We first met Franck through his charity the CAE https://www.caentr.org/ , which has been a partner of ours for many years now. The CAE empowers and supports ethnically diverse communities, specifically migrants, through providing bespoke, person-centred services. Their support is around a wide range of needs including employability, financial education, well-being, youth empowerment etc. One of their primary aims is to help these communities succeed through enterprise and employment and we have worked with many of their clients who were seeking to move into self-employment.
When Franck wanted to start his own business alongside his charity, he came to us for support. In 2021 Super Bio Boost was launched https://www.superbioboost.com/. This company specializes in the production of natural health products inspired by the traditional use of plants in Africa, aiming to increase awareness of preventative medicine, to help people take better care of themselves and to enhance quality of life through natural means. The business is ethical – for every £1 of income, 50p goes on sourcing ingredients from farmers and families in Africa and manufacturing the products in the UK, 25p goes on research and development, including supporting traditional healers and herbalists in Africa, 20p on running costs and 5p into his charity. In spite of the slow recovery following the pandemic, the business has gone well and Franck repaid us early.
His experience both as a small start up himself trying to raise funds and win support for his venture, and dealing with the many issues faced by the people who come to the CAE, was leaving him frustrated at the apparent lack of understanding and unwillingness to really support people on the margins by Government at all levels, in spite of all the rhetoric around “levelling up” etc. Lobbying, applying for support to do more, advocating on social media – all these things did not bring any results or any meaningful change fast enough to reach the many people who are struggling. But rather than despair, Franck has decided to try to change things from the top – he stood for and has been selected as a parliamentary candidate for the Gower and if he wins, he will be a strong voice for the excluded and for the small business owners who are largely overlooked by Government at present, with a real and in depth understanding of the issues facing ordinary people and some good ideas for solutions. This is quite a journey and an inspiration for others! Here are links to his campaign: https://www.franckforgower.com/ Facebook and Twitter: @franckforgower
When we assessed him for his loan, our loan officer concluded his report with “Franck is a powerhouse of ideas and a force for good”. He was right.