How do open a shop business in France?
I am starting on a venture at the age of seventy years old. I am going to rent an empty shop in Normandy and sell second hand clothes and household contents. I will not be buying anything new. Everything is from my home, and it is my way of downsizing until everything is sold. I have a lot to sell, mainly clothes, material and so on. I have a friend in the village who is going to help me set up my Auto-Entrepreneur on line.
Does renting have the same implications as owning a property in France? I will be living on the premises, and hoping that if all goes well, I will sell my home in the UK, and buy a small house in France. The beginning of May is the actual date I will be resident, and hopefully after quite a bit of work, to open the shop at the end of that month. Your advice on the first steps would be gratefully appreciated. What are the most important steps to take as soon as I move in?