The start-up, founded 2012, has grown to have 18,000 visitors to its site each month, which accounts for two-thirds of sales, and has about 500 products listed which cater for homes and offices.
She began the Global MBA at ESSEC Business School earlier this year and says she has benefited from the diverse student cohort as well as interactions with successful alumni-entrepreneurs.
She plans to open a second showroom and expand her product range, and broaden its focus to include children’s furniture.
Why did you decide to begin an MBA at ESSEC Business School, and when will you finish the program?
I worked for EDF since 2008 as a civil engineer. My last project was the construction of a new nuclear power plant reactor in France. From 2012, parallel to my position at EDF, during my time off, I developed a business with my husband.
In 2013, I decided to change my career path because I feel that, although I was passionate about civil engineering, I really wanted to work on my own projects and my own ideas.
But I understood that our business had weak points and I lacked some essential skills. Our strategy, and marketing and communication plans, were not strong enough.
So an MBA program was [an] obvious [choice] for me, as it offered a high-level education and allowed me to enter a network. The Global MBA at ESSEC helps me to have a good understanding of the overall business.
The Global MBA lasts 12 months, but as I got pregnant just before the beginning, my education was re-arranged to last 24 months.
How did you come up with the idea for MyCreationDesign.com?
My husband and I have always been passionate about home decoration. We started to think about setting up a business years ago. We founded the company in 2012.
At the beginning we decided to [trade from] an e-commerce [platform]. We opened the e-commerce store in December 2012, after three months of preparation.
How was the company funded?
We started with our own capital, which came from previous family businesses.
How many online users do you have?
We have around 600 visitors per day; around 18,000 per month.
Do you have mobile access?
No. It is our plan to develop this access.
What percentage of your sales are from the showroom and what percentage are from the online store?
It is hard to say because a lot of customers see the products online, and then buy them in the showroom. Or it could be the contrary. I can estimate that two-thirds come from the website and one-third from the showroom.
Your MBA program was geared towards global business. Do you plan to expand into international markets?
MyCreationDesign.com is a French website and we sell to the French market only. We plan to sell to Belgium and Switzerland from next year.
But our products come from all over the world – China, Taiwan and [other] European countries.
Students in the MBA class come from all over the world, which is a big advantage. I enjoy really sharing my experiences with them and learning from their backgrounds or their different visions of business. The variety of the students is a real wealth and is as valuable as the classes taught.
Paris is seen as hub for design and fashion. Have you been able to leverage your store's location?
Our clients are mostly Parisian, from 30 to 55 years old, with a high level of education. They like our products because they have a unique design, small prices and are perfectly designed for smaller interiors.
Many successful entrepreneurs say an MBA isn't necessary. Do you feel it prepared you well for start-up business?
I have been on this MBA program since September and I already feel more prepared for running a start-up business.
It helps me to be an employer. For example, we have studied management in class. Through the different and diversified case studies, I [now] understand what successful HR [human resources] policies are, what the needs of the employees are in general, and how you can match these needs to the employer’s needs.
Working on leadership also helps me to understand entrepreneurship and how you can transmit it to your team. The global MBA focuses, from the first day, on improving your leadership.
Indeed, in the beginning of the program we went to a three day military boot camp. We did a lot of team exercises to develop our leadership skills in a difficult atmosphere. Not only did the camp help you to develop your decision making skills, but working in team also creates strong links between students.
The Global MBA program also focuses on finance, which helps me to understand the needs of investors.
Finally, the strategy class is very interesting for me. Through the case studies, it helps me to understand how to create value in a ccompany, and to develop analytical excellence, problem-solving skills, and conceptual clarity.
I now better understand what the competitive advantage of a company is, and I apply what I learn to my own company to assess our strengths and weaknesses.
Any there any other ways in which the MBA has benefited you?
ESSEC Business School regularly organizes events for successful alumni who are entrepreneurs to come to speak with current students. These events are rich in information. They share their difficulties and successes.
For me, I now understand how they created their networks, and how they found investors or loans.
Student Reviews
ESSEC Business School
RECAPTHA :
ec
15
76
b5
