From left to right, Johan Poudroux, Rod Carbon, Guillaume Cochet and in the background, Gaël Stiel, are the four co-founders of the coworking space “Markus.

Paris ”devoted to hairdressing, in Lille.

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G. Durand / 20 Minutes

  • With the coronavirus crisis, it is difficult to embark on the adventure of an independent business.

  • Based on this observation, four young people from Lille decided to launch a coworking space dedicated to hairdressing.

  • The collaborative show has just opened in downtown Lille.

Too expensive rents, uncertain future ... Difficult, with the economy, to embark on the adventure of an independent business.

This is particularly the case for hairdressers and barbers.

In Lille, a new address was opened on Monday to try to solve the problem: a coworking space dedicated to the hairdressing profession and called "Markus."

Paris ”.

The initiative, led by four former Lille students, however, nearly collapsed because of the Covid-19 and the confinement, but it may rebound if the economic crisis continues.

"Establishing collaborations is the best way out at the moment," said Rod Carbon, one of the four co-founders.

"We rent hairdressing chairs by the day or by the month"

And this is what this collective lounge made up of ten seats offers.

“We rent hairdressing chairs by the day or by the month, as needed, and we offer additional services such as laundry and ambiance.

Professionals just have to devote themselves entirely to their profession without worrying about administration, ”underlines Guillaume Cochet.

An elaborate accounting system thus makes it possible to separate the activities of each.

Gaël Stiel is the first hairdresser to settle in the Markus Paris coworking space, in Lille.

- G. Durand / 20 Minutes

For the moment, the first hairdresser to take advantage of the place is Gaël Stiel, also co-manager of Markus, based on rue du Molinel, a stone's throw from Lille-Flandres station.

Results: seven clients.

“We received a lot of visitors on the first day of opening.

Three other independents are interested in joining the site, ”says Rod Carbon.

"We never stopped believing in it"

Because we will have to quickly find a cruising speed.

Founded in March 2019, it took a year and a half for the start-up Markus to finally be able to open this new generation show.

“With the Covid crisis and the confinement, the bank, with whom we had worked on this project, let us down in the spring.

We had to find other solutions to buy back the lease of the old VO bookstore, ”says Johan Poudroux.

Big budget case finally concluded thanks to the CIC bank, the surety organization of the region, active North, and the association Lille Métropole sud specializing in helping young shoots.

“We never stopped believing in it,” says Guillaume Cochet.

And a lot of people told us that it was an original project which, to my knowledge, has no equivalent in France.

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  • Lille

  • Trade

  • Coworking space

  • Hairdressing