The Consulting Project in Entrepreneurship, a tailor-made support for IÉSEG’s entrepreneurial students
03/14/2022
Today more than ever, entrepreneurship is essential to foster innovation and create jobs. Based on theory and supported by best practices, IÉSEG offers its entrepreneurial students a unique opportunity to explore the world of business creation.
Thanks to cutting-edge content, testimonials and practical experience, and the presence of an incubator on the School’s two campuses, IÉSEG students are introduced to entrepreneurship as early as their Bachelor’s degree, and then can specialize in entrepreneurship and innovation as early as their Master cycle or by enrolling in the MSc in Entrepreneurship & Innovation, conducted in partnership with Loughborough .
©Barbara Grossmann
Finally, to support students who wish to start an entrepreneurial adventure by founding their own start-up, IÉSEG offers them the possibility of replacing their final thesis or their Consulting Project with a “Projet de Création d’Entreprise” (PCE – Business Creation Project). Led by Maria Rita MICHELI, professor of Strategy at IÉSEG, these projects allow students to build the business plan of their future company which they will then present to a panel of professors and professionals experts in entrepreneurship.
In the past 5 years, nearly 200 students have chosen to launch a PCE, with great successes such as Bredouille (an online clothing store that uses the theme of fishing through a young and trendy approach in order to democratize this leisure activity that suffers from a bad image), or The Art Cycle (a start-up that places art at the heart of circular economy).
During the semester of the “Projet de Création d’Entreprise”, the students, who have been selected upon study of a summary of their business idea, are very well supervised. They are supported by an academic supervisor for the business plan and project set-up, and by a mentor for the financial aspect. They are in regular contact with the IÉSEG Incubator via workshops, networking, etc. At the end of the semester, students are evaluated on three fundamental aspects: the innovative dimension of the project or company, the quality of the business plan, and the quality of the presentation given in front of professors and professionals from the world of entrepreneurship, the pitch being an essential exercise for any start-up in its search for financing or partners.
©Barbara Grossmann
Maria Rita MICHELI, Manager of the “Projet de Création d’Entreprise”, explains: “Students are very motivated to undertake a PCE because it gives them the opportunity to put into practice all the entrepreneurial notions they have learned during their years at IÉSEG. Each year, the number of applications increases, especially from students who are not enrolled in the Entrepreneurship program. This shows that the interest in entrepreneurship is transversal to IÉSEG and that the possibility of developing a business plan during six months is very attractive. Students understand the importance of being in contact with professionals (entrepreneurs, consultants, etc.) to share their ideas, their doubts, their expectations… For us, professors, the exchange with students is very stimulating. The projects developed since the beginning of the PCE program are very varied: creation of applications, music labels, restaurants, sustainable clothing brands and many others. Many have become successful businesses that have evolved over time. In my opinion, the PCE represents a fundamental part of IÉSEG’s Vision to push students to challenge themselves, find their path, set ambitious goals and achieve them.”
Matthieu CIRIER is a student in his final year (Master 2) of the Grande École Program and chose the PCE instead of doing his final thesis. “I was immediately attracted by the practical aspect of the PCE. An entrepreneur at heart, I have always wanted to create a company and so I seized this opportunity to work on my entrepreneurial project while validating an academic requirement. I created Mooov’, an application to find a sports partner according to specific criteria, defined by the user. This mobile application records performances, suggests training paths, offers personalized support on nutrition and includes a social media section to share with friends performances, availability or register for challenges. The PCE is an extremely enriching experience on both a personal and professional level. In particular, I had to formalize the financial, marketing, organizational, technical and functional aspects of my project. I built my business plan step by step, supported and advised by experts and professors from IÉSEG who were committed and interested in my project, and who gave me their critical and constructive outlook. Finally, and this is for me a major element of the PCE, I was not in a logic of submitting a thesis simply to validate my degree: I had the objective of building a business plan that would convince investors to support me and accompany me in my start-up project.”
Baptiste LIEUTAUD is enrolled in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation major within the Grande École Program, with the desire to create a company that protects and promotes French forests. “The PCE was a very good opportunity to test my idea against the reality of creating a company while having to follow the framework and rigor necessary for writing a thesis. The Share’Man project, on which I worked with my brother Henri, is based on the desire to make investment in our forests more liquid and more accessible to the general public, via the implementation of the blockchain to certify the title deeds of forest plots. This technology allows the purchase and resale of property rights in a split second. My thesis tutor was exceptional and made himself very available to share all his entrepreneurial experience with me to help me write my business model. I learned a lot about the background work required to create a company but also about the form expected when you want to pitch your project to future partners or investors. The PCE has reinforced the idea that my project is relevant while opening my eyes to problems that I had not anticipated. I am really happy and grateful to IÉSEG for having had this support to push my project to the limit“.