Launch your business without risk through business cooperatives

An IT problem? NoprobZ! Adel and Gaëtan come to your door to solve it. Listening to them end each other’s sentences, provide the same answer at the same time, and feed off their mutual explanations, there is no doubt that these two entrepreneurs work as a complementary duo. Adel is the salesman, the go-getter with his head in the clouds. Gaëtan, the more reserved one, has his feet on the ground and is a bit of a perfectionist. They chose JobYourself to launch their adventure, minimise the risks, and check the viability of their project. For 18 months, while maintaining their unemployment benefits, they can work and invoice legally via the business cooperative.

What makes your services stand out on the market?

Adel: NoprobZ is a partnership between a web designer and a technician. Therefore, our service offer is fairly comprehensive in the web and computer troubleshooting sector. Mainly B-to-B, we have developed a "starter" offer. We offer our personalised services at customers' homes with great flexibility in terms of time. Coming to the customer’s doorstep means entering their world. The contact is friendlier in a climate of confidence. This approach is very different from a customer going to a shop.

Gaëtan: Finally, we are conscious of our impact on the environment: we travel around using electric vehicles, we prefer repairs, which is far from the usual "it will cost more to repair than to buy new" and we use a lot of reconditioned equipment.

How did you come up with the idea to launch your own project?

Adel: I have always been passionate about, and interested in, IT. Self-taught, after almost 20 years working in sales, I decided to enter this sector. Following an unsuccessful job search, I considered my own project. I had worked with Gaëtan previously. We got on well and when I saw him again eighteen months later, after having changed career path, this seemed like a sign that we should try the adventure together.

Gaëtan: I am trained in web design. As a side job, I carried out communication work for some customers. When I lost my job, I wanted to pursue this. When I found Adel, who was in the process of developing a project, the idea of us working together rather than alone seemed ideal.

How did you get started?

Gaëtan: The first step was to ask administrative questions of the information service at 1819. This is very practical because the phone response is immediate and the information is also sent by email.

Adel: The second was to structure our project and develop a business plan. To do this, we contacted a local one-stop business shop, which then referred us to JobYourself to test it in the real world.

You chose the security of a business cooperative for your launch. What do you think of the support from JobYourself?

Adel: We considered moving straight in to the test phase. But we went to JobYourself and the coaches suggested spending a few months on the preparation phase to perfect our pitch and our Business Model Canvas. In addition, group coaching has added dynamism and other perspectives to our project.

How would you sum it up in one word or phrase?

Gaëtan: Security! If we fail, the coaches help us analyse why and there are no negative financial consequences.

What is your current challenge?

Adel: Prospecting, finding customers and making a name for ourselves.

For you, being an entrepreneur means...?

Adel: freedom

Gaëtan: being able to pursue our passion; being able to work for ourselves.

More info?

Discover profiles of other entrepreneurs (FR) who have chosen to be supported by JobYourself.

Want to try out your project within a business cooperative? Take a look at www.jobyourself.be (FR)

Looking for an entrepreneur, service, product? Contact the entrepreneurs being tested at JobYourself via the entrepreneur directory (FR).

Contact Jobyourself: info@jyb.be - 02/256.20.74

Interview: Julie Lecomte, Communication manager at JobYourself