Interview with Eric Marschall, Owner and Founder of Schwiizerfranke

Eric Marschall founded Schwiizerfranke in 2019, a financial education platform that aims to support Swiss Investors with high-quality content and sound advice. STARTUPS.CH met him for an interview.

Anyone in Switzerland who Googles for information and tips on the topic of investment will mainly find content from Germany that describes products and strategies to which Swiss investors very rarely have access. Based on this observation, Eric Marschall decided to found Schwiizerfranke in 2019.

STARTUPS.CH met him for an interview in which he tells us more about his company, his motivation and his life as an entrepreneur.

Mr Marschall, can you explain the business model of your company?

Schwiizerfranke is a digital platform for financial education in Switzerland. Through free knowledge articles, readers are educated and sensitised in the area of finance. Thanks to partnerships with local financial service providers, remuneration is earned when a customer chooses a partner product (affiliate marketing).

How many people currently work in your company?

One permanent employee, two freelancers and numerous intelligent software solutions.

What made you leave this behind and start your own business?

I built up the company over 3 years in a part-time capacity. The growth was clearly evident and so the step into self-employment was also obvious.

The step into self-employment is very exciting and often accompanied by many unanswered questions. How did you experience this time?

Today you can find a lot of helpful content online in blogs, podcasts and books. Especially in the initial phase, these were a daily support for me.

Every business has ups and downs. Only these fluctuations show whether you are resilient enough as an entrepreneur to grow from them and emerge successfully from the situation.

How has your life changed since you founded the company?

Since then, I have had more freedom and at the same time more responsibility in my life. I have been able to grow in many areas, learn new things and use my own strengths even better.

As a self-employed person, I work specifically at my own pace and in a working environment that promotes my output. As an employee, I was not always free to work when and where I am most productive.

Nowadays, it is especially important not only to offer a great product or service, but to build a relationship with the customer. To what extent do you think this customer relationship is subject to digitalisation?

Since our service is provided exclusively digitally, I know the advantages and disadvantages very well.

A customer relationship can also be built and maintained digitally. Small companies in particular have the advantage here of also being able to create personal content online and interact with customers personally.

Large companies have a disadvantage, in my opinion, because they do not act as a person but as a brand. They are therefore increasingly looking for influencers for this personal connection.

What do you particularly enjoy about being an entrepreneur and managing a start-up?

The opportunity to grow every day, to get the opportunity to test new things, to be creative and to make my customers’ world a little bit better.

Where do you see your company in 10 years?

In 10 years, my company will probably be operating in a much more digital world, but will still be solving our customers’ problems more personally and efficiently than today.

We will have more employees in the company and continue to be one of the most popular online platforms for financial education in Switzerland.

What is your advice to aspiring young entrepreneurs?

Test your idea/product as early as possible. Get feedback from test customers before you invest countless hours in development.

Remember that entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. Go after your strengths and outsource, if possible, anything you don’t enjoy doing.

Why did you decide to start your business via STARTUPS.CH?

Because I want to use my energy as a founder for other things. Your service is available at a fair price and at the same time gives founders space for their own business.

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