Timees, a café and coworking space created by Hamza Gharbaoui (EDHEC 2015)

Hamza Gharbaoui (MSc Corporate Finance 2015) is the founder of Timees Café & Coworking. The idea behind this business is to provide a service that combines a traditional cafe with a coworking space that serves as the ideal location to meet up and share information or some refreshments! 

Tell us about your project. How did it come about?

After acquiring some experience in corporate finance and investor relations in the real estate sector, Timees Café & Coworking came about from a desire to provide a new service offer midway between the traditional cafe and a coworking space as a way of contributing to the development of the city of the future.

I wanted to kill two birds with one stone, that is to say, bring the concept of coworking to the general public and make it accessible to all without the need for reservations, but also provide an opportunity for customers who simply want to sample some of our drinks and make the most of the space available over a cup of coffee (for the price of the drink).

We also wanted to stand out by offering a special Brazilian coffee put together in collaboration with Terres de Café exclusively for Timees and which we also make available for sale in sachets.  

And so our drinks can be purchased to take away and will soon be available by delivery through one of our partners.

My ambition is to make Timees the Starbucks of coworking (but with our own special coffee.

What drives your motivation in this entrepreneurial adventure?

Meeting a highly diverse and dynamic clientele every day is a real source of motivation. Whether coffee lovers, entrepreneurs, students or businesses, my objective is to make Timees Café & Coworking an attractive space for sharing and meeting with others.

How has your experience at EDHEC OR with the network of edhec graduates helped you achieve this project? 

EDHEC allowed me to benefit from a foundation of finance & business knowledge that has been invaluable to me, both in my previous career experiences and as an entrepreneur, including everything from strategic diligence to the business plan phase and from project management to the final rollout. Launching Timees was the fruit of 18 months’ hard work, and this is only the beginning!

Many of my closest friends are themselves EDHEC graduates, mostly working in consultancy and corporate banking. They have been with me throughout this process, and I would like to offer them my warmest thanks for their support and kindness.

What is your initial assessment of this entrepreneurial adventure? What advice do you have for others from EDHEC looking to become entrepreneurs?

Entrepreneurship is never easy. You have to anticipate and be proactive, have a 360° vision of your business and be ready to accept and adapt to every possible scenario (even those you didn’t foresee).

One lesson I have learned is that you can’t do everything alone. It’s essential to surround yourself with the right people and do so quickly. You also have to choose your battles wisely and be able to prioritise.

The one piece of advice I would have for others from EDHEC looking to become entrepreneurs, regardless of the sector, is this: planning is all very well, but following through is even better! 

What’s NeXT for your business? What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates?

The aim is to become the reference for cafe & coworking spaces in the central business district in Paris in the next 3 years and in the business districts of other major French cities in the next 6 years. But first we have objectives to achieve in terms of our margins and profitability. 

Medium-term growth will mainly be achieved with bank loans so we can benefit from current favourable rates. Fundraising will probably be a more long-term endeavour with long-term investors who share our vision of the business.

More info about your business 

Website 
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37 rue de Rome
75008 Paris