To undertake a project without money seems unlikely and yet, many people have succeeded, including famous bosses who founded their empire from scratch.

Their only assets are usually ambition and an innate business sense. To succeed, do you have to rely on luck or do you have to start by trying everything for the whole thing?

Jean-Pierre Lutgen’s ambition

Ambition and boldness are reliable guides for those who want to undertake and enter the business world successfully. “I don’t want to do Zola, but I started with zero cash,” Jean-Pierre Lutgen proudly told the press after taking his company Ice Watch to the top. This was thanks to the sale of flashy watches that immediately convinced a young audience. The Belgian entrepreneur even succeeded in dethroning Swiss watchmakers in 2014, with a turnover of 323 million euros!

François Pinault’s determination

What about the success of François Pinault, who took over from the small family sawmill to make it a world reference. His hard work and business acumen have allowed him to enter the luxury market. At the head of the PPR group, of which he is the majority shareholder, he multiplies and diversifies his activities by buying companies such as Conforama, Le Printemps, La Redoute etc…. “The Kering empire of which he is the founder, made him one of the richest in France and Europe.

The audacity of Louis Le Duff

Others have given up their jobs to create their own brands, such as Louis Le Duff who left the ranks of Master Lecturer at the University of Rennes to embark on the restaurant business and create La Brioche Dorée. An impressive success due to his modest background. Starting from scratch, La Brioche Dorée is now present in more than 140 countries. We can also mention among the successful entrepreneurs, the couple Armelle and Dominique Sialelli, beer lovers who launched themselves by inventing the Pietra, for the pleasure of being able to buy a Corsican beer, which now seems to have become a symbol for Corsica

Using the web as Nick d’Aloisio

The Internet is certainly one of the sectors of activity that offers the most opportunities today for entrepreneurs who want to create their business without investing too much money. Provided you have enough skills in an industry and know how to use the Internet, it seems possible to promote yourself at a lower cost. Alexandre Dreyfus was already in the news with his creation “Webcity” at the age of 19! The record is probably set by the 17-year-old genius, Nick D’Aloisio, who became a millionaire with his Summly application and his start-up sold to Yahoo. This young entrepreneur says he is not afraid to succeed and that nothing is impossible.

There are many companies that have succeeded without money. Small projects led by ambitious entrepreneurs who are passionate about their profession have become leading groups in the economy. Money is not an obstacle to success. Only the fear of entrepreneurship can prevent innovation and adaptation to market needs. Entrepreneurship means convincing and retaining customers thanks to their talent in a specific field and, as the saying goes, who tries nothing has nothing.