Digital entrepreneur: Cécile Chelim, Well-CE
Editor’s note: Coworkgames has become Well-CE since this interview.
Femmes du Numérique: To begin with, what is your definition of “digital”?
Cécile Chelim:It’s the world I grew up in, but above all it’s the tool we can all use to take concrete action. We can create, distribute, collaborate…
There are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of and create your own web platform, just like us at Coworkgames, 100% digital!
Femmes du Numérique: Women, an opportunity for digital. Digital, an opportunity for women. What do you think about it? Why did you choose this sector?
CC :If digital is a passion, as it is for me, it’s a real opportunity, and if you help digital evolve, you become an opportunity for the industry! I think I chose this sector because it was evolving fast… very fast, in fact! Innovations, new services and so on were coming onto the market at breakneck speed, which made me want to contribute, and when I learned to develop on my own, it gave me the confidence to develop my own solution. In my opinion, it’s only in today’s digital world that it’s so easy to create and put your idea into practice.
Femmes du Numérique: Is being a woman entrepreneur a plus?
CC:I’m not sure, but when I see the many successes of women in the digital industry, I think that maybe it’s an asset.
Femmes du Numérique: Have you had any doubts, hesitations or difficulties in setting up your own business?
CC:A lot! That’s part of the adventure, but you have to hang in there and believe in your idea. I think the most disturbing thing is when people give unconstructive criticism of an idea or project, and you can’t let that stop the entrepreneurial momentum.
Femmes du Numérique: Tell us about your project. How did the idea come about? What needs do you meet?
CC:Coworkgames is a new-generation works council dedicated to the self-employed.
The 100% online platform gives you access to advantages on products and services related to your professional activity, such as emailing services and web training, as well as leisure products and services such as discounted cinema tickets, etc.
We also offer this service to small and medium-sized businesses. In just 3 clicks, the company can have a complete works council. Each employee accesses the dedicated platform via a login code, and the products ordered are sent to the company.
The idea came from our own experience. We’re two freelancers, having done internships in big companies. And when we chose the freedom of being self-employed, we lost the famous CE benefits. The question we asked ourselves was: “Why?” and then: “What can we do about it? In the end, when you become a self-employed contractor, you become part of the large community of freelancers, a community that we have chosen to represent with numerous partners to negotiate advantageous rates.
Once the platform had been created, we simply adapted the model for companies who wanted a simple tool to make available to their employees.
Femmes du Numérique: How have you managed to balance your professional and personal/family life?
CC:I’m 25, I’m not married and I don’t have any children, so I suppose it’s easier for me at the moment to concentrate on my professional life. But being an entrepreneur leaves quite a bit of flexibility to reconcile the two lives.
Femmes du Numérique: What advice would you give to a young woman hesitating to work or start a business in the digital sector?
CC:It’s undeniably the best thing I’ve dared to do in my young life! I’ve met people to whom I would never have had “access” if I dare say. I’ve discussed, helped, contributed, trained, advised and much more, all experiences that make you richer.
If you believe in your idea, go for it and don’t be afraid to fail. After all, failure isn’t so bad!
Biography
I’m 25 years old, I’m a webdesigner, developer and freelance formatter. I learned web development on my own, first to pay for my studies, then to make a living out of it. Today, I’m CTOof Coworkgames, my secondwebstartup, whichisn’t even a year old yet!
twitter @cecile_chelim