How do I open a shop business in France?

filson

25 Feb 2013 at 21:01 · Viewed 1483 times

I am an American who has lived in France and who now lives back in USA. I want to open a shop in Lyon that would import products from America.

What is the very first thing I need to do to start this process. Do I need to contact the Chambre de commerce a Lyon, do I need to contact the French embassy here in USA?
I will be going to Lyon this summer to look at stores and to speak with a rental agent. before I do this what must I have done?
How long will it take to set this process up before I can move to Lyon and open the store? How much paper work is needed? What can I do to make this go faster?
Am I an auto-entrepreneur or something else? What category do I fall into?

Answered