We spoke with Albert Colomer, current President of Autoocupació, appointed by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees on July 11, 2017. Together with the recent changes to the Board of Trustees, Albert Colomer embarks on this new stage with the challenge of taking self-employment to a new level.
- What role does Autoocupació play in the world of entrepreneurship and new business creation?
We have been a benchmark in the self-employment promotion sector in Catalonia for 31 years, and this makes us unique. Within this framework, we collaborate with various public institutions, companies, and entities with the aim of promoting self-employment as an employment alternative in the labor market.
- What differentiates Autoocupació from other organizations in the entrepreneurship and business creation sector?
We are unique; there is no other like us. We are a foundation specifically dedicated to self-employment, offering our services throughout Catalonia instead of focusing on a single region of the Catalan territory.
We foster the creation of new businesses by providing information, advice, and evaluating the situation of each new project. We offer specific training to help each person achieve their professional goals. We promote different financing options for new businesses. And we encourage mentoring as a method of personalized support for new entrepreneurs.
Additionally, we have an administrative service and have launched Reempresa, a business buying and selling marketplace that connects sellers with new entrepreneurs.
“In the coming years, many of us will be self-employed individuals”
We are a new team for a new era. We face a time when self-employment is constantly changing; the trend in the labor market is moving towards self-employment, leaving behind the idea of working under contract for a company… In the coming years, many of us will be self-employed individuals. Furthermore, the foundation has established a new mission, we have created a new statement of intent… It is obvious to think that a new team is needed to lead all these changes with the aim of
taking self-employment to a new level.
- During 2016, Autoocupació welcomed 916 students, launched 602 self-employment projects and 117 business plans, and created 105 businesses and 121 new jobs… What will be Autoocupació’s challenges for this new stage?
31 years ago, a group of pioneering young people founded Autoocupació with the idea of prioritizing people and offering unique attention to those who needed our help, and that is exactly what has made us grow and do things well; giving importance to each project, to each idea… ultimately, to each person who has trusted us.
For this reason, we face two major challenges that will allow us to continue this value: Questioning
how we approach the new digital era from Autoocupació and
ensuring everyone can be what they want to be.
Given the complex labor landscape we are experiencing, where the number of self-employed individuals is progressively increasing and contracted jobs are decreasing, we continue with the intention of maintaining the enthusiasm of self-employed people and ensuring that this employment is of quality and socially valued.
- To conclude the interview: What advice would you give to an entrepreneur who is about to embark on a new project?
To pursue their dreams. With enthusiasm and rebelliousness.
