Making a living selling paintings, sculpture, jewellery and other artistic products is very hard. To succeed, you must be either lucky or outstandingly talented (usually both). Nevertheless, arts and crafts can be a useful (and enjoyable) sideline if you have the talent and are good at marketing. Note that itinerant dealers (working in fairs or markets, etc.) must have a certificate, obtainable from the Préfecture de Police.
Farming
In recent years, an increasing number of foreigners have purchased farms in France. In general, farmland is cheaper in France than in any other western European country, although it varies considerably. Owing to the fact that the population is drifting away from the country into urban areas, the French government encourages the purchase of farmland. As in all countries, farming in France is fraught with problems, particularly the vagaries of the weather (e.g. droughts, floods and late frosts), declining food prices and under-capitalisation. If you’re seriously under-capitalised, as many farmers are, your chances of success are remote. Despite ‘generous’ EU subsidies, it can be difficult to make a living from running a farm and you’re extremely unlikely to get rich doing so. Farming is also strictly regulated: the purchase of farmland must be approved by SAFER and you must obtain permission from the Direction Départementale de l’Agriculture et de la Forêt (DDAF) to run a farm. Farmers aged between 21 and 40 with recognised farming qualifications may qualify for financial incentives to buy farms in France, including government grants and low interest loans
Restaurants
Despite their reputation for traditionalism (to the point of dogmatism), when it comes to cuisine, the French are increasingly, although gradually, developing a taste for more exotic fare and in particular ‘health’ foods such as organic ( bio) and even vegetarian ( végétarien) and vegan ( végétalien). The supply, production or importation of specialist food products is, therefore, a possible opportunity if you have knowledge and experience in this area. Another possibility is to set up as a (general) caterer ( traiteur), preferably with premises where parties and wedding receptions, etc. can be held. The French often use caterers, even for small dinners, and generally prefer to hire a function room or hall for large functions than to go to a restaurant or hotel.
France is obviously famous for its wine, but there are many other regional drinks which might provide an opportunity for making a living, such as armagnac and cognac in the south-west; calvados, cider, perry and pommeau in Normandy; Pineau des Charentes in Poitou-Charentes; and numerous fortified wine-based drinks, especially in the south. Buying and operating a vineyard isn’t something to be taken lightly, as it requires a lot of hard work and resources. It definitely isn’t for those of retirement age, as you must be strong and fit. It’s essential to hire experienced staff if you’re inexperienced, as it can take years to become a viticulture expert. Nevertheless, if you’re successful, the financial rewards can be enormous. As with all farming, the weather is the biggest threat to your livelihood: a frost in late spring can destroy your entire grape crop overnight, and heavy rain or, worse, hail in September can ruin the wine. Vineyard prices vary enormously, e.g. from around €10,000 per hectare right up to €400,000 per hectare. There are obviously many expenses to be added to the price of a property, including machinery and equipment, bottles and corks, the printing of labels and staff.
Legal practices in France
There are opportunities for qualified lawyers and solicitors to practise in France, most likely with British and English-speaking clients (e.g. house-buying and business set-up), although you must obviously have a high level of French and detailed knowledge of the French legal system, and must of course register with the appropriate authorities. Financial services, such as tax and mortgage advice, are almost the exclusive preserve of big banks and financial institutions, and independent financial services, including insurance and mortgage brokering, are virtually unknown in France. If you’re offering a share buying and selling service or portfolio management, you need accreditation by the Commission des Opérations de Bourse.
Working as a driver
To be a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver in France, even if you have a foreign HGV certificate, you must obtain a French poids lourds licence and a formation initiale minimale obligatoire ( FIMO) qualification, which requires at least four weeks’ training. Courses are organised by the Association Française des Transports Routiers Internationaux (www.aftri.com ). Most of the large taxi companies in the cities and large towns are short of drivers who speak foreign languages, which means that taxi driving could be an opportunity for Anglophones with a good level of French. However, there are a number of criteria that must be fulfilled. You must obtain a certificate proving professional capacity, administrative authorisation from the mairie and the préfecture to be able to park on public roads, a medical certificate (renewable annually), a trading card, proof of no criminal convictions and a driving licence that you’ve held for at least two years. You must then undertake a 300 to 400-hour training course covering the theoretical and practical sides of taxi driving.
It goes without saying that, in order to be a translator, you must have an extremely high level of written French, which comes only with years of study if you aren’t fortunate enough to have been brought up bilingual. If you’re translating from French to English (which you will be unless you’re bilingual), you should note that the majority of French people are reluctant to engage native speakers for this purpose, believing that six years of school English lessons has equipped them to write perfect English (even though they cannot string a sentence together orally). You, therefore, must be a persuasive salesman as well as a skilled translator.
This article is an extract from Making a living in France.
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