Setting up a B&B

[Jez]

Hi everyone,

I am sorry this topic must have been covered before........

Picture the scene, you have moved to France[ 2 days and only one half of partnership]

You have decided to open a B&B and other than knowing about cleaning, hard work and divorce [ that probably to come!].. we have no experience in how the system works...nothing like jumping in with two feet..

We will have 3 rooms to rent out,

Do we have to register with anyone?

The Marie knows what we are doing we spoke to him first.[very limited french]

How do we work out the tax? will there be any due, if we do not make much money?

When we stayed before in a hotel we paid 1 euro tax, is this just hotels?

We are living in Dept.79.

Do customers need to sign in, do you have to have passport copies,

how will they pay [other than  cheque and euros.]

how much does it cost for a credit card machine, is it worth getting one?

We have a paypal account set up would this work?

We are only in our early thirties would anyone like to take us under their wing?

What are the regulations for Fire [or does that depend on number of rooms]

Thanks everyone for help along a very long path...

Kim

[Tresco]

Hi, you're probably hoping for a quick response, and as you havn't had one yet, here goes.

I don't have any knowledege about the questions you've asked, but....

Have you tried rooting through the archives here. At the bottom of each page there will be something like 'previous 15/page' and on and on. If you go there, you may find answers to some of your questions, just to start with. Having said that, I hope you are inundated with more helpful replies.

tresco

[Russethouse]

You could also try the 'advanced search' option, you will get the most useful results by being fairly specific.

Have you looked at the living france book selection - I think there is a fairly new book on this topic that got reasonable reviews

http://shop.livingfrance.com/lvfra/product.asp?mscssid=PTG0Q8VJECV59LN7NU8A91UT2AKB291E&dept%5Fid=11&pf%5Fid=F%2FR16

Good Luck

[Miki]

Right the footies over and as we were first up, I will have a go for you....

We will have 3 rooms to rent out, Do we have to register with anyone?

Legally, it will depend entirely on how your chambre de commerce and tax office see the situation. Some departments will say it is simply an amateur affair (the hotel trade do not like the huge increase in recent years by all the B&B’s opening up and trying to make it a bit awkward and not just the Brits who are small fry in the realm of French chambres d’hôtes) but some areas are now saying if it's your only income, then it's a business and the C de Com will want you to sign up.

Now the best you can hope for, is to inform the Marie and also the tax office and decide on the best tax regime for you (Micro Bic is the obvious choice here). If you find that the local C de Com insist you sign on with them, scrap the whole idea, 3 rooms are barely sufficient to feed you and pay everyday bills let alone pay all the cotisation bills.

How do we work out the tax? will there be any due, if we do not make much money?

Don’t worry about tax yet, you have earned nothing to date and with 3 rooms you will never pay tax on that part but if it is topped up by other incomes, then all together you may well be liable. With a B&B business you will get a 72% abattement (allowance), this means only 28% of your money (gross) is due for taxation.

When we stayed before in a hotel we paid 1 euro tax, is this just hotels?

No, it is not just hotels and this is entirely down to your area. We know many who pay a taxe de séjour and many more who don’t with their B&B. It tends to be the more tourist areas that pay this taxe and it is graded as well. From 1 to 5 star with hotels, campings by how many stars they carry and the same for B&B’s and other tourist related accommodation. The higher your standing, the more you have to charge the client.

Do customers need to sign in, do you have to have passport copies,

No to passports in B&B’s, legally a control can be made by the police and they can well tell you, that all residents must be known and addresses known. We tend to know the names of most of our visitors and can be a little slack at times. It might be prudent to get your guests to simply write their names and address in a book.

how will they pay [other than  cheque and euros.]

That is how they will pay, perhaps you could take Sterling cheques, backed up by a bank card

how much does it cost for a credit card machine, is it worth getting one?

You will be extremely lucky to get one these days unless you are registered with the Ch de Com. Most banks now require your siret number to show you are a bone fide commerce. For 3 rooms, not really worth getting one with or without a siret..

We have a paypal account set up would this work?

For taking deposits why not ? Only one problem, the majority of any  French bookers will not have a clue how to pay by that method but with luck a few Americans might but not many of them about these days ! Try Nochex for British clients, cheaper and easier to use. Neither not much good for taking final payments.

We are only in our early thirties would anyone like to take us under their wing?

No !!

