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Articles: Business

Setting up a shop in France:
Practical tips and advice

Retailing can offer a wealth of opportunities for expatriates, and an obvious avenue is to look at what your fellow countrymen might miss from home or you may prefer to look at the feasibility of a product which appeals to French customers. More...
Hiring staff:
What you have to consider

Employers usually issue a formal contract stating such details as job title, position, salary, working hours, benefits, duties and responsibilities, and the duration of employment. Employment contracts usually contain a paragraph stating the date from which they take effect and to whom they apply. More...
Couples:
Taxes and registering for couples that own a company

If you’re setting up your business as a couple, it’s important to think about how the various financial rights and responsibilities are to be shared. Whether or not your spouse is going to work with you in the business, you must know what your marital regime is and how this affects your various choices regarding the type of business you set up. More...
Buying a Business:
How to take over a business in France

It’s much easier to take over a business than to start from scratch and it may be less of a risk, although there are possible disadvantages as well. The French aren’t in a habit of selling successful businesses – even to make a profit – and businesses are usually passed down from generation to generation; if a business is for sale, it may be because it has been unsuccessful. More...
Hospitality business:
Opening a bar, restaurant or hotel in France

What better way to make a living than sitting in the sun, chatting to customers over a glass of wine? If you think this is the kind of business you would like to run in France, you must banish those daydreams and face up to reality. The hospitality trade, especially bars in tourist areas, is one of the riskiest in France. This article looks at why those people have been successful and explores some of the pitfalls that lie in wait for the unwary and the ill prepared. More...
Research:
What you need to know before setting up your business

It’s imperative to conduct exhaustive research before starting a business in France. In fact, it’s even more important, as the cost and complexity of setting up a business, particularly if you need to buy or rent premises, are usually very high. More...
Defining your strategy:
Business Plan and location

Whether you’re starting a business or ‘simply’ becoming self-employed, it’s imperative to draw up a detailed business plan. It defines on your aims and focuses your attention on your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The location of your business is also very important. More...
Financial planning:
How to finance your business in France

Running a business in France, whether you’re self-employed or the owner of a company, can – and should – be enjoyable and rewarding, but at the end of the day, business is business and you must at least break even to survive; if you want to enjoy the fruits of your labour as well as the labour itself, you must make a profit. More...
Insurances:
How to insure your business in France

It’s essential that your business is properly insured. This article covers the compulsory insurances for various types of business, and also looks at other insurances relevant to businesses and the self-employed. More...
Accounting:
Keeping the books of your company in France

French accounting principles derive from the Code de Commerce and the Plan Comptable Général, which are amended and updated periodically by the Conseil National de la Comptabilité, as well as from the Code Général Des Impôts. It involves a host of complex rules that must be observed. More...
Pensions:
What do you have to pay in France?

The state employee pension scheme – which for non-managers is administered by an organisation called La Fédération des Institutions de Retraite Complémentaire des Salariés and for executives and managers ( cadres) by the Association Générale des Institutions de Retraite des Cadres– comprises basic and supplementary schemes. Contributions are paid by employers and employees and vary with income. More...
Banking:
What banking services are available for companies?

You can open a bank account whether you’re resident or non-resident. It’s best to open a bank account in person, rather than by correspondence from abroad. Ask your friends, neighbours or colleagues for their recommendations and make an appointment at the bank of your choice. More...

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