With its various programmes in place, in the launch phase or in development, BECI intends to fully play its role in supporting entrepreneurs. But the chamber also wants to make a very concrete contribution to the structuring of a harmonious and efficient ‘starters’ ecosystem, integrating all the key players in Brussels.
MeDoFly, BECI's acceleration programme, led by Alain Heureux and implemented by Eric Vanden Bemden, is divided into three parts. The 'Me' part consists of a series of inspirational conference-meetings - scale up nights - with successful scalers. The 'Do' part offers support from experts in 10 key areas. Quarter after quarter, over a period of three years, the 'Fly' section works with companies to assess the progress they have made, giving them access to the resources of the BECI and Réseau Entreprendre Bruxelles networks.
Here we introduce you to the new participants. ‘This is the third cohort,’ explains Alain Heureux. ‘Enrolling a company at just the right moment in its development so that it can benefit as much as possible from our support remains a delicate exercise. The criteria for assessing a company's maturity and scalability vary from sector to sector. We want to be open to all types of business, whether high-tech or not’, he continues. ‘But we have already learnt a lot from previous editions. The average level of maturity is increasing. Our aim remains to support ambitious start-ups who want to reach the next stage in their development, or SMEs that have been stagnating for some time’.
Of the 17 cases taken on since the launch of MeDoFly, 15 are still active, 5 of which are really taking off,’ explains the expert, who has no intention of stopping there. He is already working on a 4th cohort. He has also undertaken to periodically sit all the players in the Brussels support ecosystem around the same table, from BeAngels and BeCentral to Google, finance&invest.brussels, Agoria, Unizo, start it @KBC and a dozen others, including incubators. ‘Each of these organisations receives a large number of applications which, by virtue of their own selection criteria, they cannot all respond to. The idea is to help each other and streamline exchanges between us so that the ecosystem works more harmoniously and in a more structured way, and so that each entrepreneur looking for support is directed to the best structure for his or her case’.
With BECI, Alain Heureux has also set up a support programme for new entrepreneurs. ‘Every month, 1,200 new businesses are registered by project owners. Some of them want to be ‘freelancers’ and are just looking to support themselves. But the others often have an entrepreneurial ambition to which we can make a useful contribution, if only to reduce the failure rate’. On 15 April, the Chamber launched its first 8-week ‘Starters’ programme. In collaboration with the EPFC (Enseignement de Promotion et de Formation Continue), and with the support of Becode, Odoo and others, it will provide project leaders with the essential notions of management (accounting, sales, marketing, etc.) and familiarise them with digital tools.
The head of Virtuology Academy goes on to talk about his involvement in the forthcoming creation of a community of players grouped around the theme of innovation, as part of BECI 3.0. He also talks about his plans for a community of ‘white knights’, who will look into the possibility of providing financial support to ‘good’ companies undergoing judicial reorganisation procedures (JRP). It's a way of putting into practice a certain vision of supportive, local capitalism. But more on that later...
They joined MeDoFly...
MODS
· In a few words: MODS develops wooden modules that can be assembled to create the structure of a decor. These durable modules can then be easily dismantled without leaving any marks on the partitions. Initially sold or rented out to theatres, they have since found other uses in the event industry or for setting up ephemeral structures, such as entertainment stands, pop-up stores or office layouts.
· Why MeDoFly: 'MODS was previously housed in another company devoted more broadly to the processing and machining of wood, which was doing very well. We have now extracted the MODS activity and its internationally registered patents to make it an independent business and give it every chance of success. The project is tried and tested, the model easily replicable, and we now want to boost its marketing. We also want to bring all the activities we've been outsourcing in-house, by recruiting around fifty people over the next three years,’ explains Julien De Visscher, the company's founder.
· Initial feedback: ‘A 3-hour session per speciality is inevitably a bit short to develop a strategy and answer all the questions. Ideally, each participant should have 3 hours more of individual time. But the speakers are all relevant. I particularly liked the marketing and innovation modules.'
