In the series of interviews, we would like to share with you some stores of social entrepreneurs in Luxembourg.
This time, we would like to introduce you to ‘Storytime’ SIS (social enterprise ) and the owner, Charlotte Reuter
Interviewed by: Laura Roof
June 24 2021
L: Thank you for chatting with me today, Charlotte. I’m excited to hear about your
company and thoughts on the ecosystem of Social impact Societies (SIS) here in
Luxembourg. A small introduction to the project; SEYW is a 24 month strategic
partnership, a transfer of good practice under the KA2 of the Erasmus + program. The
project aims to create a framework where youth workers can benefit from the
experience of successful initiatives of social entrepreneurship developed by youth
organizations. So, we are looking to explore, then share, our findings about the existing
ecosystem of social entrepreneurship in Luxembourg. This is where you come in! You
are a social enterprise here in Luxembourg. Please introduce yourself.
C: Well, ‘Storytime’ has 2 parts: one is ‘The Story Cafe’ (Bonzennen Bonzuewen, in
Diekirch), it is a place families can come to reconnect with their children, other family
members, or other adults through the use of stories. The second part is ‘Potty Lotty’, a
fictitious personality who goes to schools, private people or to other organizations and
offices for readings.
L: Nice! And why did you decide to start a social enterprise? What were your past
experiences or motivation?
C: I have had a certain amount of experience working in a marketing and sales
environment, which has definitely helped, also, experience working as ‘Potty Lotty’,
which started earlier. This experience working with children, mostly, and then with
families, led to trying to connect people to each other, through the medium of stories.
The ‘lightbulb moment’ I think, was while offering sessions for families. I thought initially
it was about me interacting with the families, but then I noticed that the family members
would interact with themselves after the sessions using the stories as a connection
point. And so that was really the key to saying it would be great to offer parents a space
where they could interact with each other and their kids, as well as the children
interacting with each other in new ways. The cafe as a place where people can meet, is
trying very hard to fit into the concept of a secular/social economy. Everything I do is
motivated by this, whether it’s telling a story, trying to minimize the negative impact on
the environment or also building up partnerships with local organizations who are
equally involved in the secular and social economy. These, together, gave a sort of
initial footing from which to start the business off.
L: I like that, a conglomeration of experiences and ideals, you’re really drawing from a
series of events that led you to this point. It wasn’t a cut and paste idea. What would
you say your biggest challenges have been, then?
C: The biggest challenges… well the first obvious one has been trying to launch a
business such as this, which is mostly based indoors, in the current covid restrictions,
but also just trying to launch, really, two things at once, and figuring out exactly what
customers are going to be wanting and what not, without having done a prior, full,
marketing analysis.
L: Interesting, I’m guessing there isn’t a lot of market analysis to be had regarding your
type of business here in Luxembourg? What about the idea of a social economy or
enterprise? And what do you think it will look like in 5-10years?
C: The social economy is definitely alive, it is there. In my opinion not enough people
know about it, that is, too many people still conflate a social enterprise with the definition
of a charity, which is more the case with an ASBL, than with that of a commercial
venture, which an SIS is. I think there is still quite a lot of information that needs to be
spread to make people aware of the possibilities that exist with an SIS. In my
experience, I’ve come across a lot of people who do not understand, for example, how
the company can work, because it’s goals appear to be very different from the traditional
economy, ie, the bottom line. So there’s quite a lot of surprise, still, that I would have
anything OTHER than the bottom line (laughter) in sight, and that it’s ok for me to go to
work for something other than the bottom line. There have been a lot of big question
marks and various reactions to that choice. I think the role (of a social enterprise) is
definitely to show that there are different alternatives available, and those alternatives
are equally valid and possible even in some cases, better. That they can work, that it
also entails a different kind of management, a different living together in the city, a
different kind of working together in the company. I think it’s work that can financially
have gains and the other less traditional gains make up for, perhaps , any losses in
profit that might occur. As for where the social economy will be in 5-10years…I think,
especially in small towns, like Diekirch for example, we will see a lot more cooperation
between local businesses. Cooperation at the very local level not only in, say, planning
events together, but also making use of products in new ways that, for example, they
haven’t sold, or waste products being produced that could then be used by someone
else.
L: These would be examples of social gains, the connection and cooperation, not just
financial gains.
C: Yeah
L: What did you find worked well in the program from the state, or would you like to
have more of?
C: For me personally, what worked very well was the guidance of the initial set up of the
company, the program that was offered from the Ministère du Travail, to accompany me
through the initial months. I appreciated very much having been designated a mentor
that I could turn to who was active in the industry that I am active in. That was very
helpful initially. Also the resulting networking that was inherent to meeting the contacts
that make up this ‘House’. The challenges… The biggest has been trying to make sure
that the impacts that I’m having are measurable, and trying to grow that impact using
those measurements. For example the impacts that I suggested I would have, would be
an impact on people, to make them feel more included, to make them feel less
excluded. Families, to make them feel more connected with their children or, that the
time they’re spending together has a better quality than it did before. And also, the
impact on the environment needs to be positive. There are certain quantitative
measurements that I need to take care of. Part of the challenge is trying to understand
exactly what will be important to put forward to the Ministry later on. In terms of
quantifying somebody’s satisfaction. Do I have enough people who will reflect, truely,
what the business has been doing? It’s very intangible. One thing that hasn’t been
addressed in the current program that I’ve been following, is actually HOW to capture
the information. What different tools are available, for example client satisfaction
surveys, things like that. That hasn’t been part of the program. As such, that’s
something I have to work on myself.