What are the regulations for Fire [or does that depend on number of rooms]

Run like buggery ! Serious answer, no regs at all but I would check on houses with a second floor where regs may well come in to play. We have full hotel type fire system, as it was originally built for such and even if we hadn’t inherited it all, we would have put some sensors and fire extinguishers in the house.

Thanks everyone for help along a very long path..

 and very winding (now where have I heard that before ?)

Good luck

 

[Alexis]

Miki!  Miki!  You forgot about buying a large leather satchel and leaving it wide open on the hall table .....

[Miki]

[quote]Miki! Miki! You forgot about buying a large leather satchel and leaving it wide open on the hall table .....[/quote]

Alexis,

You saying that, had me laughing.

That is what we used to accuse the Fruit &  Veg wholesalers and motor dealers (sorry, purveyors of fine automobiles) of doing when we lived in West London !!

Bang on for them but unfortunately, guests would wonder what the hell a nice large empty leather satchel was doing in our hallway

I have never witnessed such an influx of people doing gites and chambres d'hôtes, as in the last 2 years, good luck to them all but where will it all end ? We may well know one day but for now, how well are the ones that speak no French whatsoever actually doing ?

I know some of the owners on here are doing well enough but what about the multitude of others, not those who are semi or retired and just after "pin money" but those that need to make a living, are they really getting enough income to survive after the stock has run out ?

 

[zeb]

Another group of Brits (two couples) have arrived in our tiny village (on the road to nowhere) with plans to open their house as a Cd'H. We already have two which are Brit run and which rely on the house hunter trade.

Although the countryside here is nice, we are hardly in a touristy area, so don't know how these people will make a living. Very brave.

regards........helen

[Alexis]

I must be honest and say it is something I wouldn't even think about.  Even ten years ago it was too uncertain a living for me.  I think the best idea is to plan on making nothing and then if someone actually stops, it is a bonus.

I am not saying folk can't make a living because obviously they can but the uncertainty would drive me bonkers.  I like to know that I can pay my bills and eat.

I think a lot of people, desperate to leave the UK, decide that this is the only solution for them because they can't speak French and, therefore, would have difficulty finding a job.

Who can blame them for trying?

Just thinking.  How many of the boards members actually work here other than running a b&b, gite, camp site?  I don't think there are many of us.  (Us in the Royal term as I do *** all at the moment but believe me I have had some 'special' jobs here!!)

[Dick Smith]

Some random thoughts. I know very little about running B&B, just stopping in them, but many years ago when there were far less around a hostess told me that she could not make a living from 4/5 rooms, it just supplemented what her husband earned. The only place I ever stopped where there was not some other money-earning enterprise was a large gîte/B&B complex. It seems that those people who contribute on this list and make a living have previous experience or have been doing it a long time, and they don't make fortunes. Books such as Alistair Sawday's suggest to me that there are many established places, and the market might be difficult to break into.

My UK bank (Lloyds) has a 'new business' pack, basically a computer modelling program which takes you through the steps of creating a business plan. I have used this to prove (to myself) that a cherished dream would not work - I would suggest that anyone thinking of this move gets one such and runs through it. If you are happy on all of the above points, and have enough money to live whilst you prepare for the first guests, then go for it.

[Quillan]

As a B&B owner myself I totally agree with what Miki has written and would consider it good advice and there are some others in the past (two if memory serves me well) who have given good advice on tax and Chambre of Commerce which are well worth a read.

Some of the comments made by others above are quite good and valid. It very much depends on what you want out of life. Many, like myself, use it to supplement their income, others expect it to support them totally. My observations so far have indicated that unless you have something very spectacular the chances of succeeding on just a B&B income is very small. One often sees B&B's up for sale (LF magazine is one source) offered by those that have piled money in only to realise too late that they won't be able to live of the income. We know of a couple of B&B's within a 50 mile radius who have failed and gone home or who currently have B&B's for sale. It's rather sad really.

The comment about language is good, I did not speak French before coming here (learnt German at school, badly, and not very useful here) and am desperately trying to learn. Being able to speak French does open many doors for you. Not having the time to attend French lessons here we have actually made a point of aiming our marketing at the French sector which has helped me a lot and has been very amusing at times particularly with my poor pronunciation.

I actually like the uncertainty of waiting for guests to arrive; it keeps you on your toes and in a strange way is quite exciting. Having said that the importance of good advertising is paramount, not just who you advertise with but the format of the advertisements themselves.

