincent Lecorne (Quebec Business Transfer Center)

Richard Quinn (Desjardins Movement)

Carrying a dream: from solo to many

How do you go from solopreneurship to entrepreneurship? This fundamental question was addressed during a panel hosted by Sophie Dudot of Futurpreneur. Solopreneurship is not a second-rate entrepreneur, but rather a stage through which most entrepreneurs go, the guests wanted to remind us from the outset.

The best tools according to the guests? Understanding your purpose (with Simon Senek's Golden Circle , for example). Using a mentor or coach to develop yourself personally and help you move forward. Networking and involving peers (people in the field, customers, ecosystem, etc.). And thirdly, finances, which are the crux of the matter.

At the beginning, there is always a slightly idealistic person who believes in their dream, recalled with great humor Marilyne Marti of Talents M. And at a certain point, the project becomes bigger than oneself and becomes a movement. "The first fan, you have to take good care of them, she insisted. They can be the first customer or the first employee, but they are the ones who will see in us this inspiring leader and this entrepreneur."

You need to plan for the eventual hiring of staff, recommended Kimberly Guillaume-Kacou of MTL Market, whose dresses have been worn by celebrities. “Don’t wait like me until you have too many customers and can no longer meet demand. Plan for the time when you will need to hire collaborators or employees, even if it means taking them on part-time at first.”

Resource: futurpreneur.ca/en/get-started/side-hustle/

Round table

From solopreneurship (or self-employment) to entrepreneurship or how to create even more impact in the service of your personal vision? – March 19

Animation: Sophie Dudot (Futurpreneur)

Panelists: Laura Ducharme (Maïkana)

Pierre-Luc Thivierge (Collab Machine)

Maryline Marti (M talents)

Kimberly Guillaume-Kacou (MTL Market)