SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP : Renaud Seligmann, EDHEC Master 2007 with Social Bar
Can you explain briefly how your company came about (team, origins and project originality)?
The Social Bar came about from an observation a friend and I made together: it’s very difficult nowadays to meet new people, to simply go up and talk to somebody you don’t know. Even in bars! So we thought we would provide a space in which we would cover almost every angle to allow our customers to approach other people. We thought long and hard and we found lots of ideas for social scenarios that work! For example, a stranger might offer to lower the price of your bill by playing a game of dice. Or invite you to join him in a challenge selected from the challenge box. Another feature of the Social Bar is that it is a social company which hands on 50% of its profits to associations that play a collaborative role, with 175 shareholders/bosses who invested in a crowdfunding platform. It’s a magnificent community with which to launch this kind of project.
What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure?
Extraordinary! It’s been successful so far. We won the Time Out competition for Parisians’ favourite bar. People come for the concept and it works: customers talk to one another, see each other again and form friendships. And you can have a great evening even if you come alone!
Have you ever benefited from the network of EDHEC graduates?
The friends I made at EDHEC were the first network I turned to. And I’ll soon be meeting with alumni who have already completed our next phase: the spin-off. I might even look for a mentor.
What advice do you have for new entrepreneurs?
To go for it, of course. Choose partners whose qualities complement your own. Get the support of a strong community if possible. Spend the time necessary to build it up and keep it active. And never forget your network, which is perhaps the entrepreneur’s most valuable asset.
What’s next for your company?
Set up more Social Bars, because that’s what people want! And so raise money. We’d also like to develop the option of hiring out the space, and we will soon be launching an offer to boost networking and sociability with other events like forums, cocktails soirées, corporate seminars, etc.
What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates?
Advice on fundraising and possible franchising. I also hope they will come and have a drink at the bar!
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