What do I need to do to register as an auto-entrepreneur on an APS Visa?

I have recently completed an MBA at a French business school and have been issued a 12 month autorisation provisoire de séjour (APS) visa to give me time to find employment. I have identified two potential employers/clients, but they both require me to be set up as an auto-entrepreneur and work on a contractual basis.

I therefore wish to do two things:

1. Register myself as an auto-entrepreneur business in France
2. Use my auto-entrepreneur business as evidence of employment to apply for a change of status from my APS Visa to a permanent residency visa

I cannot find much advice online about this process, and I believe this is because it wasn’t previously possible to do either of these things with an APS Visa. APS Visas were restricted to CDI and CDD jobs only. However, I understand that a new law came into effect in November 2016 which expanded APS Visas to cover auto-entrepreneurs as well (Article L311-11).

There is very little information available though, and I do not know the best way to proceed. Could you please verify that this new law is correct, and confirm that you can help to set me up as an auto-entrepreneur with my APS Visa?

Some more information about my particular situation:

• As an auto-entrepreneur, I would act as a consultant helping with digital marketing, content marketing, book coaching, and publishing strategy.
• My first two clients are: a US based book publishing company who need help coordinating with french publishing partners on rights deals and sales and marketing for their resulting co-editions and translations; and a Paris-based tour company who needs help with their social media and digital marketing strategy.