In an ever-changing economic world, updated expertise and consolidation of a dominant competitive position are two key words for growing your business. Junior-Enterprises, these student advisory service structures, provide innovative solutions to address these challenges in various sectors.
This article analyzes how a junior-enterprise can become a strategic partner for your company, especially if you are still a small organization.
What is Junior-Enterprise?
junior-enterprise status
The Junior-Enterprise (JE) is an educational association governed by a 1901 law. So they are non-profit organizations but with an economic vocation. Thus these structures pursue business objectives, without seeking to make financial gains for their members or managers. The Law of 1901, also known as the Waldeck-Rousseau Law, regulates freedom of association in France. It determines the context in which these organizations develop. Thus, they benefit from a clear legal framework and transparent operations, allowing them to carefully manage resources and commitments to their clients.
The corporate objective of Junior-Enterprise (JE) is to enhance the skills of the students through provision of services in various fields to the professionals.
A JE is located in a higher education institution. It is a way for students to tailor their training to meet their needs.
The derelict status enjoyed by junior-enterprises provides advantages in terms of legal and financial responsibilities. This makes the services offered competitive, which is a particularly interesting feature for entrepreneurs, start-ups and VSEs/SMEs. Junior-enterprises also have internal laws governing their organization, their mission, and their operating methods. As part of the national movement of junior-enterprises in France, which is represented by the National Confederation of Junior-Enterprises (CNJE), each structure must also respect the professional and ethical principles established by the movement.
JE’s Area of ​​Expertise
The areas of specialization of junior-enterprises are diverse. In general, the services provided will depend on the higher education institution to which the student belongs. It could have been :
- Mastering your market through business plans, market studies, benchmarks;
- customer experience through satisfaction studies;
- For example, financial and marketing services through communication strategies;
- Without forgetting the studies focused on CSR topics.
However, this list is not exhaustive: JE aims to be able to adapt to the needs of its customers. Thus some structures may focus on marketing and communications, others on financial services, still others on engineering.
Each JE may meet unique needs based on the training paths offered at the school.
Educational Dimension of JE
A major asset of Junior-Enterprise lies in its educational dimension. Members of such a structure get an opportunity to gain concrete experience of the theoretical concepts studied in the classroom. Working on real projects makes it possible to develop transversal professional skills such as project management, communication, decision making as well as teamwork. The educational added value provided to members enables them to quickly take on more important business responsibilities such as customer relations, financial management or even marketing. It is an effective way to build a professional network through interaction with companies, clients, school administration and the entire ecosystem.
This can be beneficial not only for students to find job opportunities and get referrals, but also for you entrepreneurs to benefit from the latest knowledge and skills in specialized fields. You will then be able to convene a motivated, dynamic team supported by a group of experienced faculty and academic members.
Ranking of the best junior-enterprises
Each year, the Confederation of Junior-Enterprises (CNJE) publishes a ranking of the best junior-enterprises. Here is a no-order list of the 30 best junior-enterprises (L30) in France in 2023.
- Escadrille Toulouse Junior Council
- Department of Agroperitech Studies
- ETIC INSA Technologies
- synergistic
- IESEG Consulting Paris
- Dauphin Junior Consulting Paris
- Junior CentralSupelec
- IÉSEG Consulting Lille
- Junior ISEP
- Sigma
- GEM Junior Consulting
- bsb junior counseling
- Arts & Crafts Junior Studies
- ESSCA Junior Counseling
- ICN Junior Consulting
- xprojects
- ETH Projects
- bridge study projects
- davinci jr
- HEC Junior Counseling
- schema consultation
- Neoma Consulting
- Audencia Junior Consulting
- Central Lily Projects
- KSI Central Marseille
- mediterranean marketing
- Arts and Crafts Junior Board of Studies
- AMS Consulting
- ENVOL Junior Study
- N7 Consulting
Of these junior-enterprises, 6 stand out as the best JE in France in the year 2022-2023 (L6): ISEG Conseil Paris, Junior CentralSupelec, Escadrille Toulouse Junior Conseil, ETIC INSA Technologies, AMJE Paris and N7 Consulting. In addition, CentralSupelec received the Excellence Award.