I think quality of your accommodation is also very important as is now the expected en-suite bathrooms and general cleanliness of the establishment. In our area of France the prefecture has stated that much of the accommodation falls well beneath ‘European Standards’ which helps us by the fact that we do have nice clean en-suite rooms and make a lot of effort to help people enjoy their stay with us. A grading scheme in our area is being compulsory introduced which I actually agree with as there are one or two terrible B&B’s out there, so we have heard.

There is a certain element of people, not just English, who do seem to think that you can ‘tosh out’ a couple of rooms and hang a sign up in the window and wait for the people to queue at your door, totally wrong of course and they are normally the first on the ‘boat’ back to wherever they came from.

As others have mentioned it’s not an easy life either. Up at the crack of dawn (6:00 – 6:30) and then late nights (1:00 or 2:00 in the morning) entertaining guests at dinner then when they have gone to bed we have to clean, wash up and I like to set the tables for the morning, gives me an extra 10 minutes in bed. It’s bloody hard work and not for the week hearted buy hey it’s great fun.

This year is our third year and we have done reasonably well, it has paid our utility bills and fed us but it has not paid for heating in the winter or the running of the car. We started with two rooms and added a third at the end of the first year and a fourth this year and that’s it, there’s no more space. We have a large garden with wooded area and the river Aude borders two sides, we have plans to put two cabins in the garden but it’s capital money spent which we will never get back and one has to keep this in mind.

So all in all I and the wife actually enjoy what we are doing which is ever so important and have great fun doing it which is lucky I guess but if we had to rely on this as our only form of income we also would be heading back to the UK.

So to the original poster I would say use this forum and any other source you can get information from. Think long, hard and carefully before you commit yourselves as it can be a very costly mistake if you get it wrong. Having a good partner who wants exactly the same as you is also extremely important. That last sentence is very important as not many people have experienced living 24/7 with their partner before and this in it’s self can be a big problem to some and can take a bit of getting use to.

Hope this helps.

PS. Thanks to all those on the forum who helped us a couple of years back, probably wouldn't be here now without it.

[Cerise]

I would endorse what both Miki and Quillan have to say - but as someone who is doing their best to make a living from Chambres D'Hotes I would not like to be too discouraging for Kim.

I think it is possible but only if you really WORK.  We are trying to specialise in holidays for small groups e.g. photographers, walkers and we set up days out etc for our guests, pick people up from restaurants so that they don't have to drive, as well as cook, clean etc.  It is also important to have an all year round clientele and enough money to get started and tide you over until you start earning.  Last year we had clients when other establishments in the area were empty, but we have worked hard at advertising. I speak good French and approximately 40% of our guests have been French and, if I say so myself, we put a lot of effort into it.  Having said that we both enjoy what we are doing and hope that we will be successful. 

In the past few weeks, however, I have been approached by no less than 4 people in the area asking me about running B&B and all of them have thought that they could simply hang up a sign and people would arrive.  They have also given no thought to such things as the quantity of linen required, the long hours spent cleaning and ironing, and they have all been under the impression that it is a doddle.  I find it amazing that so many people expect something for nothing - and also that they expect me to help them set up down the road!!

That said, I am eternally grateful to the people who gave me help and encouragement, but I was bright enough not to ask people on my own doorstep.  By the way the other half was previously a purveyor of quality used vehicles - so has he just gone from one dodgy trade to another?

Suggest, Kim, that you print off the Gites de France regulations - even if you don't advertise with them it will give you an idea of the rules and regs and standards required.  Chat to whoever is responsible for tourism in your area and think about all possible avenues for advertising.

Good luck if you decide it is really for you.

 

Maggi

 

 

[Miki]

Maggi,

I agree with you on most of this but would simply like to pick up and agree or offer another side on a couple of points

  It is also important to have an all year round clientele and enough money to get started and tide you over until you start earning. 

Absolutely agree with having a year or two of survival money behind you, just in case ! As for a year round clientele, well that is probably the most difficult part of all. Here, near Saint Malo, where it is almost a recognised as a year round resort, many hotels and Chambres d'hôtes shut down for up to 3 months, more in some cases.

The reason is two fold really, for some (especially in the case of some hotels) 9 months or so is ample time to gain a living, in which case they will need 3 months to recharge the batteries and do remedial or renovation works. Plus although the region has year round demand, there really is not a huge demand out of season, so employing people and heating etc makes it often worthwhile to shut in readiness for a March opening.

