Working as a solo entrepreneur in France

France is famous for its sometimes onerous administration system, but for the past 15 years, there has been ongoing work and changes to systems to make it easier to run your own business. For a start there’s been an expansion of choice of passports and work visas available to foreigners. And the government has been investing to make administration a lot simpler for the nation’s small businesses, artists, artisans and freelancers. Among the most popular changes has been the introduction of a reporting system for solo entrepreneurs making it far, far easier to run your own business in France. You need a work visa in order to qualify and if you do have that, here is how to take advantage of France’s freelancing-friendly rules.

Are you a micro-entreprise?

The new status of micro-entreprise (in English, “micro-business”) was begun in 2009, originally named auto-entrepreneur. The idea was to provide an inexpensive and much streamlined process for reporting income without the hassle and cost of registering a formal business structure. This concept works well for a whole host of freelancers, artists, authors, artisans and people trying to earn a little extra income. You can use the micro-entreprise régime as long as you work alone. If you have employees or business partners, then you will need to create a formal business structure. And your annual turnover should not exceed the  threshold which is currently set at €77,000 if you are providing professional services and €188,700 if you are selling goods [2023].

What does it mean in practice?

The micro-entreprise régime is based on business turnover. Put simply, it means the amount of sales or service income you receive before you deduct any costs or expenses of the business. And that is significant because one of the most important components of the micro-entreprise régime is that you will not need to do any traditional bookkeeping. The law requires only that you keep a copy of your business receipts and a record of all the invoices and payments made by your clients in case you are ever audited.

From the amount of your reported turnover, the tax office will take an automatic 34%, 50% or 71% off the to. The figure depends on the type of business activity. They will then calculate for you the taxes and social charges based only on the rest. Thankfully for those of us from the U.S., the micro-entreprise is also exempt from the TVA (value-added tax) system.

Registration for small business and freelancers in France has also been simplified – at least theoretically. Beginning on January 1, 2023, the government site for registering business trademarks, INPI, became the guichet unique (“single portal”). Despite a rocky launch, the site now seems to be functioning.

It allows you to do every type of filing related to your business activity – starting with the first registration – from one spot. The portal automatically passes on your necessary information to an assortment of French government agencies that handle different aspects of economic life in the country. All of this means that once you create your account at INPI and register your business activity, you should have just one place to keep everything going.

What you should know

When you get started, you have option on how your estimated taxes are paid, including whether you want social charges and income taxes to be paid at a flat rate.

Taxes are all paid online. And you will be invited to use something called a PEIRL form to list all the equipment and resources you use in your business activities. Thanks to recent changes, this simple form creates a separation between your business activity and personal resources to give you some legal liability protection.

Is the micro-entreprise régime right for you?

Not surprisingly, the auto-entrepreneur business status has been resoundingly popular in France. According to François Hurel, Président of the union of auto-entrepreneurs, France sees a whopping 3,500 new micro-entrepreneur businesses registered every day. And to date there are about 3 million auto-entrepreneurs in total. Of these, some 30% are commercial or artisanal businesses. The rest are in the French category of “professions libérales,” a catch-all for everything from lawyers to translators and wellness coaches.

French business law still offers a variety of formal business structures that might work better for you, and if you anticipate having higher turnover, need to take on employees, have business partners or plan to grow the business, you need to consider other options.

If you’d like help setting up your accounts and taxes in France and with taking care of reporting and tax requirements in the US, Sanderling Expat Advisors can help: sanderlingexpat.com

The post Freelance in France as a US expat appeared first on The Good Life France.

We’re often asked about the opportunities for self-employed people in France, especially for foreigners and expats. In this article, we explore the role of being a self-employed agent for Leggett Immobilier International, a renowned family-run property agency founded by expat Trevor Leggett in 1998. With a strong commitment to delivering exceptional client service to both sellers and buyers, they have expanded their presence across France, boasting over 700 agents, all of whom, operate as self-employed professionals. We talked to Katherine Massard, a dedicated agent who has been part of the Leggett Immobilier team since the beginning of 2023.

Can you tell us what brought you to France?

I grew up in the southeast of England and embarked on my French adventure in 1999 as part of an Erasmus exchange program between the University of Hertfordshire and the Université Jean Monnet in Saint-Étienne, situated not far from Lyon. During my six-month stay, fate intervened when I fell in love with a handsome French soldier. Twenty-four years and three children later, I’m still here!

I currently reside near Saintes in Charente-Maritime, although I’ve lived in various places, including Bourges, Chambéry, and Mende (Lozère). We first settled in this region in 2004 after the birth of my second daughter, and despite subsequent moves, we always held a dream of returning to the picturesque west coast. When an opportunity arose to come back to the region, we seized it, and this time, we’re here to stay!

