Jersey businesses, 'Normandie Welcome' wants you!

Friday 07 April 2017

Two French nationals working in Jersey are looking for businesses to join 'Normandie Welcome' to create more links between the Island and Normandy.

The two ladies believe Jersey businesses could greatly benefit from the partnership with the French association, which could help them increase their connections and visibility in Normandy.

Normandie Welcome was founded in 2014 in a bid to help the promotion of the region. It is online based, with a Normand e-boutique offering local produce. The association is quite active on social networks and holds various events from general meetings to networking evenings. 

Audrey Lescot, founder of jewellery company and blog Little Normandy, was born and raised in Normandy. She is a longtime ambassador for the association and she set up a group for Normans in New-York while she was living there. After joining forces with Claire Boscq-Scott, who created The Busy Queen Bee brand in 2009, both are now looking to establish Normandie Welcome on the Island.

Ms Lescot told Express: "We want to promote Normandy as a whole not just the tourism, but also the businesses and the expertise. We try to help export this expertise and get it recognised. I believe that in Jersey people have the same values as Normans especially when it comes to the expertise and the quality of the products." 

"The Island is half-Norman and also very close geographically to Normandy. We want to take advantage of this to create more links between the two. It can be very broad, from a restaurant in Jersey looking for more French staff, or for French businesses looking to have a market in Jersey."  

Ms Boscq-Scott comments: "We want to start with a small group of 10 to 15 businesses that would be interested to become members and to connect with France. We would like to go to Normandy with them and vice versa to help open doors. Jersey is good but it would be good to open our opportunities, especially to the French market which is literally on our doorstep."

The association is not only focused on creating business links. It also aims to create a network through which more connections can be made. 

Ms Lescot explains: "It opens all sorts of possibilities because we all know someone who knows someone. Bringing people together and sharing our experiences will help us all." 

The new cooperation has already sparked interest in Jersey and businesses and companies have contacted Ms Lescot and Boscq-Scott who are meeting everyone on a one-to-one basis. Ms Lescot explains: "We want to make sure we share the same values like authenticity and honesty, and that people are not just joining to get access to the address book. We want people who are willing to give as much as they receive, it is an exchange."