Posts Tagged ‘money’

The Junior-Enterprises riding the crisis

May 14, 2012 - 1:32 am Comments Off

 

The Junior Enterprises are unaware of the crisis. Despite a difficult economic environment, they display a very insolent health. Present in schools and universities, student associations such as dee managed companies had in 2011 a turnover of 8 million euros, up 14.5% compared to 2009, the year 2010 was marked by a high consolidation. Last year, no fewer than 2300 companies have sought the services of Junior Enterprises 160 French members of the National Confederation of Junior Enterprises (CNJE), which promotes the concept and the brand "Junior Company".  

Created more than forty years in order to bring the teaching of the business world, these associations Act 1901 and non-profit professional nature consist only of student volunteers perform consulting and service delivery for clients with very different profiles. "This can range from a business plan for a self-contractor, charged 1,000 euros for a qualitative study of several months for a large group, billed 30,000 euros," said Lamia Bennani Toulouse Flight's Junior Council, voted Best Junior company in France in 2011 by the CNJE.

The university is catching up

These associations have indeed lower social charges due to their special status, allowing them to offer rates up to four times lower than those offered by a traditional provider. "Besides the attractive rate of our services, it is also our expertise which is trusted," said Adrian Vasse, Chairman of the EDHEC Junior Etudes, which has seen its turnover double between 2009 and 2011 to 220,000 euros. A view shared by Matthias Brottier, the president of the CNJE, for whom "it is the concept itself is pleasing. Our members are dynamic and provide a fresh, innovative and pioneering customers. " Their microstructure and quality of association allow Junior Enterprises to be responsive, flexible and personalized service and differentiate themselves from large consulting firms.

Contrary to popular belief, the Junior Enterprises are not just about the areas of finance and engineering. They cover a wide field of activity that both of agronomy at the optical, pharmacy to graphics through the mail. Long reserved for schools, universities are fast catching up. Under the plan "Student Entrepreneurs" launched in September 2009 to publicize and develop contractor status in universities, Valérie Pécresse, Minister for Higher Education at the time, wanted to be created a "junior business "in each of the 83 French universities with the help of CNJE. Three years later, the number of junior students has almost quadrupled from 11 to 40!

Among them, the Sorbonne Junior Council, created in February 2010 into the fold of the School of Management at the Sorbonne (Paris I) and sponsored by the Education Minister Luc Chatel. During his first year, she made 10 missions including one for Air Liquide. "It's a relatively small but very honorable for a first year," said Francois-Xavier Renault, its president. The Group Tollens paints, which uses the Junior Company for a mission, declares himself "satisfied" with the quality of the mission carried out and skills emerged.

A concept taken abroad

An experience that allows students to practice the teachings they receive and identify the problems of the company while being paid. Not to mention the professional network that is built up over the missions. All assets which may be valued at the time to enter the workforce.

At a time when the political struggle to stop the rise of youth unemployment and with its experience, the CNJE intends to participate in the debate. Club Junior Enterprises, its think tank, has published a white paper last March bound for presidential candidates to improve the employability of graduates through ten proposals.

A business model that has proven to the point of export beyond our borders. Founded in 1992 on the initiative of CNJE, the JADE federates European Junior Enterprises. In 2012, there were thirty Junior Enterprises in Germany, 25 in the Netherlands, as in Italy, Switzerland 8 or 3 in Romania. And proof that we never stop learning, corporate universities also on the rise.

ALSO READ:

"Recruiters are capitalizing on the experiences in business

"Corporate universities are on a roll

"Young Generation Y," an asset "for the employer

Slowdown in world trade in 2012 and 2013

April 13, 2012 - 4:00 am Comments Off

 

At least two lean years ahead of world trade. After the 5% increase in volume recorded in 2011, already far removed from 13.8% in 2010, the growth of international trade in goods and services will fall 3.7% this year, predicts the World Trade Organization (WTO).

This slowdown shows that "downside risks remain high and that we are not out of the woods," warns its director general, Pascal Lamy. It reflects not only the crisis in the eurozone, where the risks of recession are not excluded, but the consequences of the tsunami in Japan and floods in Thailand, which disrupted production chains across Asia.

Even in China growth stalled. The World Bank has revised its forecast for Thursday GDP growth (GDP) of 8.4% to 8.2% this year. And if HSBC says the country will "rank among the top ten global markets by 2050," the bank regrets that "consumption is slow" and that "external demand remains weak."

