Can you explain briefly how your project came about (team, origins and originality)?
For me personally, I had long harboured the idea of opening my own firm. I didn’t know in which sector, I didn’t know with whom, I didn’t know for what purpose or with what money, but I knew I wanted to try my hand at entrepreneurship.
Then everything kicked off when I met the right person at the right time in March 2016: an idea emerged out of our combined inspiration from our travels in Asia, values we shared as we enjoyed some “good grub”, and above all the desire to create something together.
As soon as we realised that we wanted to work in the world of edibles, our obsession quickly focused on the hotdog. We were disappointed by what we had tasted all over Paris, so we decided to reinvent this icon of junk food and turn it into a gourmet product, establishing it as the right concept to satisfy a market segment and our clientele.
That’s how we came up with Monsieur Saucisse, a hotdog reinvented with high-quality products made using France’s finest artisan traditions, prepared with style on board small tricycles and carts with Gallic flair, and served with panache by a cohort of friendly young vendors! In September 2016, we started serving our first hotdogs, ready to listen to feedback from the street and modify our concept accordingly.
We have since specialised in organised events, whether major public events or private events held in-house. We have built a small fleet of tailor-made tricycles that allow us to set up anywhere, whether indoors or outdoors. And of course we continue to look for new cured meat products, bakeries and artisan French producers to offer a wide range of recipes and new flavours!
What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure?
As the end of our first year approaches, we are really happy with our results. From a business point of view, we have identified our clientele, understood our business model, tested our profitability, financed our growth with our own funds and got a wonderful small team up and running! From a personal point of view, it has been the most enriching experience of my life in terms of the people I’ve met and the things I’ve learnt ... as well as all the laughs!
Have you ever benefited from the EDHEC Alumni network?
No, not yet! :)
What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs?
I have three pieces of advice:
- don’t be afraid to launch your product (in the broadest sense) on the market: you start to progress once you test your ideas against the reality of the market
- don’t waste a single euro and be very careful with your costs/expenses. A penny saved is a penny earned, as my grandmother would say
- team up with the right person or people: with all of the setbacks we had to face this year, I never would have managed alone. It’s very hard to know in advance whether you can make it work with somebody, but it’s even harder to stay energetic and motivated when you have to face your difficulties all alone.
What’s next for your company?
During year 1 we understood our business model and generated some cash flow. The plan now for year 2 is to set up offices, recruit staff and make the right investments to develop our model as much as possible!
What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates (fundraising, looking for staff, partners, advice, etc.)?
There are so many ways you could help us! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@msaucisse), apply for a job if an adventure in a start-up working in the events sector is something that interests you, and of course call us if you (or your company) are organising an event and looking for a modern caterer to manage the food!
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