This region offers us the allure of sunshine and sandy beaches, without the scorching heat often associated with southern France.

Before joining Leggett as an agent, I worked as an English teacher for several years. My original aspiration, when I pursued my degree many years ago, was to work in journalism or become a writer. With the evolution of publishing since my graduation, this dream became a reality in 2018. Under the pen names Katherine E Hunt and Katy Hunter, I have published eighteen romance novels.

What’s it like working as a property agent for Leggett Immobillier

The training at Leggett Immobilier is truly exceptional. It is offered in both French and English, featuring extensive online modules that you can complete at your own pace, followed by a couple of days at the headquarters where you meet the team and reinforce your online learning.

The support is outstanding. Everyone is incredibly friendly and always eager to assist with any questions you may have. The team is proficient in both French and English, making it an ideal environment for English speakers residing in France, especially when tackling complex issues.

To succeed as an agent, being a people person is vital. This involves understanding your client’s needs and helping them achieve their goals, all with a friendly demeanor. Sometimes, you need to guide people toward their objectives, as buyers may not always have a clear idea of what they want or where they want to live. Utilising your knowledge of the area and attentive listening are key skills (while also acknowledging that the perfect house doesn’t always exist!). Organisation, effective communication, and strong teamwork are also essential because you can’t do this job alone!

It’s a team effort!

I am part of a team of four, comprising my coach, Julie, and my two colleagues, Louise and Katarina. We support one another whenever assistance is needed, and we enthusiastically raise a glass of Chardonnay to celebrate a successful sale! Additionally, I am part of a broader regional team that regularly convenes for training and mutual support. You’re never short of someone to provide guidance when you’re stuck or offer congratulations when you’ve had a great day.

I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people through my work. For instance, I have recently been working with a fellow novelist, who is selling a magnificent château in Charente-Maritime. This allows me to do my job while indulging in discussions about writing, so it’s a win-win!

I also appreciate the flexibility of this job, which grants me the time to write and care for my son, who suffers from a neurological disability, all while earning a living (since, unfortunately, writing alone doesn’t always pay the bills – unless you’re Lee Childs!).

Here’s a video about working for Leggett Immobillier

Visit the Recruitment Page of the Leggett Website: Leggett Immobilier Website

Request an online recruitment brochure using the QR code or link below: Request Brochure / QR Code

Or contact them directly: recruitment@leggett.fr / 00.33.553.60.82.77

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Planning to live and work in France? Janine Marsh, shares some top tips for how to work as a micro-entrepreneur in France…

When it comes to moving to France, some people retire. Some people continue to work for the same company they did back home – but from France. Fast internet for home working is available in much of France (but if you do rely on this, check the area you’re buying in first – some places still have slow Broadband. Some people work for themselves and set up businesses.

If you want to earn an income in France then one of the most popular ways is to go freelance, and registering as a micro-entrepreneur is one of the most popular ways to do that. Basically it means you are the founder of a micro business, generally a small company with minimal investment. You’re restricted as to how much your business may turnover before needing to register as something else other than micro entrepreneur (currently [2023] it is between €77,700 and €188,700 per year, depending on what type of business it is). And certain types of business are excluded from becoming micro-entrepreneurs, for instance some finance companies, health professionals and accountants.

The benefits of setting up as micro entrepreneur include that dealing with administration, paying taxes and accounting are all deliberately kept simple. And there are jobs which give you flexibility, career progression and a good income.

Becoming a micro entrepreneur

We chat to micro entrepreneur Sophie Green, who is based in the Dordogne. Sophie works for Leggett Immobillier as a sales agent in Dordogne as well as in neighbouring department Haute-Vienne.

How did you come to be living in France?

I lived in Northamptonshire in the UK, trained as a Legal Executive and as a Financial Advisor and Mortgage Advisor working within Solicitor practices. When I became pregnant with our first son Louis in 2008, my husband had an idea to open a sandwich shop in our village so instead of going back to work fulltime for someone else, I could be my own boss. I have to say, I have never worked so hard in my life. Then three years later I became pregnant with our second son, Freddie, and the thought of getting up at 5am to butter sandwiches lost its allure!

We bought a caravan and decided to go on holiday to France. We fell in love with France from the minute we got here and immediately started house hunting. Just before this, my lovely mum had passed away. She had lived in the same village as us and life didn’t feel the same without her. We didn’t know exactly where we wanted to live and spent holidays travelling around Brittany and Dordogne. When we stayed in a very small rural campsite in Dordogne, we both knew this was it, our dream area. We found our house and moved to France in July 2013. My eldest was just about to start school in the UK so it was perfect timing for a move. He went straight into the local school in our village.