In our case, we really do need to close and put our feet up for a few months. I know why some people will need to open all year but honestly, we would pack it in if we had to do go at it 100% throughout the year. We would be cream crackered and so the place would no doubt suffer and so more importantly perhaps, would our behaviour to our guests. That is how we see it but naturally every place and their owners, will see it different.

Another thing we are extremely glad about, is how the house has been nicely divided up. Guests have their own entrance, staircase to their rooms, TV room, dining/breakfast room, in other words our house is completely seperate. We can get in to the dining room and to the B&B rooms through the kitchen or TV room. So when we need to put our feet up and relax, we can escape quite easily and not be bothered by anyone. I don't know what others think but to us, that is so very vital.

I know others don't mind guests in their own space and do not mind it but having worked under both systems we know which one we would advise newbies to try and establish.

Last year we had clients when other establishments in the area were empty, but we have worked hard at advertising. I speak good French and approximately 40% of our guests have been French and, if I say so myself, we put a lot of effort into it.  Having said that we both enjoy what we are doing and hope that we will be successful. 

Yes, it is about hard work and as you imply, without the correct advertising you will not get far. Success, in so far as financial, only comes once you aim your B&B at all tourists, the French being by far the most important market to encourage. Chris knows how much I have got on to him about this !

In the past few weeks, however, I have been approached by no less than 4 people in the area asking me about running B&B and all of them have thought that they could simply hang up a sign and people would arrive. ..... I find it amazing that so many people expect something for nothing - and also that they expect me to help them set up down the road!!

Absolutely right Maggi, we have had this out on here before.

That said, I am eternally grateful to the people who gave me help and encouragement, but I was bright enough not to ask people on my own doorstep.  By the way the other half was previously a purveyor of quality used vehicles - so has he just gone from one dodgy trade to another?

Whoa Maggi ! your other half sounds like moi !! nothing wrong with car salesmen Madam

Yes, people know how I feel about G de Fr, yes they are a bolshy lot on occasion but they work and that, as they say, is the bottom line.

Good luck to all of you owners for 2005.

 

[Coco]

Well readers of this particular forum from a couple of years ago will know how Miki, Quillan and I were spilling blood about B&B's.  However, those wounds have long since healed and I find myself agreeing more and more with Miki as time goes by.

If we had not had a 20 year ambition to open a B&B I most certainly would not have attempted it when we moved to France two years ago, as we would have been joinging the world and his wife, however, we had to "give it a go".   We started with two rooms two summers ago and have done extremely well, although our local tourist office tells us that this is an area that wishes to develop it's B&B but not gite business!  This year we are hoping to create a third en-suite room which will also have the potential to be a family suite.  We are also going to make a private area for ourselves to live in, which after two years of sharing our living space with guests is, as Miki says, absolutely essential to preserve one's sanity.  After only two years I don't think I could continue without that privacy.  The hard work isn't a problem but the lack of privacy could become one!!!

We are now experiencing a fair bit of repeat business and again, as Miki says, feel after our second season, a need to close for a good two to three months to recharge.  Last year we would have taken anyone at any time just to earn the money.  Following the 2004 season we need a recharge.  We are also on the verge of signing up with Gites de France, having resisted for a couple of years, but I really believe it will increase our start and end of season bookings considerably (as does the lady from our local tourist office!)  Although, this is something that can't be considered without a fairl good ability to speak French as 80% of GdF business is from the French market.

A word of advice to anyone wishing to start up; there are considerable ongoing costs in the form of renewing bed and bath linen along with public area furnishings.  I have just returned  to France tonight from the UK having spent over £500 in really good sale deals on new towels, duvet covers, cushions, pillows etc.  And that's in addition to a few last year.  So remember to include those kind of costs in your budget!

Finally, my sister-in-law came to stay at New Year and commented on how hard we both work now and that anyone in the UK who thought we had taken the easy option was much mistaken.  I'm glad she could see how hard we do have to work.  However, secretly I felt that no matter how hard it is, and for an ex-office worker it's B***** hard! but it's by far a preferable life to the daily grind of commuting into London!!  And these days I ALWAYS (expect for perhaps the end of September, after six months of smiling and being nice) have a grin on my face!!!

[Ash]

I, too, have been reading this thread with great interest, now going into our second season.

I must say, that I agree with Miki, Quillan and Coco, that it is very hard work, especially the mention of providing a friendly and good service to all of our guests. Some, of whom, it is easier to give this to than others.

