- The companies with less than 10 employees, numbering 3.7 million in France, are also suffering from the crisis. For many small businesses, the cash flow stopped during the confinement.
- If the aid of 1,500 euros (maximum) intended for the self-employed helped to cushion the shock, the heads or heads of very small businesses have already started to make savings, both to pay the costs that continue to fall and in anticipation of the months to come up.
- For 20 Minutes , three very small companies testify to their situation, while the Minister of the Economy has just clarified his plan to support trade and crafts, "the first company in France".
They make less of the headlines than the behemoths. All together, however, they form an important part of the French economic fabric. According to INSEE, there are - excluding micro-enterprises - 3.7 million very small enterprises (VSEs), which employ less than 10 people in France. Small businesses and artisans must now recover from the period of confinement, during which their activity was, in many cases, completely stopped.
"If there are millions to file for bankruptcy, it will be the first social plan in France" warned the Secretary of State to the Minister of the Economy, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, while the government specified this Monday at l 'National Assembly, on the occasion of its third draft amending budget currently examined by deputies, its new measures to support this part of the economy. According to her, "15 to 30%" of small businesses wonder if they will be able to "finish the year".
"The problem is what will fall"
Many factors weigh in the more or less great fragility of these small structures. Already, the weight of fixed costs and charges, variable depending on whether or not you own your premises or whether you had to pay rent during confinement. "We asked our landlord to make a gesture and he accepted, he gave us a gift of two months' rent," says Anne Bouteau, optician in Bourgoin-Jallieu (Isère). Since the confinement, "we have very little cost because we did not order anything. If we look at the accounts, they are not bad, especially since we had pending payments that fell during containment. But the problem is what will fall, ”she worries.
In addition to the VAT she paid, she knows that she will have to pay a "catch-up" of Urssaf linked to a new calculation of contributions. A large sum to which are added credits to the bank which it will have to resume repayment. “Before the confinement, we were negotiating to spread out our debt, which was too heavy. But the bank refused, ”explains Anne Bouteau. In question: a turnover which, since the resumption of the goodwill, is not as important as expected, in particular because of ceaseless work in the city center. And if some business leaders tighten their belts or have personal savings to hold on, this is not the case for this optician, who already invested everything in her business a few years ago and also reimburses, for its part, its mortgage…
"Pasta and potatoes"
As for Alexandra, a freelance photographer working near Le Mans (Sarthe), the situation is less worrying, even if the shortfall is certain. For her, confinement fell at the very beginning of the wedding season: her calendar being already booked well in advance, couples who had to postpone their vows will not be able to take an alternative date… She had in particular to reimburse the installments which were paid to him in anticipation of these events. "The month of April was ric-rac," she says, especially since the aid from the solidarity fund did not arrive until May. "During confinement, we did not have fun, we did not eat meat every day, but a lot of pasta and potatoes," said this mother of 4, whose husband works part-time.
Nevertheless, Alexandra keeps smiling. Since May, clients have returned to his photo studio, which has encouraged him to be optimistic. Its structure, a micro-enterprise, also has the advantage of being rather light. "When there is zero income, there is zero charge," she explains. Another factor in his favor: the low rent of his house, located in a rural area. But to raise the bar, she still plans to work more ... "We had planned to go on vacation this summer, but we canceled. We will have to catch up with our budget if we want to leave in October ”.
Protect your cash
For his part, Thierry is worried. During confinement, this Paris-based printer saw its turnover plummet. He put his eight employees on partial unemployment, paid no salary and plans to stay in France for the holidays. He drew on his cash to continue paying the loans for his premises as well as social and employer contributions to Urssaf, so as not to take a wall of notes to pay in the second half. In case, he refines his plan of attack. To preserve the maximum employment in his "efficient and united" team, he plans to work on fixed costs. “I'm going to set up telework, which will generate less maintenance of the premises, less heating. I could even take smaller premises, ”he imagines.
But it does not exclude more drastic measures affecting the employment of its employees, in case the situation deteriorates in a lasting manner. And for good reason, he wants to preserve a cash that he strives to accumulate for ten years. “Thirteen or fourteen years ago, I invested in a printing house of my own that put me in the red. With the help of my family, I reinjected more than 200,000 euros to pay my debts, "he explains. It is out of the question for the entrepreneur to reproduce the experience by going into debt with the loan guaranteed for the State. If the conditions for reimbursement are rather attractive, the company's situation must be as healthy as possible. Otherwise, it would only be “going back to jump better” for the printer, attached to his management “like a good father”.
"Disappointment" of the union of independents
This Monday, the government announced that the solidarity fund for VSEs - excluding the hotel, catering, tourism and events sector, which receive aid until the end of the year - would be extended in June. Since April, it allows companies with up to 10 employees to receive up to 1,500 euros in fresh money, or even 5,000 euros depending on the case. Cost of the measure: 500 million euros.
An insufficient gesture according to Jean-Guilhem Darré. “It is a real disappointment. The idea is not to live on funds but to have a safety net for the coming months. It is abnormal that we are not supported if we do not manage to regain turnover ”, judges the general delegate of the Union of independents, which represents VSEs. He estimates at 675,000 the number of jobs threatened, 18% of VSEs planning to reduce their staff and 25% allowing themselves the possibility, according to their survey carried out at the end of June with 1,640 companies with 0 to 19 employees.
Regain digital revenue
Bercy defends, however, this decision not to further extend the solidarity fund for companies that are not among the sectors particularly affected by the economic crisis: "The challenge is also to support or have an incentive to this that everyone finds their customers and goes back to work. It is important that those who went to get their turnover are valued, "said Agnès Pannier Runacher on Monday. Which invites small businesses to bet more on digital to recover turnover. A plan for the "digitization" of very small businesses must be initiated "as of July".
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