Coaching aid

To make contacts, join the digital communities of entrepreneurs and then choose one of them. In the Brussels region, BECI represents the most extensive network of self-employed people and managers.

These communities will generate a ‘snowball effect’. Your contacts' contacts will become your contacts.

Afin d’assurer l’efficacité de vos démarches, prévoyez tous les supports utiles : profil linkedin, site internet actualisé, supports visuels de présentation,…

Get the tools you need: CRM systems, some of them very simple, allow you to really manage your relationships. History, cross-referencing of data, centres of interest, reminder periods, etc. It's almost impossible to do without them if you hope to be able to rely on a dynamic network.

The recovery period will be a good time to renew contacts with others. Make the most of it!

Links to specific social insurance fund pages

Partena,

Xerius

Securex

​Liantis

​Groupe S 

​Acerta

Avixi

Links to social and tax authorities

FPS Finance

NISSE

NSSO

NEO

Debts

Numerous observations and studies have shown that 20% of tasks are truly vital to the business, and that of these, only a minority have a real degree of urgency.

In other words, there is no shortage of urgent actions, but they are often of very relative importance. This is certainly evident in these times of crisis.

The word ‘urgent’ does not mean ‘important’, not by a long shot. What is ‘important’ is anything that allows us to ‘get to the point’, to achieve the objective and, for the moment, to survive. What is urgent is what needs to be done quickly without necessarily being vital.

First piece of advice for this period of crisis (and subsequent recovery):

Make a list of all the problems that arise;

Take the time to assess the importance of the problems in terms of the consequences they represent;

Tackle the most important problems straight away, those that appear to be vital;

List all the solutions in writing, then the ones that seem most accessible;

Ask for the opinion of advisers and people you trust, following your initial analysis;

Act now! Make it happen!

Change your schedule by keeping only the important tasks; get rid of all the minor points so that you can concentrate on the main ones.

Then redefine the priorities to be managed and the deadlines for the other tasks.

Many health insurance companies and professionals are taking initiatives that also deserve our applause.

Like the accountancy profession, which we also applaud loudly because they are currently working somewhat voluntarily, the psychologists are mobilising.

Previously reserved for professional burn-outs and carers of sick people, groups of psychologists are now being set up and will be accessible to anyone suffering from psychological distress.

For the benefit of both us and our customers, a number of psychologists have also joined forces on the www.psysolidaires.org platform to offer free individual online sessions to anyone - employee, entrepreneur, shopkeeper, etc. - who are suffering from this socially and economically difficult measure.

The Centra voor Algemeen Welzijnswerk continue to offer their services to victims of domestic violence, including ongoing support, by telephone, chat and email. Those affected can find information in 22 languages about the help available and the helplines at www.we-acces.eu and www.luisterendeoren.be .

To help you rethink your business, there is an effective tool: the Business Model Canvas.

This tool helps you map out the key elements of your business and organises them into a coherent whole (find out more here ).

• Column 1: my customers. More than ever, put them at the centre of your concerns. Focus on their problems and needs. Adapt to them and don't expect them to adapt to you. Concentrate on the segments to which you can bring the most value.
• Column 2: customer relations. This is the time to optimise your customer relations. Keep your customers informed, share with them. You can't deliver your products/services to them, but you can always tell them that they matter. They'll remember that once the crisis is over.
• Column 3: distribution channels. It's time to go digital! Are you a consultant? Automate your appointment system and offer free initial consultations on Zoom. Share your expertise via an e-book or webinars. Do you sell products? Now is the time to make e-commerce part of your business. There are plenty of platforms that are easy to integrate.
• Column 4: value proposition. Adapt to the situation: deliver your services at different times to meet your customers' needs? How fast? Solidarity?
• Columns 5-6-7: activity, resources & key partners. This is also the time to prioritise. Focus, concentrate on what has an impact, combine resources, develop partnerships that enable you to meet customers' needs together, eliminate redundant activities and costs, etc.

Some useful tips

• Don't get lost in long speeches, the BMC tool is designed to structure your project through ideas/key words. Use one post-it note per idea. You can use different colours to distinguish the business as it is from the business as you see it.
• Once you've finalised it, try it out with other entrepreneurs to get an outside view. Beci has the experience and expertise to help you do this!

There are various tools available (free or not) online to familiarise you with the method. Example given: Tuzzit.

Have you faced major difficulties, been dismissed or gone out of business? Are you ready to start again? Then you're a RE starter: a starter who has the luxury of experience, but who must remain vigilant like any other starter.

Here's some useful advice:

• Don't drag around the baggage of the past. If you want to get back on your feet, first of all you need to have come to terms with your past and understood the reasons for your failure. You also need to master the administrative and legal aspects of your past situation. This is the prerequisite for building on sound and solid foundations.

funded by the Chamber of Commerce and the Brussels Region, which supports entrepreneurs who have experienced a business ‘failure’ (bankruptcy, liquidation, cessation). Welcome, grow, recover. It aims to help entrepreneurs deal with a triple trauma (family, professional and financial) by first helping them to understand and accept and then to define a new professional project (employee or entrepreneur).

• Define a project that reflects your image. Define a project that is realistic and in line with your resources (tangible and intangible). What are my ambitions and what are my resources? Do you want to launch yourself as a freelancer? Setting up a small business or a company with the potential to grow, go international or become a franchisee? There are various options open to you, so be clear and adapt your strategy according to your choice.
• Choosing the right formula. Start your own business with less risk thanks to structures that allow you to test and maintain your social rights (​ Smart , Job Yourself , etc.), get free support from the LEO ( Local Economy Office), or opt for a qualified network with Beci (Chamber of Commerce) and  its Starter programme . Starting out as a complementary self-employed person to reduce the risks, starting out as a self-employed person or in the form of a company? Find out more about the possibilities, risks, benefits and costs of the different options.
• Surround yourself with people: surround yourself with other entrepreneurs: compare notes, exchange ideas, share your network and good ideas. Surround yourself with qualified experts: accountants, tax specialists, lawyers, etc. As you know, the road ahead will be full of obstacles, so make sure you are surrounded from the start.
• Focus on the market: A significant proportion of start-ups fail because their product/service does not correspond to a market need. Adopt a Lean Start Up methodology. Aim small, confront the market rapidly, hear what it has to say, adapt, seize opportunities and pivot quickly.
• Doing business yesterday is not the same as doing business today. Think digital, think green. The world is moving, the world is changing, so keep up with the reality in which you are evolving. The BCR is investing massively in the circular economy, so pay attention; digital offers many opportunities, so be conscious of them.