Good & Good
· In a few words: In 2022, on a sabbatical after a 30-year career in big business, Martine Bayens tried her hand at making kombucha, a non-alcoholic fermented fizzy drink. Encouraged by her friends and with the help of Nicolas Vandijck, she launched Mani Kombucha, the brand under which she markets 4 varieties made from an infusion of the finest green teas. She works with 5 wholesaler-distributors in Belgium and Luxembourg.
· Why MeDoFly: ‘Alain Heureux and Eric Vanden Bemden asked us to join the programme at an opportune moment. Even though we see ourselves as more of a start-up than a scale-up, we quickly became very successful and it was the right time to ask ourselves what we should keep and what we could still improve,’ says Martine Bayens.
· Initial feedback: ‘We really appreciated the marketing, strategy and financing modules. The tools really help to structure our thinking. The speakers we've met so far have studied the various cases in advance, which means that the relevant points can be addressed very quickly. Everyone in the group is interested in each other's cases. They too, with their very different backgrounds from ours, challenge us constructively.'
Resortecs
· In a few words: As a pioneer in textile recycling, Resortecs has developed sewing threads that melt under heat, as well as an industrial oven capable of disassembling garments made with these threads. This means that the components can be separated and reused. 50 of the world's leading textile brands are already working with Resortecs. Founded in 2017, the company now employs 18 people.
· Why MeDoFly: ‘Our technology is now mastered and validated. Our products have already been marketed in the form of ‘capsule’ collections and our team is in place. So we're in the scaling phase, with the aim of becoming the benchmark in this field in 6 or 7 years‘ time,’ says CFO Christophe Berlo. ‘The bulk of the work over the next few years will be downstream, where we need to work on developing a high-performance collection and recycling ecosystem to provide efficient access to materials.'
· Initial feedback: ‘We have already taken part in other international programmes. MeDoFly is more local, but fits in with our roots in Brussels. The experts we meet usefully remind us of advice we've already heard or confirm that we're on the right track, which is reassuring. The sessions also allow us to get out of our own bubble and compare notes with other entrepreneurs, which is always enriching.'
Limelight Production
· In a few words: After setting up in Lebanon in 2012, Bilal Lezeik is moving his company, Limelight Production, to Brussels in 2019. The aim is to find a more favourable environment and to be closer to its target clientele. The agency specialises in communications for NGOs and major international organisations such as UNICEF, Save the Children and the WHO. It has 3 permanent employees, but also works closely with a pool of 10 experts on a project-by-project basis.
· Why MeDoFly: ‘I heard about MeDoFly by word of mouth. Having secured a number of projects and stabilised our presence here, we're now looking for new sources of growth, particularly with organisations based in Belgium’, explains Bilal Lezeik, ’and that means adapting our business model and local knowledge, which I need support with. The networking aspect is also important to me.'
· Initial feedback: ‘So far, the programme has met my expectations, particularly the marketing and strategic innovation modules, as well as the innovation session, which could also be useful in our search for funding to grow.'
ARTAMIS
· In a few words: Founded in 2007, Bbuild is a general construction company specialising in small interior finishing projects, both BtoB and BtoC. The company covers all trades. It assigns a site manager to each job, who is responsible for liaising with the customer. It employs 25 people. Since its creation, it has grown at a rate of 20% a year.
· Why MeDoFly: ‘To ensure the company's significant growth, we need to put tools in place. Legal, sales, finance, marketing... an entrepreneur needs to be an expert in all these areas’, explains Stan Berg, founder and managing director.
· Initial feedback: ‘The programme allows you to expand your network, listen to experts and ask them questions. It's a great way to talk to other entrepreneurs. However, in a very down-to-earth way, I'd also like to learn how to ‘get your head out of the game’ and find very practical answers, for example through case studies.’
Find out more about our MeDoFly programme here.