France recorded a record level of business creations in 2024. However, the perception of ease in starting a business is declining year by year, according to the GEM France 2025 report. Project leaders face an environment where digital tools are multiplying, but structural barriers persist.
Cybersecurity for SMEs: an expense item that has become non-negotiable
Before even discussing artificial intelligence or ecological transition, small businesses face a ground obligation: to protect their systems and their customers’ data. The France Num 2024 barometer confirms that IT security remains the most cited purpose of ICT usage in companies.
For a small business starting online activity, regulatory compliance and data protection directly condition buyer trust. Without this foundation, revenue remains fragile.
The software and digital services sector reflects this need. Demand is increasingly oriented towards solutions hosted in Europe, in a logic of digital sovereignty. Several initiatives documented in the Business Futur website news illustrate this transition towards tools compliant with European data protection requirements.
Starting a business without budgeting for IT security is like opening a shop without a lock. The amount varies depending on the sector and the size of the structure, but the principle is no longer up for debate.
Hybrid entrepreneurship: salaried work as a safety net
Hybrid entrepreneurship is progressing in 2024. An increasing number of project leaders retain a salaried position while launching a micro-enterprise in parallel.
This choice stems from a financial reality. When the perception of ease in entrepreneurship decreases, combining both allows testing a market without giving up stable income. The micro-entrepreneur status, combined with available automation tools, makes this dual activity operationally feasible.
Profiles are not limited to digital. Artisans, trainers, and consultants in transition structure their offerings over several months before considering a full-time switch. This gradual approach seems to reduce the failure rate, even if the available data does not yet allow for precise quantification.
The daily management of a dual activity
Managing two administrative realities simultaneously complicates organization. Accounting, invoicing, and reporting obligations add to an already busy schedule.
Cloud management tools (invoicing, CRM, accounting) then become a survival investment. Automating repetitive tasks is the first profitable investment for this profile: client follow-ups, cash flow monitoring, quote management. These fundamentals take precedence over any experimentation with generative AI.
AI and business creation in 2024: which uses bring real benefits
The adoption of AI, including generative AI, is progressing in SMEs according to the France Num 2024 barometer. Concrete uses remain concentrated on a few specific functions:
- Assisted writing (emails, product descriptions, marketing content), with measurable time savings from the first weeks of use
- Customer data analysis to segment an offer or identify purchasing trends, provided there is a sufficient volume of data
- Customer service via chatbot, relevant only for companies that handle a regular flow of standardized requests
The common point of these profitable cases: they stem from an identified operational problem. Adopting AI without a specific use case is like buying a tool without knowing what to build.
Investing in AI before validating your model: a common risk
Some creators allocate budget to AI tools even though their business model is not yet validated. The risk: dispersing limited resources while neglecting the fundamentals, whether it’s market research, pricing strategy, or acquiring the first customers.
A business plan tested with real users and a functional sales process remain prerequisites. AI amplifies a functioning mechanism; it does not compensate for a vague offer.
Made in France and subscription: a crossover to watch
French consumers continue to express a preference for local products, whether in craftsmanship, services, or software. The balance of profitability remains a challenge for entrepreneurs pursuing this path.
A pattern is emerging at the intersection of local production and the subscription business model. Artisan boxes, recurring delivery of producer baskets, subscriptions to French digital services: these formats combine predictable revenue (thanks to subscriptions) and pricing justified by local anchoring.
The available data does not allow for conclusions about the long-term viability of this crossover on a large scale. Field feedback indicates that subscription loyalty works better when the product involves regular consumption and a trusting relationship with the supplier.
Business creation in 2024 is not lacking in tools or promising models. The most reliable filter remains to start from a real customer problem rather than a media trend. A prototype tested with real users carries more weight than a dashboard filled with premature automations.