 

Many things have certainly changed since we moved here and started this business, one being the need to be registered as  chambres d’hote, if your earnings are more than 50% of your total income. There are a lot of people, who appear to think that you just open up your house and wait until the money rolls in. Not so..The cost of registering alone is high, as the cotisations have to be paid, regardless of the income. Something quite different to living back in the UK. We have registered our CdH, as well as my husband being registered as an artisan. There is no way that you can expect to live on the CdH earnings, unless you have another course of income, even if you have no mortgage. Let alone if you have children or other dependants.

 

The cost of setting up is quite staggering, particularly if you want to provide a quality service and when I look at some of the charges that other people are expecting to charge, there is no way you can expect to get these, if you are not prepared to offer an extremely high standard of accommodation. When you consider the charges set by Gites of France, which do seem much lower, in spite of the epis rating.

 

We have had a good variety of guests this last year, including many French, so our language skills have really taken a ‘testing’ and we are both still on an upward learning curve towards being more fluent. However, we have also had many ‘house-hunters’ some who think that because they have come here to look for houses, that they, too can set up a B&B, to do much the same as we are doing. Really having not much idea that sooner or later, these people will not be around, but living here as well…end of that story!

 

All in all, we are enjoying our life here, although we do work very hard and the lack of privacy is something that it a big issue to take into account when you open your house to guests. The 24/7 is also an important part of the life here and we have heard of a few couples, whose life has been changed dramatically when they have been together on this basis. So hardly the greatest thing to consider when you have guests around, trying to work out your personal problems.

 

My final words to anyone considering doing this, is to look at the situation as if you would ever consider doing this back in England, because even if you had the financial ability to do so…….would you? You can live the dream, but you can also live the nightmare.

 

Perhaps this may sound depressing, but if you consider doing this, warts and all, it is better to do it right, aware of all the potential pitfalls from the word GO

 

Ash

 

[Jez]

Thanks Miki & others,

your help and advice is much appreciated,

We have a 12th century chateau [whats left of it]

and the local tourist office said they would advertise for us.

We are not far from Saumur [southwards] so hopefully, a good tourists  trap.

Our fisrt group of Americans are due in March, so hopefully our advertising will work.

Because we have such a unusual property, we thought it would stand out in advertisements, Hubby has also got a picture on the back of his old 4x4

luckily we have had leaflets done, which works well and a new web page to be finished this week..

If everything fails we can always open a fish and chip shop!!

www.chateau-les-peaux.com

[Miki]

Lovely place Jez. I look forward to your website being finished soon and seeing it in all its glory.

You will have to advertise it in specialised mags and websites I think.

How good is your French ? There are places that would willingly take on a place like yours. They love that kind of place and so do many foreigners of course.

The publicity on the back of the car will help with local people being made aware of your existence, it must help and for free, (less one off cost of the advert being produced) it is always worth doing.

It always comes down to the same thing though, you must pay for as much publicity in as many places as you can afford and  needs as be for a living and go from there, hopefully slowly reducing after a few years but don't bank on that !!

Good luck.

 

 

[bedders]

Well just like many others both before us & currently, we have agonised for such a long time as to whether or not to take the plunge.

The final conclusion we came to, is that we would sooner try & fail, rather than spend the rest of our lives "wondering"

Not very scientific i know, but we are only here once

(i think) so lets make the most of it.  

[Quillan]

"Because we have such a unusual property, we thought it would stand out in advertisements, Hubby has also got a picture on the back of his old 4x4"

Actually thats exactly what I did as soon as we got here. Knowbody in France will know who the Landrover dealer is in Canterbury so I got a sign put on for the B&B. Don't know if it ever did any good but I felt good about free advertising.

[Jez]

Quillan,

We have had a lot of interest with the graphics on the car, people stop us ask for details or leaflets, especially at the ferry ports, hopefully people planning their next visit....

 

Bedders,

We have had the same thoughts, will it work, how long do we give it..

People have said "wow" cannot believe you are going. lock stock and barrel..

At that stage panic sets in and out comes a brown paper bag....

Luckily we still keep in touch with the people we bought the house from,

They said they will be one of our first customers..we bought them a Entente Cordiale coin when we signed, As it took six months to complete and with the coin celebrating 100 years friendship, we thought, not much in it really! and they had a good sense of humour..

They even took us after the signing to see their new house, another bottle of wine later....

