A 2nd-year ISMIN student, Yavuz Akin is the winner of the Entrepreneur for a Day competition in the “Coup de Cœur Award” category. He won over the jury with his video report “Business in 2020 – The Covid-19 Year.”
The competition, organized by the Pépite Provence consortium in partnership with CPME13, allows students and companies to exchange and share ideas about entrepreneurship. It takes place as part of CREATI’V – student entrepreneurship spirit week – and is offered to ISMIN students as an awareness activity eligible for the ENTREPRENEURSHIP VISA.
Due to the health crisis, the competition adapted by offering a revised format. Participants were given the subject “Entrepreneurship 2020” and several constraints:
- Interview at least two business owners
- Respect the required 2-minute format
Yavuz Akin focused on the challenges faced by small businesses and their reactions to the health crisis. Consequently, he met with several of them: a pharmacy (Sorbette), a leisure equipment store (Loisirs Découvertes), and a high-tech startup specializing in urban gardening (Agrove). By looking at different sectors of activity, he was able to see how these companies adapt to the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown, and the solutions they implement to overcome difficulties.
According to Yavuz, “this project demonstrates that different sectors are unevenly affected by the crisis. While the start-up Agrove is benefiting from growing public interest in eco-friendly products, the Sorbette pharmacy is struggling to operate due to new regulations. On the other hand, Loisirs Découvertes has been able to leverage e-commerce to increase its turnover even during the lockdown.” “.
Through this experience, Yavuz “had the opportunity to discuss at much greater length with these entrepreneurs the notion of entrepreneurship, ethics (redundancies, etc.), the attitude an entrepreneur should have, and the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis.” He was able to “get a concrete overview of crisis management within a company.” For him, this type of event is beneficial to his studies as he can develop new skills. He admits to having “progressed from a communication perspective.” Indeed, approaching companies is no easy task. He had to face several rejections, which allowed him to “improve [his] pitch and become more convincing for [his] next attempts.”
Congratulations Yavuz on your award, and we look forward to seeing you next year for a new edition of Entrepreneur for a Day!
Discover his video:
Entrepreneur for a Day – People’s Choice Award: Yavuz AKIN (EMSE)
