Founders’ Post: Parents Entrepreneurs - Our Lessons from Bouge Petit

Parents of two young children of 3 years and 1 and a half, we have been very busy for more than a year. You can see on the photo the result of our work: our café and physical activity center Bouge Petit. This is a first post to share our experience as entrepreneurs. Our goal is simple: to inspire others, including parents, in entrepreneurship.

Bouge Petit is the result of two things: a continuity of our business expertise and our new needs as parents. This is our first experience with a physical business (Brick-and-mortar). Bouge Petit is born out of our desire to offer a safe, stimulating, beautiful, creative and friendly environment for toddlers and their parents.

Since the opening of Bouge Petit, we have adapted to better meet the needs of our customers. Our concept has been refined and has evolved. We believe that what is important when starting a business is to be able to adjust its business model. The paper-based model is never the final model.

Certainly, the most important quality of an entrepreneur is to be willing to take risks. This risk is increased tenfold when it comes to a physical business, where you have to pay rent, employees, taxes, supplies, food, permits and so on. According to the "Taux de survie des nouvelles entreprises au Québec" study of the Ministry of Economic Development, one in four companies does not reach the second year of existence. This is understandable because new businesses are less competitive at the outset. We salute all those entrepreneurs who take the risk each day of opening a retail business, restaurant or other business of this type.

Today, with social media, it is even more important to stand out from the start, as few companies have a second chance. You have to know how to communicate with customers. Integrity in business is essential for the successful development of a business. Customers know how to recognize a company that works hard to deliver quality service.
There is much to be said. Entrepreneurship is a passion for us and we will be happy to share more with you on a regular basis. It is difficult, particularly in Quebec, to get into business, but we believe that this opportunity is present for all. Starting your business can become a reality for those who are willing to put work, energy and passion into it. We hope that the lessons learned from our own experiences with Bouge Petit will inspire you to start your business and make you choose to become parents entrepreneurs!

Other "Founders’ Post" will be written according to our experiences. They will be published on our blog and shared on social media. Thank you for your interest!

Paula & Benjamin
​Founders

​Une version française est disponible.