Four years ago, we established an outpost of BigChange in France.
My ambitions for BigChange have always been global, and 2019 was the year that we began expanding across France, Greece and Cyprus. It was an important move for the company, showing our commitment to Europe, post-Brexit.
Now, I’m excited to announce that we are entering the second phase of our French expansion. We are investing in our team, and building out our marketing proposition. Within five years, we will grow the size of the French company 20 times – it could even become as large as our UK business. This year, we will be recruiting more brilliant salespeople, and bringing on partners and resellers to help spread the word.
France is a big country, more than double the size of the UK. This presents unique challenges and opportunities. The sheer size of the territory means that France is home to many small-to-medium-sized businesses, who can really benefit from our technology – especially now, as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
French companies are innovative and very receptive to new technology. Recent studies have found that French leaders have surged ahead of British and German leaders in terms of digital adoption.
The BigChange platform helps companies of all sizes to eliminate paper and cut their carbon emissions. In France, this proposition hits the spot; 83% of French people think that climate change and its consequences are the biggest challenge for humanity in the 21st century.
As part of my role as chairman, I try to support the BigChange team in any way I can. Growing the French market will be my focus over the coming months. I’ll be spending time in Paris, meeting prospective customers, spreading the word, and driving growth.
I’ve been fortunate enough to do business in France before. I sold my last business, Masternaut, to France’s second largest airport group, Aeroports De Paris in 2009. And I founded the company with hardware bought from French firm Masternaut International. I am looking forward to connecting with old friends on my trips across the Channel – if you’re reading this “mes amies”, drop me a message!
I am a Francophile – I understand the culture and love the people. We have a lot of French people working for us. That’s important when you are hoping to make inroads internationally. You always need local boots on the ground.
I’m looking forward to this next chapter in our French adventure. Who knows – maybe this is the year I finally learn to speak French? Tout est possible!
