(EX Photo By Carsten Koall:Getty Images)
Sustainability & Environment

Microfranchise Solidaire, a new form of social entrepreneurship

2 November Nov 2015 1046 02 November 2015
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Launched by Adie, France’s pioneer microcredit organization, it is an innovative concept that uses the strength of the franchising model and puts it at the service of micro-entrepreneurship.

Microfranchise Solidaire (Social Microfranchise) is a new form of social entrepreneurship inspired to franchising. It aims to propose the creation of “turnkey” micro-businesses to people excluded from the job market, who have little or no professional qualification. It has been conceived by Adie, the pioneer microcredit organization in France.

Adie’s Microfranchise is one of the projects selected in the framework of La France s’engage: an initiative launched by François Hollande, President of the French Republic, that aims to facilitate the development of socially innovative initiatives that are carried out voluntarily by private subjects at the service of society’s new challenges.

Adie identifies and incubates projects of social microfranchise. Today, thanks to this innovative tool, Adie has created more than 100 lasting jobs. Microfranchisees are micro-entrepreneurs, whose initial investment is limited to 10,000 Euros, and who can be financed thanks to Adie’s microcredit. They can also benefit from the support of Adie for the creation of their activity.

Microfranchisees are part of a network that allows them to benefit from a brand's commercial methods, shared services, and training. This network of social microfranchise is made up of independent micro-entrepreneurs, who are trained and supported by the enterprise at the “head of the network”. This, in turn, provides them with shared services that they could not otherwise access themselves.

The objective is to create between 10 and 12 sustainable activities of social microfranchise, with the potential to create from 3000 to 5000 jobs over the next 10 years.

The association relies on an investment solidarity fund called “Adie Microfranchise Solidarie Investissement” (AMSI). This fund brings together engaged investors, and supports microfranchise activities through acquisition of a stake in the projects.

So far two activities have already been launched:

- Chaffeur & Go: a cooperative proposing a service of “driver without car”. It gives the opportunity to professional drivers to drive private individuals’ and company personnel’s cars, in situations where users can’t or don’t want to drive themselves. Often, this is the case with company managers who want to save time, or in cases of disability, loss of license, or age..

- La Microfranchise O2 Adie (LMFOA): this network proposes gardening services to private individuals. Developed in partnership with “O2 home services”, microfranchisees benefit from the O2 brand, which allows for the transmission of the technical and commercial expertise of the enterprise, as well as continuous assistance, and shared services to develop their business in an exclusive zone.

Cover photo: @ Carsten Koall/Getty Images