Report: Cécile Balavoine / Photos: Ludovic Maisant
Alexandre Vendé, founder of "New York in French".
A city where experimentation is commonplace
How did the "New York en français" agency come into being? Alexandre Vendé - It all started with a blog, in 2008, following a trip. I had a lot of trouble finding information and good tips. A few months later, I had the idea of launching the Bons Plans Voyage New York website (www.bons-plans-voyage-new-york.com), which quickly became a success. So in 2013, I left my job as a teacher to devote myself full-time to this activity. I created a paper guide (GO New York, published by Editions...
Report: Cécile Balavoine / Photos: Ludovic Maisant
Alexandre Vendé, founder of "New York in French".
A city where experimentation is commonplace
How did the "New York en français" agency come into being? Alexandre Vendé - It all started with a blog, in 2008, following a trip. I had a lot of trouble finding information and good tips. A few months later, I had the idea of launching the Bons Plans Voyage New York website (www.bons-plans-voyage-new-york.com), which quickly became a success. So in 2013, I left my job as a teacher to devote myself full-time to this activity. I created a paper guide (GO New York, published by Editions Nomades) in 2015 to introduce French speakers to another New York and to extend the blog experience in the field. Not only were there very few French guides on offer, but my idea was to help people discover the city off the beaten track. And so New York en français was born, an agency offering personalised tours. In 2017, I had over two million visitors to my blog.
Has being an e-entrepreneur made it easier for you to set up your business? A. V. - Yes, of course. I wouldn't have invested in this project myself. Everything developed as we went along. New York is a city where experimentation is commonplace, where entrepreneurs don't hesitate to test ideas. I run my company without any investors, and with sales topping the million mark in 2017, I think that proves me right!
Would you have any advice for young entrepreneurs looking to set up in New York? A. V. - Launching a business today knows no boundaries. Even though I'm based in Bordeaux, I really feel like I'm on the spot, in New York. To set up a business, you need to know the market inside out. And above all, you have to work long hours!
Rebecca Lima, director and founder of The Lieu, new spaces for women's beauty
How did you come up with the idea of developing "The Lieu"? Rebecca Lima The idea came from a personal need: as a woman and business owner, living in Queens and commuting to Manhattan every day, I had to carry several bags with me to put on make-up, change clothes and do my hair before an important meeting. I thought to myself that a lot of women must have the same problem, having to get ready in public toilets, and that it was ridiculous. That's how The Lieu was born: welcoming, safe and practical places for women to give themselves a makeover. Our spaces are self-service and equipped with changing rooms, hairdryers, steam irons and other necessities.
How do you find your spaces? : In New York, rents are unaffordable, especially commercial rents. So we create partnerships with offices or co-working spaces to use their underused but beautiful nooks and crannies. Our spaces are completely modular, but stylish, and we work with the owners to maximise the space.
How do you see the rest of the adventure? R.L. Our customers are women who commute to Manhattan from one of the four boroughs about five to seven times a week, and who carry one or two bags with them so they can change. We hope that more and more of them will use our services, and also in other cities, as we are thinking of setting up in San Francisco, Boston and Tokyo, as well as London and Paris. Our vision for The Lieu is to change the way women think about changing their clothes and getting a makeover during the day.
www.thelieu.com
