Local presence for international development
For a company, expanding internationally is a real challenge, with its share of risks and questions. The Shanghai-based company facilitates human resources management and offers a recruitment strategy tailored to the specific characteristics of the target market.
INS Global has built its expertise around freelance administration. In concrete terms, a company needing a local presence in a foreign country signs a service contract with INS Global, which takes care of hiring the employee(s) in the target territory.
For 16 years, INS Global has been expanding all over the world, operating in nearly 80 countries and employing around fifty people. Its services are aimed at companies of all sectors and sizes looking for flexibility in their international development plans.
With a predominantly Chinese client base (our clients are mainly European), INS Global stands out from its Western competitors when it comes to developing Chinese clients: “Our proposal is very interesting for Chinese companies looking to expand abroad, because we have a perfect understanding of their challenges and we speak the same language. This makes it much easier to do business with them,” says Jeida Boussenina, Head of Global Recruitment & EU Regional Office Representative.
INS Global decided to set up its first office in France to manage its commercial and operational activities, in response to increasing demand for European locations.
Lille, gateway to the European market
Lille was chosen over Lyon for a number of reasons: “We immediately ruled out Paris because the cost of living was far too high. We needed to set up in a city that was open to the world, accessible from major European cities and where life was good. I did part of my studies in Valenciennes and I used to go to Lille from time to time. It was a city that appealed to me.
What tipped the balance in favour of our metropolis was its international dimension, in particular:
- The presence of a very large Chinese community
- Its accessibility, with its central position in Europe and its transport links (Eurostar, Flexibus, etc.) that make it possible to connect European cities at lower cost.
- The pool of quality business schools was also a factor. There’s the possibility of finding good profiles of students interested in a work-study or internship experience in a very international environment that we can offer.
When Jeida started out on her own, she wanted to join a coworking space to break her isolation:
- A city-centre location
- 24/7 access
- A warm, friendly environment
- Transparent rates at no extra cost
Belfry Cci Laurent JavoyIt was at this stage that she was able to meet the teams from Hello Lille and Nord France Invest, who worked together on the project. The first contact was made from China with her Managing Director via the Business France network. Jeida then got in touch with the teams, who gave a presentation of the Lille operators. Together, they shortlisted 3 spaces that Jeida was able to visit alongside Sophie Dupont (Hello Lille) and Guillaume Jinkoji (NFI).
And it was Now Coworking that came up trumps, thanks to its close links with the CCI and its regular events. Ideal for networking!
The help of the teams at Hello Lille and Nord France Invest saved us a lot of time. We didn’t know the city very well and having contacts available to advise us honestly and impartially was invaluable.
In the short term, the company is looking for a bilingual German/English sales representative to join Jeida in Lille. This person will be responsible for developing INS Global’s sales activity in Europe. Further recruitment is envisaged over the next few years, depending on European business.
