Solidarity Loan - Success Story
Simons Construct (Julien Simons)
With the help of an Solidarity Loan, Julien has set up his own construction company.
“The Solidarity Loan’s interest rate is most attractive! If I had not had access to the Solidarity Loan, I would have had to work as a salary-earner for several years in order to get the money I needed to start my own business. The Participation Fund has enabled me to start very quickly.”
Julien had initially wanted to become a physical education instructor. After doing arts at school, he therefore embarked upon a cycle of studies in that discipline but he stopped in the second year in order to reorientate himself into a field that he gave him enormous pleasure, that of construction. Julien very much wanted to set up his own business, but being signed on at the time with the CPAS, he had little or no access to any traditional bank credit. His father then advised to him to go to a mentoring structure in order to apply to the Participation Fund: “It was my father who told me about the mentoring structure. I went there, and there I learnt of the existence of the Solidarity Loan. This formula suited me perfectly because no personal capital contribution was required. I couldn’t have had a bank loan because I didn’t have any collateral. With the mentoring structure’s coach, we constituted my file.” Julien had prepared his file well and tells us on this subject: “As I had been a trainee for three years, I had already established contacts with suppliers. And with the mentoring structure, we did some market research.” A little later, Julien got his Solidarity Loan.
To people whose financial position is precarious, the Participation Fund proposes the Solidarity Loan.
Today, Julien is proud of his company, which he has christened Simons Construct. Thanks to a fixed interest rate of 4% and a period of 4 years, the Solidarity Loan offers its recipients, in addition to free professional support for 18 months, highly advantageous terms for a maximum credit amount of €12,000. Julien declares: “The Solidarity Loan’s interest rate is most attractive! If I had not had access to the Solidarity Loan, I would have had to work as a salary-earner for several years in order to get the money I needed to start my own business. The Participation Fund has enabled me to start very quickly.” And to ensure proper monitoring of the activities, the mentoring structure meets the recipients of the Solidarity Loan to draw up a quarterly report so that any possible weak points can be targeted and remedied. “The mentoring structure’s monitoring is very practical, especially at the administration and accountancy levels.” Julien carries out building work relating mainly to carcass work, masonry and finishing. He is proud to inform us that things are going well: “I’m very satisfied because my activities are going well. Most of my customers, nearly 90%, are private individuals and for the remainder, I’m involved in subcontracting for other companies on larger building sites. At present, I don’t yet know whether I’ll be taking on any staff, but if I were planning to expand my business, I would certainly turn to the Participation Fund once again.”
For any information on the services that Simons Construct offers, you can call Julien on 0473/22 88 32.
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