However, it is developing countries that should benefit most from world trade in 2012, with exports and imports respectively up 5.6% and 6.2%, against 2% and 1.9% for developed countries . But the WTO, who hopes a recovery in the economy of the United States and Japan, fears and weaknesses of Europe too much of a rise in commodity prices.

"Trade restrictions"

The Geneva-based organization is little more optimistic for 2013. Although it contains the growth of international trade will rise to 5 installment payday loans.6%, with growth of 7.2% of exports of developing countries and 4.1% in developed countries. At the same time imports are projected to increase by 7.8% and 3.9% respectively. But this is little more than the 5.4% average annual increase recorded over the last twenty years. No room for complacency.

And it is certainly not sufficient to preclude the temptations of nationalism from a number of countries and the risks of a return to a more or less creeping protectionism. Pascal Lamy sees no protests yet openly declared. But he fears that "trade restrictions" appear and are "undermining the benefits of openness" in international trade. It is imperative "to revitalize the trading system to prevent such a scenario happens," pleads the Director General of the World Trade Organization.

Yet it was precisely the mission that had set the negotiations on the Doha round to liberalize world trade up. Unfortunately, begun in 2001, they are still deadlocked. And increasingly threatened by the proliferation of free trade agreements signed over the world without the WTO.

ALSO READ:

"The Asian champion free trade agreements

"The Russian industrialists against joining the WTO

"The crisis has awakened protectionist temptations

"Trade: Japan, Europe and the United States attacked China

EDF wins three offshore wind fields

April 6, 2012 - 7:04 am Comments Off

 

The games are made for the launch of the giant project of installing offshore wind turbines off the French coast. Reportedly, Alstom and EDF are expected as the big winners of the operation. The State has chosen to allocate their consortium of three fields that were at stake: those of Saint-Nazaire, Fécamp and Courseulles-sur-Mer.

Spanish Iberdrola, the French partner Areva, would win him the field of Saint-Brieuc. The fifth and last field, the Tréport, wait again, the tender was declared unsuccessful on about.

ALSO READ:

"Iberdrola is selling its wind farm in France

"Alstom and Areva compete with their offshore wind

"Wind sea: 10 000 jobs planned in France

Opel unions oppose plans for GM

March 27, 2012 - 10:28 am Comments Off

 

Tension mounts between Opel workers and their U.S. parent, General Motors (GM). The unions are still hoping to be able to bend GM, when approaching a crucial supervisory board, scheduled for Wednesday, during which its European subsidiary must submit a proposal for the closure of two plants in Europe. In a letter to the chief executive of Opel, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, unions representing 40,000 employees in the twelve production sites in Europe – in Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Spain and Hungary – say they will refuse any negotiations with management on wage cuts, which make competition between sites.

"Dear Mr. Stracke we will conduct any negotiations with you at the local level," they write according to an excerpt of the letter published by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The unions are responding to requests by management at each plant separately. Opel claims including greater flexibility in work schedules, a waiver of premiums for weekends and worked an abandonment of wage demands. The sites do not bowing to these guidelines should not expect to be selected for the production of new models, according to Peter Thom, head of production at Opel.

30% reduction in production capacity

Karl-Friedrich Stracke said a few days ago that he would respect the commitment not to close any site before the end of 2014. According to German media, GM is preparing to announce a reduction of about 30% of production capacity. The project would include the closure of sites in Bochum, Germany (3200 employees) and Ellesmere Port, UK (Vauxhall factory, 2100 employees) payday loans lenders. And relocation destinations in the cheap production costs: Poland, China, Korea, Mexico.

GM operations in Europe have lost billions of dollars over the past decade and plant closures is seen by the world number one automotive and investors on both sides of the Atlantic as crucial to restore the group's profitability in the region.

Between seven and ten plants in too

But unions are headwind against this strategy, claiming that GM could increase profitability by increasing sales or by locating more production in Europe. "GM repeats regularly with excess capacity equivalent to 500,000 cars a year, we have two factories in too, and the new manufacturing manager visited the sites one after the other by playing against each other," said Thursday a union representative of the supervisory board at Opel.

