My Phone in Paris: “all-inclusive” Smartphone rental for tourists

My Phone in Paris offers an innovative communication solution to foreign tourists visiting France.

Our offer relies on an “all-included” smartphone rental.

It provides the following:
- making unlimited calls to France or internationally
- having unlimited Internet access
- a careful selection of practical and useful applications (GPS, travels, communications, social networks, etc.)
- deals and exclusive offers selected for their quality (city guide, shopping, activities, etc.)

Our offer enables tourists to get rid of three constraints:
- pricing (by eliminating roaming fees),
- technology (issue with norms for some tourists or outdated phones)
- information (where to find the best info during a trip.)

Our service is a comprehensive connected pocket guide, allowing to gather all the best activities taking place in Paris and informations concerning the trip, while staying connected to one’s network (family, friends, work.)

Our target audience is non-European tourists who are more worried about roaming fees.

The competition is at the level of usage.

Everybody today has a phone and uses it. And many tourists buy SIM cards upon their arrival in France.

But this only partially responds to the problems posed previously and we are convinced that the My Phone in Paris experience is more rewarding.

Our difference is at the level of the service (free shipping, assistance) and the offer (unlimited communications, adapted content.)

15 million people visit Paris, including more than 9 million foreigners, half who are non-European.

Meaning that we have lots of potential clients.

Our business model relies on two offers.

One for a general audience from our website. Our rate if €15/day of rental.

The other is aimed at professionals who can equip themselves with our product.

These professionals linked to the tourism industry are of varying types: hoteliers, season rentals, car rentals, etc.

The interest for them is to provide a customized offer on par with the trends to their clients while allowing to stay in contact with them more easily throughout their trip.

Their overall experience will be improved.

And we’ll assist for anything technical (setting-up the phones, managing incidents, assistance), administrative, or that concerns content (choosing the best applications.)

We’re benefiting from no support at the moment.

This may come later.

The company was created more than a year ago, but our commercial activity truly began in January, with the launch of our website and our first promotional actions.

There is no fundraising for the moment, but we’re currently pondering that option.

Around €30,000 to improve our technological solution, develop our promotional actions, and increase the size of our smartphone park.

We just signed a partnership with the company Clavys, specialist in securing communications.

We will soon provide a short-term rental offer of terminals that meet the strictest norms of security and encryption.

This will be aimed at professionals on business in Paris who have specific communication needs.

Three co-founders have created the My Phone in Paris offer.

Since, the team is restructured around Jonathan Negrin.

He’s looking to surround himself with 2 new collaborators who have experience in communication/marketing for one and development/technical for the other.

He went to business school. Edhec, and worked in finance (as a corporate and finance adviser) and in banking (Inspection Générale.)

i-tourisme: What made you want to start a company?

Jonathan Negrin: “What drew me most to entrepreneurship is the willingness to develop a project entirely, from the initial idea to promoting it.

I like to do everything so this fits me perfectly. I’m never bored.

And the risk-taking is also stimulating. Finally, there is the will of feeling truly useful.”

i-tourisme: What qualities should an entrepreneur have?

JN: “A general vision. And hindsight.

This allows to always know what direction were going in, despite all the obstacles in the way.

And perseverance of course.

i-tourisme: What’s your ambition?

JN: “Continuing our development and to recruit.”