Setting up a business

[Mishtoon]

Hi there,

Does anyone know of a really good book (or website) that explains the in's and out's of setting up a business in France?  (Apologies if this has already appeared somewhere on the Forum but I have searched and could not see anything?)  I am really looking to answer such questions as:

What is the process for setting up as a micro-entreprise;

What is the process for setting up as a salaried person living in France but working for a UK company;

What are all the organisations involved?  I hear about URSSAF, ASSEDIC, and other such acronyms but does anyone know of a book (or website for that matter) that can explain the different Government organisations one needs to be concerned about when setting up in business here?

I have a meeting set up with the Chamber of Commerce but wanted to be fore-armed with as much info as possible before going there.

Perhaps I am looking at it too simplistically and that the information may not be all in one place but I am hoping not to have to access lots of different places in order to get to the information I need. 

Any pointers appreciated!

Many thanks

[Motorhead]

I've  just got hold of a copy of "Making A Living In France" by Joe Laredo (is that his real name?). Just skimmed through it so far and although there are already a couple of glaring innaccuracies (he thinks Haute Vienne is in the Auvergne for instance) it seems quite good on the whole. Plenty of case studies and details of all the different company types etc.

[Iceni]

I could be wrong, but from the advice that Coco gave us

What is the process for setting up as a salaried person living in France but working for a UK company;

Could be the most expensive way possible as you would HAVE to set up a French office and pay all the  French cottisations as well as the UK ones payable by your company and your own NI.

Best of luck - we found the cheapest route was to find a good accountant and take their advice.

[Jo Taylor]

[quote]I've just got hold of a copy of "Making A Living In France" by Joe Laredo (is that his real name?). Just skimmed through it so far and although there are already a couple of glaring innaccuracies (he...[/quote]

Yes, it's his real name. Suggest you email Survival Books to notify any error - I don't have this particular book but their website address & email should be in the back.

Jo

[Macker]

http://www.totalfrance.com/france/fiches.php?fiche_id=1

[Will]

There is no standard answer as the requirements vary widely according to the nature of the business. Even who you register with is different - e.g. local Chambre de Commerce if you are selling goods (or some services), Chambres de Metiers for tradesmen etc, direct with URSSAF or with a professional body for certain other things, and so on...

The information is available in one place, and that is an official French website www.apce.com, but apart from a few English-language summary pages it is all in French and can be very hard work. Otherwise, be very wary of what you read on websites, particularly those without professional backing (and even those which are professionally authored can be misleading, e.g. advice may be offered by a taxation specialist for minimising tax, but what you save on the impôts may be more than swallowed up by social charges). However, www.frenchentree.com has generally high quality advice provided by specialists. Much of what appears on forums like this can be wrong, outdated, or only half the story - one person's experiences will seldom be mirrored elesewhere, with different establishments and different officials.

Probably the best source of information outside France itself for English speakers is the French Chamber of Commerce in London, which publishes a book on setting up a business in France, and regularly updates the book (most books of this nature can go out of date very quickly).