I am sure I am not the only person who dreams of waking up and speaking fluent French....

 

[Chris Wayland]

Hi. Interesting read this. In regard to taxes etc payable for running a 2/3 bed B&B, which as has been stated before "Will eat up most of the income". Is there not a system in place where you dont reg with the chamber of Commerce < French version that is> but trade under a third party business who take a commission and send you the remainder as a wage?

Chris.

[Miki]

[quote]Hi. Interesting read this. In regard to taxes etc payable for running a 2/3 bed B&B, which as has been stated before "Will eat up most of the income". Is there not a system in place where you dont...[/quote]

I am afraid that is a big NO. That idea has been thought of for all trades, chinese whispers abound about this person or that person running their French business from the UK and living and working permanently in France.

The truth is, for the man in the street, if you and the business are based in France, then that is where you must pay your taxes and your "cotisations" (which I think you might have mistakenly called taxes.

Take a trip to your local Chambre de Commerce and tell them your plans, you might just find that they don't want to know about you and say you are not a professional business. They are getting pretty strict these days, well around here anyway on people opening B&B's and simply keeping quiet about it all.  If you are lucky, the C de C will not want to know, which will still mean having to inform the Mairie and the tax people. Then you will need to inform the CPAM about your health cover and join the many people now on the CMU system.

 

[Quillan]

"I am afraid that is a big NO. That idea has been thought of for all trades, chinese whispers abound about this person or that person running their French business from the UK and living and working permanently in France."

Absolutly Miki. The place is full of them. The longer you stay here the more you hear. It's great fun sitting in a bar (with a cup of coffee thought I would get that one in quick, the coffee part that is) and listening to the Brits around you. I'd like to listen to the other nationalities but unless they are German I can't understand them. They seem to preocupied in trying to 'beat the system', it's like an obsesion.

The point is they all have these ideas and you hear them say things like "Don't need to join CPAM use your holiday insurance and E111", "Just tell the French insurance company you will be registering your car in France when you get the policy then don't bother, loads of others don't and they seem to be OK", I'm not going to register for tax I pay all mine in the UK" and it goes on and on. The thing is the only people they are kidding is themselfs, wait till the Gendarmes knock on your door about your illegal B&B, wait till you have a serious illness and they want to take your house away to pay the medical bills, wait till you have an accident and the insurance won't pay out and worse still wait till the French tax man gets you, don't think you can hide from him because you can't as part of the Notaires job is tell him about you so he can send your Tax Frocaires and Tax de Habitaion bills.

There are excellent threads here from a year back about registering for both tax and with the C of C, use them (I did) they are excellent advice and little has changed in the last 12 months or so with regards to B&B's. Just think, get it all done, it's not that painful (if it is then you are clearly in the wrong business) and at least you will sleep well at night. And don't forget these rules apply from between one and five rooms, makes no difference whatsoever. If your C of C is not bothered about you registering because you only have one or two rooms ask for it in writing.

I'm sorry about my mini rant but I was at the rugby on Sunday and there were loads of Brits there and you should have heard them bragging about this and that not to mention some of the above, it gets right up my nose and gives the rest of us a bad name. I turned and told one of them to shut up because quite a lot French do understand English at which point one of our local gendarmes sitting in front of them turned and smilled at me.

[Will]

I have to agree with Miki and Quillan here. There is in fact an accountancy firm that distributes an article to various French websites and publications saying how it can set up French businesses in UK, with, effectively, the proprietors in France acting as employees of the UK company. It even gives B&B as a specific example of the type of business that can benefit from this regime. The reality is that although this is technically possible, as far as we can see, it actually incurs vast running costs, far more than just setting up a normal French business - and no doubt with substantial professional fees involved.

If anybody can tell us how this can be done, legally and cheaply, there are plenty of forum users who would love to hear from you.

[Chris Wayland]

No problem guys. I dont live in France and perhaps never will, but I refur to letters-on-line of feb 2005 LF. Page 77. Heading "Part Time Business" Some one talks about something called  Entreprise de Portage and describes such. If this is a load of bull then the mag should say so.

chris.

[Miki]

If anybody can tell us how this can be done, legally and cheaply, there are plenty of forum users who would love to hear from you

Accountant Jackanory comes to mind Will

...... send your Tax Frocaires

You get some fancy named taxes down sarf Chris  I know, I know, I make some c o c k ups wiv werds as well !!