Professional advice on running a small business in France

Valerie Lemiere: Start Business in France

Bonjour, I'm Valérie Aston, a French business advisor. I help English speakers create and manage their freelancing or small business in France, so they can concentrate on developing their activity.

Moving to France is exciting: new home, new work, new culture! But having to grasp the business rules can be overwhelming, especially if you don't master the language yet.

How I can help you:

  1. Private forum: Ask me anything about your business for a year. Avoid sleepless nights and get reliable answers. I've answered about 82,335 questions for 3,257 members since 2009!
  2. Power Hour: Book a one-to-one call for advice on your business project. Get up to speed quickly, talk through your options and understand the implications of your choices.
  3. Auto-entrepreneur registration: Let me handle your business registration in France. I'll manage the whole process for you, while sending you a useful factsheet and tips to guide you with the paperwork.
  4. Online courses: How to freelance as a micro-entrepreneur, how to manage your auto-entrepreneur set-up paperwork or how to create a gite in France.
  5. Business administration: Something is wrong with your business set up (taxes, health cover, paperwork) and you are getting in a pickle. Let me find out where the problem comes from and fix it.

Business blog

French words you need to know no as an entrepreneur

Learning to manage your French business can be confusing as you are bombarded with many French words, not to mention acronyms! In this article, I have listed a few French words which you need to know. ...

By Valérie Aston · 27 Jan 2021 · 556 views

Planning 2021 for your French business

January is the ideal moment to sit down and start planning for the year ahead. Download my workbook “How to plan 2021 for your French business” to start this process. ...

By Valérie Aston · 12 Jan 2021 · 466 views

What is your word for 2021?

For the last 2 years, I have been associating a key word for the new year. This word has to summarise or define the spirit of my goals. Find out what it is for 2021. ...

By Valérie Aston · 7 Jan 2021 · 310 views

End of year business review for your French business

The end of the year is the perfect time to review your French business activity and decide what you want to do for 2021. Here are the things that I tend to look at. ...

By Valérie Aston · 13 Dec 2020 · 437 views

Resources

100 Business ideas to Freelance in France
How to Freelance in France as a Micro Entrepreneur
How to Create a Gite, Chambres or Table d’Hôtes in France
How to Manage your Micro Entrepreneur Set Up Paperwork

Business podcasts

How to set up a health cover and get a carte vitale

This podcast explains how to set up a health cover and how to get a carte vitale for entrepreneurs. Find out how your carte vitale will be issued and answers to popular questions on health cover. ...

By Valérie Aston · 10 May 2011

Adding an APE or NAF code to your business

This podcast discusses the implications of adding an extra APE or NAF activity code to your current business and how to do it. Adding an extra APE activity code can be done for an auto-entrepreneur, an entreprise ...

By Valérie Aston · 10 May 2011

Complete overview of the auto-entrepreneur system

This podcast, which is 44 minutes long, will give you a complete overview of the auto-entrepreneur system. It's perfect if you're starting a business in France as an auto-entrepreneur, or you're registered and want a ...

By Valérie Aston · 6 Sep 2013

Online Courses

Everyone's questions

Paying other businesses / persons

Asked by Snowboarder · 6 Mar 2021 · 1 reply
Auto-entrepreneur open

Guichet-Enterprises app submitted, what next?

Asked by StormyA · 5 Mar 2021 · 1 reply
Auto-entrepreneur open

Start arts business post Brexit - Visa

Asked by Drew · 5 Mar 2021 · 2 replies
Business registration open

French legal structure and USA LLC

Asked by StuB · 4 Mar 2021 · 2 replies
Legal structure open

Setting up a company for IT Contracting

Asked by Arun · 4 Mar 2021 · 1 reply
Legal structure open

Nouveau régime social des meublés

Asked by Hina1 · 4 Mar 2021 · 1 reply
Gîte, chambre et table d’hôte open

Test V links

Asked by Valerie · 3 Mar 2021 · 1 reply
Auto-entrepreneur open

Best Legal Structure for Family

Asked by camc · 3 Mar 2021 · 1 reply
Legal structure open

I’m a freelance musician and guitar tutor, where is best starting point to register in France?

Asked by Anbu · 2 Mar 2021 · 1 reply
Auto-entrepreneur open

profession liberale turnover limits

Asked by DoPLD · 1 Mar 2021 · 3 replies
Auto-entrepreneur open

Reclaiming VAT paid on goods bought in UK then resold in UK

Asked by DoPLD · 1 Mar 2021 · 3 replies
General business open

Questions on starting a business while employed

Asked by Andrew · 27 Feb 2021 · 4 replies
General business open

Pay salary taxes

Asked by AlexC · 26 Feb 2021 · 1 reply
Health care and carte vitale open

L’assurance maladies Charente asking for my Carte Vital or proof of application.

Asked by Verdure · 26 Feb 2021 · 2 replies
Health care and carte vitale open

Residential Property SCI

Asked by Nicole · 24 Feb 2021 · 4 replies
Legal structure open

Sending computer from UK

Asked by SetePalais · 23 Feb 2021 · 3 replies
General business open

Change of address - on Ameli.fr and CPAM?

Asked by Translator · 23 Feb 2021 · 1 reply
Health care and carte vitale open

Double-checking steps needed to change micro-entrepreneur address

Asked by Translator · 23 Feb 2021 · 4 replies
Auto-entrepreneur open

Testimonials

Thanks so much, this is excellent information. Our accountant couldn’t even tell us this much.

-Lost in France