Self-Employed Space

How did we define this persona?

This space is for self-employed workers, craftspeople, local shopkeepers and small business owners based in Liège province. Whether operating as sole traders or through a company, these economic players are the lifeblood of our region, yet they often find themselves alone on the front line when the market shakes. We reach out to those who carry their business at arm’s length, often at the expense of their own health or family peace of mind, and who are looking for a safe space to set down their mental load without fear of judgement.

What challenges and objectives are at stake?

Everyone we support carries their own chaos. For the self-employed, that chaos takes the shape of a structural loneliness made worse by constant financial pressure: successive waves of inflation, rising energy costs and rigid fixed charges create a bottleneck that directly threatens the viability of their life project. Bringing order to that chaos means helping these professionals regain short-term financial stability, secure their family income, and overcome the burnout syndrome that looms over isolated profiles. They want to simplify their day-to-day management, drastically cut unnecessary expenses, and break the vicious circle of isolation to rediscover the original meaning of their entrepreneurial commitment.

What concrete actions have been put in place?

Strand 1 — What the non-profit puts in place structurally: Cœur Historique runs a welcome and networking scheme for self-employed people in difficulty: a permanent listening point, referral to existing social and health resources, and free access to our shared technology unit (digital tools, online presence, simplified administrative management) to give these businesses some breathing room day to day.

Strand 2 — What our volunteers offer from their own experience: Within our network, volunteers who have themselves been through an economic crisis, a burnout or a difficult financial period freely give their experience and expertise to help another self-employed person in difficulty. This is not a paid service: it is one entrepreneur who, having been through it, helps a peer take stock of their fixed costs and spot unnecessary expenses, in under three months and with nothing expected in return. Other volunteers, trained in active listening, offer conversations to defuse burnout, referring people on to partner volunteer health professionals where needed.