What levers distinguish companies that progress from those that stagnate in a tense economic environment? Between European regulatory pressure, the reshaping of value chains, and the acceleration of artificial intelligence, business strategies in 2024 are not just a list of best practices. They are measured by their ability to adapt to new constraints, sometimes enacted mid-year.
AI Act and compliance: the regulatory parameter that most business strategies ignore
The majority of content dedicated to business strategies in 2024 recommends adopting artificial intelligence to gain productivity. Few mention that the legal framework has radically changed with the entry into force of the European regulation AI Act (EU) 2024/1689 on August 1, 2024.
This regulation imposes a binding timeline. Since February 2025, unacceptable AI practices are prohibited: social scoring, subliminal manipulation, exploitation of psychological vulnerabilities, certain biometric practices. Any company that used these logics in its customer acquisition or scoring tools had to revise its approach.
Since August 2025, general-purpose AI models (large language models used for marketing, customer support, or content creation) are subject to governance obligations. Providers and their B2B clients share this responsibility. A small or medium-sized enterprise that uses an AI tool for recruitment, credit, or services must now document its processes and assess the associated risks.
For leaders structuring their business around business on CCM Recrutement, this regulatory dimension directly alters the criteria for selecting tools and technology partners.
Comparative table: strategic priorities by company size
Growth levers do not deploy in the same way depending on the structure. The table below contrasts the priority axes for a small/medium enterprise and for a mid-sized/large company, based on documented constraints for 2024.
| Strategic Axis | Small / Medium Enterprise | Mid-sized / Large Company |
|---|---|---|
| AI Compliance (AI Act) | Audit of used SaaS tools, verification with publishers | Establishment of internal AI governance, mapping of deployed models |
| Sustainability and ESG criteria | Initial simplified reporting, choice of responsible suppliers | Integration of CSRD, structured non-financial reporting |
| Technological rationalization | Focus on 2-3 high-impact tools, elimination of unused licenses | Service level agreements (SLA) with suppliers, optimization of the application portfolio |
| Customer acquisition | Niche marketing, specialized content, affiliation | Large-scale personalization via compliant AI, sector partnerships |
What stands out: regulatory compliance has become a strategic item, not just a legal cost. Small and medium enterprises that fully delegate this issue to their SaaS provider are taking a real operational risk.
Sustainability and ESG criteria: a measurable competitive advantage in 2024
Companies that integrate sustainable practices into their strategy are no longer just responding to societal pressure. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria now condition access to certain public markets, bank financing, and B2B partnerships.
The convergence between the AI Act and the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) creates a double requirement for European companies. Those using AI in their value chain must both document their algorithms and report on their non-financial impact. The CSRD and the AI Act overlap in their transparency requirements, pushing SMEs to structure their internal data much earlier than expected.
Specifically, three axes deserve particular attention:
- Evaluating suppliers based on verifiable ESG criteria, not just declarative ones, to secure B2B tenders that incorporate these filters
- Documented reduction of the carbon footprint related to digital tools (hosting, AI models, cloud infrastructure), a line item often underestimated in carbon balances
- Training teams on double materiality (financial impact and societal impact), a central concept of the CSRD that many leaders discover at the time of reporting
Resource rationalization: creating value without multiplying tools
In a context where budgets are tightening, technological rationalization generates more margin than adding a new tool. Several companies accumulate SaaS licenses whose actual use does not exceed a fraction of the available functionalities.
The effective approach is to audit the entire application portfolio, identify duplicates, and negotiate SLAs (service level agreements) tailored to actual needs. At the same time, adjusting human resources according to activity peaks through specialized freelancers allows maintaining service quality without burdening fixed payroll.
This logic also applies to marketing. Instead of spreading efforts across all channels, focusing the budget on one or two controlled acquisition channels yields more readable results. Affiliate marketing, targeted sector content, and organic search remain the most profitable levers for organizations that cannot afford massive advertising presence.
Skills and recruitment: the limiting factor of 2024 strategies
No strategy produces results without the skills to execute it. The pressure on the job market in France particularly affects profiles capable of combining industry expertise and mastery of digital tools.
Companies that recruit effectively in 2024 share a common point: they precisely define the skills sought before publishing a job offer. A poorly framed position attracts unsuitable applications and extends the process by several weeks.
- Prioritize skills in data management and regulatory compliance (AI Act, GDPR, CSRD), which are becoming transversal across all sectors
- Integrate negotiation and digital marketing as foundational skills, even for technical profiles
- Utilize specialized freelancers for occasional tasks related to compliance or the deployment of AI tools
Companies that treat AI compliance as a HR project as much as a legal one gain a competitive edge. Training existing teams is cheaper than recruiting a rare profile in a tight market.
The common thread of these strategies remains the same: in 2024, value creation relies less on accumulating new tools or channels than on finely mastering regulatory constraints, rigor in resource allocation, and the ability to train teams on topics that competitors will discover later.