"We know the main points of the strategic plan could be presented Wednesday: he plans to plant closures and no growth for the company," he added. "If it is voted, the entire union side will vote against this plan." For Dan Akerson, Managing Director of GM Europe's automotive sector has a total of between seven and 10 plants in too. The closure of one or two sites by GM could therefore increase the pressure on his new French ally, PSA Peugeot Citroen, for it is committed on the same track.

ALSO READ:

"PSA and GM do not convince their rivals

"The Fiat boss calls to close plants in Europe

"The automobile forced to adapt to the crisis

"GM will pay 320 million for its stake in PSA

Al-Jazeera broadcast the Spanish football in France

March 13, 2012 - 4:08 pm Comments Off

 

Al-Jazeera continues its sports rights market. The sports channel funded by Qatar has indeed acquired the rights for three years of the Spanish Liga. According to one expert dossier, the headquarters of al-Jazeera would not have hesitated to put the triple, or more than 20 million euro to carry the exclusive distribution of this competition previously held by Canal +. This new contract follows the co-buying last week in the Italian championship for three years. Canal + and al-Jazeera spent $ 10 million each. A few weeks ago, the chain announced Qatar had also redeem the Europa League, for an amount that would more than double the previous transaction. In all, this is currently a total budget of 260 million euros that Al Jazeera devoted to the purchase of sports rights.

This envelope is expected to rise significantly in the coming days. Industry players are in effect suspended the announcement of the purchase rights of the Euro 2012 football and Euro 2016 football. Today the negotiations between UEFA and the Qatari channel block on the number of games that the rights holder wishes to broadcast on free channels. Indeed, UEFA would like 19 games to be visible by the largest number, more than half of the competition. That does not want al-Jazeera, which until now has consistently doubled or tripled the amount of acquired rights. TF1 and M6 on their side made a direct offer to UEFA for trying to break the deadlock.

ALSO READ:

"Al-Jazeera Sport will be launched in France by July 2012

"Al-Jazeera is needed in the French football

Free Mobile which has recruited 1.5 million customers

March 5, 2012 - 2:40 pm Comments Off

 

Who will be the big loser of the arrival of Free Mobile? While Orange, Bouygues and Vivendi have just published their annual results and must submit his Free Thursday, the operators have their accounts.

In only six weeks, Free Mobile would have earned 1.5 million customers, according to estimates by Stéphane Richard, CEO of France Telecom. Free for now refuses to confirm.

But everyone sees what he lost. Orange said 400,000 of its customers had left for Free Mobile. Bouygues Telecom, a quarter of customers since January parties have joined Free Mobile or 134000. SFR did not elaborate, but analysts said it could provide around 300,000 customers Free Mobile.

500,000 net new subscription

It remains to evaluate clients lost by MVNOs, network operators without these, like Virgin Mobile, La Poste Mobile, Auchan Telecom, etc.. "Some of these operators have lost heavily at the start of Free Mobile. While some have reacted very quickly, it was to stop the bleeding. They have de facto acted as shock absorbers for Orange, SFR and Bouygues, "said one analyst.

MVNOs with models based on commitment and with a strong distribution network suffered the least. And NRJ Mobile, which has 90% of customer engagement in and benefits from the network of bank branches CM-CIC, has limited the damage. The operator that displays 1.1 million customers continued to win in January, before losing around 5,000 in February. "Ultimately, MVNOs may have lost between 200,000 and 300,000 customers," said one analyst.

Summing up all these figures, Free Mobile would have earned about a million customers in the market in its various competitors. The remaining 500,000 would net creation, that is to say, new subscriptions. Given its attractive price, consumers who already have a subscription and can be subscribed to the offer 2 euros (EUR 0 Free for subscribers) as a second subscription or subscription relief.

One thing is certain: the fierce competitive battle was triggered not leave room for all operators and everyone is fighting for its survival.

ALSO READ:

"The network Free Mobile disrupted

"134,000 Bouygues Telecom customers left at Free

Chartier: "The proposal Holland accelerate de-industrialization"

February 29, 2012 - 3:08 am Comments Off

 

LE FIGARO. – What do you think of the proposal of François Hollande to fight against the dismantling of French companies?