Another element that is definitely missing is a certain clarity on the aid that is available
to SIS’s, not just financial. From where is aid available, for what support does an SIS
qualify, which kind of people qualify for working under these aid programs, with an SIS.
In terms of employing people: everything related to this challenge.
L: You and I have spoken a little bit about that before and it seems one other issue is
the disconnect in, maybe, what is offered and what is the actual administrative process
for that happening.
C: I think the disconnect is due to a time issue, I certainly think the willingness is there.
One department is working really hard to promote this type of company, however, the
communication between the different ministries, on the subject matter of SIS, I think, is
still lacking. There are various areas such as this, that just haven’t been fully ironed out,
down to the last detail. For example, in my case it would have been helpful to have a
program that wasn’t based within traditional working hours. It’s my understanding that a
lot of people start to plan, or launch, a company while employed full time. Or maybe
they’re not in employment. But for me certainly everything happened so quickly. A lot of
the training courses that were available were during the hours that I actually had time to
be in the cafe physically. I couldn’t take part in the courses… there were a lot of
interesting things that I personally couldn’t take advantage of due to the hours they were
being offered.
L: On a little bit of a lighter note, what do you think are the next steps in developing
your business?
C: The next steps in developing my business… So I’ve been up and running now for 6
months, and it’s definitely time to take a little step back and evaluate what has worked
and what hasn’t. I will try to hone in on things that really worked and make sure that the
financial side of things is on solid ground. That is the most important step to me now,
there are a lot of projects that I want to do, and it’s really about making sure they also fit
in with my requirements. I would like my business to be a happy place. A place where
people enjoy coming to work, and that employs people who are equally keen to make a
difference within the community. In 5-10 years it would possibly have a staff of 5-6
people, nearly all if possible customer facing and who take on different roles to really
make a change to the people coming through the door, but also, make a change within
the community where the business is based.
L: To find employees like this, we return to the ‘educating the public’ line of thought. Do
you know if the Luxembourgish school system teaches on the topic of social economy
or social enterprise? This would seem like a logical place to start.
C: I think it should be taught more in depth, I think it does appear on the curriculum in
different schools, perhaps not all, but I do think it’s an important discussion to have
because it leads to questions regarding how we want our society to work. The prime
audience for that question is the next generation and for them to be able to discuss and
to be clued up about it is something that needs to be discussed in schools. In a wider
discussion, though, of what we want our society to look like and how we want it to work.
I have noticed the amount of support that is being given to the young entrepreneurs
within the lycee. So, what they call ‘mini enterprise’ where school friends get together
and have to launch a product or a project. There are these types of initiatives that really
encourage them and seem to be supported within the school and also ministry level.
I’ve seen certain mini enterprises make it to the local press, they seem to have a
certain amount of backing from ministries.
L: If I were a young adult, let’s imagine you are speaking to my daughter, we’ll pretend
I’m her. I’m thinking about starting a social enterprise that promotes the use of local art
student’s work in the community. What advice would you give me in order to either start
the social enterprise or things to think about specifically for Luxembourg or things you
found motivating or mentorship. or you know what.. if I came to you and I was like what
did.. how… you now. What would you say to me?
C: I would, as with any commercial venture, advise you to do your market research and
find where the demand really is, or whatever solution or product you are offering to the
market. The second thing would be to think about what impact you are hoping to
achieve by having this company, and to really understand the difference between the
options. You know, is the impact solely to pay your wage at the end of the month or is it
a different kind of impact that you are hoping to achieve. Once you can pay wages and
make sure the company is financially viable, if the willingness is there to also make sure
the company is having a positive impact on society, there are people around who are
capable of helping you create that.
L: And that’s what the social economy is about, at its foundation. Strengthening
resilience and growth through community cooperation and collaboration. The younger
generations, even with all the information at their fingertips, don’t have to figure it all out
by themselves. There are willing community members to help and be mentors.
Charlotte Reuter, alias of the storyteller ‘Potty Lotty’ is the owner of the story cafe
Bonzennen Bonzuewen, in Diekirch, in the north of Luxembourg. Both entities are
grouped in the SIS ‘Storytime sarl’. For more information take a look at the websites
www.pottylotty.com and www.bonzennenbonzuewen.com or check out her Facebook
and Instagram pages, both handles are: @pottylottystorytime; @bonzennenbonzuewen
Interview was done in the frame of SEYW project on “The added value of social entrepreneurship in youth work” funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
