“Order in France”: the plea for help from 270 SME and VSE managers

In an opinion piece, the heads of very small and small businesses pledge to transform the profits generated by purchases made in France into jobs.

In an open letter addressed to large groups and the State, co-signed by 270 leaders of very small and small businesses, and published on the Figaro website , the Lab Pareto association asks each public and private actor to issue their order in France.

Very small businesses and SMEs, which represent 99.9% of French companies—more than half of the country's jobs—are paying a heavy price for the health crisis and are currently, for the most part, surviving thanks to government aid. However, the signatories point out that while this aid is essential, it is not a medium-term solution.

"The best way to support a business, perhaps even the only way, is not to put it on life support: to support our very small and small businesses, we need to be kept working. What we desperately need is not guaranteed loans, but revenue. A full order book," they emphasize.

"A purchase made from an SME creates jobs."

The signatory executives emphasize the positive impact of these orders placed in France within a chaotic economic context. "It's proven that purchasing from SMEs creates jobs. On the cusp of an unprecedented surge in unemployment, imagine our job creation potential thanks to the billions of euros in orders that the public and private sectors are able to place with us. If these buyers work with us on a much larger scale than they do today, then we will be able to maintain our jobs and create new ones."

"We might be (a little) more expensive, but I'm not so sure..."

The bosses don't shy away from the impact such an approach will have on prices, but they also emphasize the virtuous aspect of "Made in France." "We might be (a little) more expensive, it's possible... but not so certain...," they note. "But we are cheaper in terms of carbon emissions, job losses, unemployment benefits, and public health..."

Article: sud-ouest.fr

To discover the many SMEs and very small businesses that create jobs in France, we invite you to visit this website: Marques de France

To offer a range of products made in France: The French Card

Photography: Jérôme BRULEY