Jerome Chartier. – I think she will have three effects: be an accelerator of deindustrialization, insofar as an investor does not take the risk now to resume or expand a business in France for fear of not being free to to act. Francois Hollande first puts the brakes, then it must instead press the accelerator. It expresses all the difference between the administered economy, which it promotes, and regulated the economy, which is the one that defends Nicolas Sarkozy. The second effect is the return of any power of attorney of the Commercial Court which, in the early Mitterrand, had helped to give up half of French industry in symbolic franc. And again, it had never prevented or layoffs or the dismantling. Finally, and this is the third effect, this proposal is an absolute breach of property rights remains one of the founding principles of the Republican base.

Nevertheless, 800,000 industrial jobs were lost in France in ten years

.

These numbers are for the period 1998-2008. The dates are important because they correspond to the vote and the implementation of laws 35 hours. Malthusian principle was actually an accelerator relocations to the extent that, when you can not do enough work your employees in France to address the backlog, you produce elsewhere. Since 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy has stepped up to reindustrialise France. In its report released Friday, the OECD also welcome the research tax credit, the elimination of business tax and the status of the freelancer as good structural measures.

VAT can social relaunch "produce in France"?

Yes, it serves to finance a decrease of 12.12% in payroll taxes, but we will continue to do so to produce the same cost or cheaper than our competitors, Germany and Italy, and not China or India as would have us believe the French Francois Hollande.

ALSO READ:

"Industrial Employment: when the government gets involved

"Nicolas Sarkozy defends" the produce in France "

Greece, resigned, awaits the verdict of the European

February 20, 2012 - 8:32 am Comments Off

 

A new episode is crucial for Greece plays Monday in Brussels. Finance ministers of the euro area must agree on the second bailout, 130 billion euros. They must also erase the floor on 50% of the debt with private creditors, or 100 billion euros. Crunch time for Athens to meet March 20 to maturity of debt of 14.5 billion.

Representatives of the ECB and finance ministries have called yesterday to advance to the final details. But many European leaders showed their confidence in recent days. Just yesterday, the Austrian finance minister, Maria Fekter, was upbeat about a deal: "For now, we will exactly in that direction." Even if it recognizes that "there will be intense negotiations on control mechanisms. "  

For its part, the Greek government keeps its commitments: Saturday it approved the final plan for additional savings, amounting to 325 million euros (cuts in pensions, lowering the minimum wage), claimed by the Troika EU-ECB-IMF in exchange for the release of funds.

With the deadline approached, the Greeks were again called upon to take to the streets yesterday. But austerity exhausted, they no longer have the heart to manifest. The depredations committed a week earlier in the center of Athens in small groups of anarchists-as the burning of a listed building of the nineteenth century, gave a very bad image of the country. And while some still hoped to then change the course of things, the adoption by government austerity measures makes them feel that much is now played.

Attachment to the euro

Under a blazing sun, only three thousand trade unionists from the private and public had traveled to Parliament, meeting under a banner that proclaimed, in Greek: "The policies we require an effort of national unity but there nation has more than when there is more that of the hungry and destitute! "In the crowd, another banner proclaimed in English:" We are all Greeks, Merkel and Sarkozy are freaks! "(" We are all Greeks, Merkel and Sarkozy are crazy! ").

But the protesters do not represent the whole of Greece. Walking through the rural areas of the Peloponnese, we see that the population has resigned itself to the efforts required by the troika of countries. "People here realize that Euroscepticism is leading nowhere and that the output of the euro would be a disaster for everyone," says Le Figaro Petros Tatoulis, the elected president of the region, who gave up any political affiliation. "It is for us now to invent a new model of development and export our fine Mediterranean products under the brand name of the Peloponnese, which is received worldwide as a premium brand." ….. …

A survey shows that 73% of Greeks are in favor of maintaining in the euro area, although only 49% of them believe the country will succeed in the next two years.

The problem now is what political leadership is responsible for the implementation of austerity measures. Elections are scheduled for April. But according to another survey, the two major parties of former coalition government today (PASOK and New Democracy) would collect a total of only a quarter of the votes, the lion's share going to the extreme left. But leaders of the latter have been careful to make any commitments in writing in respect of the troika.

ALSO READ:

"Greece: relieved markets, Europe remains wary

"Greek MPs vote austerity measures

"Rigor: Greek power facing the street

"Greece: Merkel and Sarkozy put pressure

Spain wants to avoid foreclosures

February 18, 2012 - 1:32 pm Comments Off

 

The Spanish Minister of Economy, Luis de Guindos, began talks with the country's banks to reduce the number of foreclosures, which increase with the crisis. It should bring forward proposals to try to avoid eviction of defaulters.

