BoumTAC

The Lack of Support for Entrepreneurs: A Barrier to Innovation

Published on March 26, 2025

In French society, I observe a phenomenon that deeply concerns me: the lack of support for entrepreneurs in our circle. This reality, often invisible, can nevertheless have disastrous consequences on their chances of success.

A Culture of Support to Develop

I've always been fascinated by this image, perhaps idealized, of Americans celebrating a friend's business launch, buying their products and sharing in their adventure. Whether faithful to American reality or not, this culture of entrepreneurial support is sorely lacking in France.

Circulating one's money in projects we believe in isn't just an economic act—it's a vote of confidence that can change everything for an entrepreneur.

Concrete Examples of This Lack of Support

In my circle, two situations perfectly illustrate this problem.

A friend who's an actor at Grenier de Toulouse experiences this indifference. Among our group of mutual friends, only one person came to see him once, never returning. Yet he had loved the play. This is not only hurtful but also a missed opportunity to share an original evening and support him, especially since he could get us in for free.

If all his friends came regularly, that would represent a hundred additional spectators per year. And since people generally don't go to the theater alone, the impact would be multiplied. Some, satisfied, would talk about it to others, creating a domino effect capable of radically transforming his career trajectory.

My second example concerns a restaurateur friend. Despite a magnificent establishment in the city center and excellent cuisine, only three friends, including myself, came regularly. This is incomprehensible when you know these same people eat at restaurants several times a week. Why not choose a friend's restaurant, where you eat well while supporting them?

I'm not the only one who thinks this. Arnaud Bertrand, founder of HouseTrip, wrote a long article on this subject.

He had created an Airbnb competitor in Europe one year before Airbnb's creation. No European media took him seriously: they criticized his project which, according to them, made no sense. When Airbnb arrived a year later, American media gave it massive promotion. Upon its arrival in Europe, European media followed suit. Arnaud then went back to see these same European media who had initially ignored him, but this time, they treated him as a mere copycat.

Today, HouseTrip no longer exists and Airbnb has become the undisputed market leader. If European media had supported him at the time, history would surely have been different.

The Perverse Effects of This Absence

This lack of support creates a particularly cruel vicious cycle. For my friend's restaurant, I often observed this phenomenon: passersby seeing an empty establishment hesitated to enter, assuming the quality was mediocre. Conversely, as soon as I settled in, other customers dared to walk through the door.

Each passerby who doesn't stop represents lost covers, clients who won't talk about the restaurant, and ultimately, hundreds of euros that could have prevented bankruptcy.

A Collective Loss

This mentality is detrimental at all levels. Some entrepreneurs have excellent initiatives that deserve to prosper. On the scale of a country like France, this is a considerable loss for the economy, culture, society, and our nation's future.

In a parallel world, how many exceptional careers could have emerged if they had benefited from the simple support of their circle?

A Call to Action

It's time to change our relationship with entrepreneurship and develop a true culture of support. Let's support our friends who dare to start businesses; let's go see their shows, eat at their restaurants, buy their products, and talk about them around us.

This isn't just a gesture of friendship—it's an investment in our economic and social fabric. Because ultimately, the success of an entrepreneur near us enriches our entire community.