Les Antilopes, the Lyon association that lends a helping hand to entrepreneurs in difficulty

Closing the door when you are an entrepreneur is a traumatic step. To help you get through this difficult period, associations offer to support you.

Guillaume Bourdon experienced the horrors of compulsory liquidation. That of his first design agency, in 2012, which employed 10 employees. A very difficult experience, he says, marked by a feeling of shame and guilt. When he left the court, he had 10 days to find an apartment, no unemployment benefits, debts to repay and no one to support him. Since then, Guillaume Bourdon has rebuilt a business and, above all, he has decided to help those who are going through similar ordeals. In 2013, he created the Lyon branch of Second souffle, an association dedicated to entrepreneurs in difficulty. Today, it has become independent and is now called Les Antilopes.

This association offers free support to business leaders as early as possible in the legal proceedings, as soon as the first difficulties appear and before they get worse. “It is often complicated to make an entrepreneur accept that he needs help, that he is not a superhero, that he does not know how to do everythingunderlines Guillaume Bourdon. Three-quarters come to us too late, when the cessation procedure has already been initiated. In this case, the association guides them and, in some cases, physically accompanies them to the courtroom.” Between 3 and 5 appointments are offered, 180 volunteers, themselves business leaders, act in pairs with these entrepreneurs in distress. Sessions with psychologists, also free, are available. The objective is to break the isolation at all costs.

How many entrepreneurs has the association Les Antilopes helped in the Lyon region? The figures have been increasing for two years: 300 came through the door last year, and there should be 450 this year. An increase linked to the number of business failures.

According to internal statistics, 57% of the entrepreneurs who receive assistance manage to continue their business, 25% go into direct liquidation. The others benefit from longer support. They are on average 46 years old, have been in business for 6 years, have a turnover of 300,000 euros and employ 3 employees. The majority have completed higher education. According to Guillaume Bourdon, “They are exhausted by the series of crises in recent years: Covid, rising energy and raw material prices, the crisis in the real estate sector.” In the first half of the year, 30,000 bosses lost their jobs nationwide, according to the Altares firm. A figure up 18% compared to the same period last year.