The Conservative government of Mariano Rajoy seized and a sensitive social issue, of concern to all Spaniards and which took up the movement of Indignados. In 2010, 100,000 families were expropriated by Spanish banks for unpaid bills, a number four times higher than in 2007.

This worsening situation is as much a crisis as the structure of the real estate market. In Spain, 83% of the population own their homes, a record in the European Union. Despite a change in attitude since the bursting of the housing bubble, the rental market is still very small.

At the height of the housing boom, banks have extended credit indiscriminately to 100% or more of the property value, and floating rate over periods of up to 40 years.

Bombs

As the seizures, the bankers became the first Realtors in the country. These properties are difficult to sell in a sluggish market, now constitute a time bomb in bank balance sheets payday loans for self employed.

The Bank of Spain on Friday issued the rate of bad loans of Spanish banks. At 7.87% in December 2011, the highest figure since 1994, more than double the rate that prevailed there are still three years. These credits, some of which will never be repaid, mainly concern the real estate sector and amounted to 135.7 billion euros.

Between bad loans and a stock of unsold real estate and land, assets considered "problematic" – as to the uncertain value – totaled 176 billion euros in June 2011.

Financial reform prepared by the Executive aims to clean up the banking sector, the main source of market fears. The aim is to promote the absorption of small structures deficit by leading banks and compel credit institutions to strengthen their reserves of 52 billion euros.

The law was passed Thursday by a large majority of MPs. A sacred union rarely given the urgency of the crisis.

ALSO READ:

"Young Spaniards, a lost generation

"Valencia, the city of all excesses, on the verge of bankruptcy

The Competition Authority provides an active year

February 17, 2012 - 8:24 am Comments Off

 

The Competition Authority celebrates its 25th anniversary, in great shape, according to its President Bruno Lasserre. "We are the most active authority in Europe. The European Commission acknowledges, as it reminds us more and more business, such as the merging Transdev and Veolia or the redemption of Brossette by Point P is still ongoing, "welcomes this member Council of State , who heads the institution since 2004 and until at least March 2014.

The balance sheet of 2011 shows. The Authority fined 420 million euros in fines, almost as much in 2010. The producers of detergents were sentenced to the penalty most important, 367.9 million euros, shared between Procter & Gamble, Henkel and Colgate, who appealed. The second sanctioned firm, Canal +, also challenged his fine of 30 million euros. This issue of the recovery of GST is being reviewed by the Authority.

Less iconic but much more regular – three out of four – are the opinions in mergers and acquisitions. Of a total of 255 cases of concentration, nearly half involved the retail operators have received 207 times the green light. This was the case for the recovery of Habitat Cafom by or for the Republican takeover of Eastern by Crédit Mutuel.

Four sectors continue to retain the attention of the Authority in 2012: the retail, banking, rail transport and the media. After being interested in food distribution, especially in Paris (opinion of 11 January 2012), the Authority will be released in June "the first major survey of the competitive pressure that online retailers have over traditional stores. We will examine the entire chain of online sales: payment, delivering packages or shopping engines, "enumerates Bruno Lasserre.

Another survey conducted by the Authority may make a stir in March, she will speak on the automobile maintenance and repair, market largely controlled by the manufacturers. The extensive work on commissions paid between banks on payment (check, credit card, TIP, transfers …) will also be continued this year with no defined horizon.

The position of Casino in Paris

"The fact that companies bring more resources to challenge our decisions is proof of the relevance of our work, says Bruno Lasserre. Our budget is 20 million euros, an amount equivalent to that booked by banks to defend themselves in the only case of checks, "he says. The Authority considers, however, have "enough tools." However, one missing, the power of injunction. The Authority has certainly since 2008, but it can not exercise it only under three conditions: there must be a dominant position, which the actor in question and persistently abused. Field is too restrictive in the eyes of the institution that claims to have already convinced, left, the candidate Francois Hollande, probably also due to the action of the City of Paris. Because it lacked authority to order the Authority for Casino, which it considers the dominant position in the food market in the capital. Bruno Lasserre however recalled that if Casino decides to exercise its option to purchase 50% of Monoprix, "we would ask conditions, including sales of stores."

ALSO READ:

"Free: the competition for help in purchasing power