Benefits of collaborating with Junior-Enterprise
student specialization
Junior-enterprises are essentially made up of students. They keep themselves constantly updated with the latest theories, practices and trends in the field of training through their journey at the heart of these disciplines. This knowledge of innovative concepts and approaches can be of great benefit to your business.
This is even more true if you want to innovate or adapt to an ever-changing environment.
In addition, junior enterprises attach great importance to the quality of their services. Often, internal procedures are established to validate this quality control. Some structures may also be labeled by accrediting organizations such as ISO to attest to their commitment to this specialization process.
cost advantage
One of the main arguments for which you may decide to cooperate with JE is the advantageous cost of the services offered. Indeed, junior-enterprises enjoy many tax benefits and sometimes funding from educational institutions. This gives them the opportunity to provide services at more attractive prices than traditional consulting firms.
Through this everyone can get quality services at an affordable cost. This is especially interesting if your financial resources are limited.
Strengthen visibility and reputation
Collaborating with JE can be a powerful way to increase your visibility and reputation. While a school’s reputation may influence your junior-enterprise’s choice of whom to work with, it actually has a two-pronged role. Affiliation with prestigious higher education establishments can add additional credibility to the projects your company conducts and in which you participate.
Plus, you’ll be able to benefit from increased promotion thanks to the events, partnerships, and networks that JEs frequently interact with. This membership will improve your activity and notoriety of your brand image not only among young students but also among professionals present in this ecosystem.
Opportunities offered by Junior-Enterprises to VSEs/SMEs
a growth and development strategy
Deciding to work with a junior-enterprise may be especially necessary if you manage a VSE/SME. These structures will be able to assist you in the development and implementation of growth and development strategies, which are often integrated into a panel of commercial proposals.
First, the students in charge of the study are often supervised by actors such as professors and professionals through partner companies. At the end of these lessons, they are able to bring a fresh and creative perspective on the challenges facing your company. These members are able to conduct in-depth analysis, propose innovative solutions, and help implement concrete action plans. By using JE’s expertise wisely, you will be able to find new approaches to fuel your growth.
improving competitiveness
Calling yourself junior-enterprise can help strengthen your attractiveness and your position against your competitors in the market. In fact, JE introduces an outside perspective that enables you to identify your competitive advantages and areas for improvement in order to develop the appropriate strategy.
Depending on the expertise of each, these organizations can conduct market studies, analyze competition, assess your practices overall and recommend measures to increase your competitiveness. This process, which is both analytical and strategic, offers a step back to continuously improve the position of your products or services in the market and thus differentiate you from your competitors.
access to new resources
Ultimately, working with JE gives you access to valuable resources that you may not have considered or that would not have been affordable under other circumstances.
As students, members of these structures often have access to extensive libraries, specialized and exhaustive databases, as well as other necessary research tools to locate relevant information on specific topics.
Researchers themselves are a valuable resource. Their enthusiasm, their creativity and their technical skills are the drivers of new ideas and innovative solutions to the problems faced by your business.
questions to ask
What is Junior-Enterprise?
Junior-Enterprise is a non-profit student structure with an economic vocation that allows students to gain practical experience by doing consulting and service work for companies.
What opportunities do Junior-Enterprises present for my company?
Junior-enterprises give you the opportunity to gain access to student expertise, benefit from an advantageous rate, as well as strengthen your visibility and your reputation. They can also support you in your growth strategy by giving you access to valuable resources and improving your competitiveness.
How do I find a Junior-Enterprise that suits my needs?
To find a JE that suits your needs, you can consult specialized online directories, such as the site of the National Confederation of Junior-Enterprises (CNJE) in France. junior-entreprises.com, You can also contact your nearest higher education establishments to find out which JEs are active in your area.