How did you become a micro-entrepreneur in France

I was too young to retire, and I wanted a new challenge. In addition to our house, we bought some lakes nearby, run as GoGreen Holidays, and I looked after the rental of the onsite Cabin and Gypsy caravan. But I needed more from a job, I wanted to learn more French, to get out and meet people and explore the area.

I have a love for property, and I love looking around houses. Working as an agent for Leggett Immobillier International seemed a perfect fit.

Leggett offered everything I needed and was flexible, so I could work around looking after the lakes and the children – by then we had another child, Francesca.

What’s it like working as an agent for Leggett Immobillier in France?

Leggett have exceeded my expectations. I joined them in 2018, after meeting with an Area Coordinator and chatting through the role which helped me to decide whether it was right for me. Then I completed a training course at Head Office which is in Dordogne. I really like that you get the benefits of working for a family-run business so you’re not just another number, but it’s also an award-winning, international company so there’s a massive multi-lingual support network available to all agents.

There’s a fantastic Sales Support Team who help organise all my visits. The Marketing Team do a great job promoting all the properties I list for sale. And the IT team have developed a fantastic back-office system to make life easier to manage the admin. There is also a terrific Legal and Contracts team to help with all the admin requirements and we are regularly updated with changes in laws. We have access to a lot of online training which is great and saves time with not having to travel. Plus, we’re assigned admin support. My fabulous assistant Zoe who is a fountain of knowledge, works in the Contracts Team and does all my Compromis de vente work (sales documentation), and helps me manage all my sales.

As an agent, it’s essential to be organised and flexible. You need to be able to manage not only your own time but also that of your vendor’s and clients.

What’s it like being self-employed?

I run everything as a stand-alone business. I set up as a micro entrepreneur and it is quite a simple regime. Cotistations (French National Insurance) are paid monthly, based on what I have earned. And I pay tax in one go at the end of the financial year.

Because it’s a simple way to set up a business I get to spend more time on what I love doing! Going out and finding new properties, exploring them and seeing what is hidden behind the front door! I also love meeting new people and getting out and about in the area.

It’s been a really successful business for me. In fact my husband is just in the process of becoming a Leggett Agent so that he can help with viewings when I get really busy.

There’s also scope for career progression in this job. Actually I have become a Coach and have my own small team now. I love helping new agents and supporting them in running their own successful small business in France.

It never occurred never to me to do this job when I first came to France, but it’s changed my life. I earn a good income, I love what I do. And, I can manage how much I want to do. It’s flexible and there is potential to go further in the role if I want to.

Leggett Immobillier are recruiting agents in all areas: frenchestateagents.com/recruitment

If you’re interested, find out more and contact them at.

Recruitment@leggett.fr

The post How to work as a micro-entrepreneur in France appeared first on The Good Life France.

France loves its form filling and box-ticking processes and while I’d love to tell you that setting up as self-employed in France, setting up a business and registering to work in France is all very straightforward, I can’t. If you’re employed by a company then they should help you which makes it a bit easier. But if you want to work as a freelancer or run your own business such as managing a gite then a bit of help from professional hand holders can made a huge difference.

Their expertise will make things run smoother and quicker. This will give you the chance you need to focus on what’s important – rather than dealing with administration processes that can take up heaps of time. Plus, an expert who knows how the system works can save you not just time, but money. Get the set up wrong at the start and you will be paying somewhere down the line. Either in time to sort it out which can be considerable. In potential fines. Or back payments if you’re in the wrong category (see more on that below), and costs to right the errors.

Setting up as a microentrepreneur in France

One of the most popular ways to set up a company for individuals in France, e.g. self-employed, freelancer or a small business, is to register as a microentrepreneur (Enterprise Individuelle – EI). This is a tax status, not a business structure – which requires a different set up. Setting up as EI is a relatively easy way to establish a business, with less complicated tax and accounting rules.

You’re assigned a unique tax number, called a Siren or a Siret. You pay social insurance each month or quarter, based on earnings. You pay your tax and social contributions via a system called URSSAF. And once a year you complete an annual tax form through the Government website impotsgouv.fr. There are, of course, rules about who can set up as EI. They cover a myriad of things from running a gite to being a writer. Getting the category classification right is critical at the set-up stage. As an example, a journalist is a different category from a ‘storyteller’ or blogger. Different categories pay different rates of tax.

You can be a commercial, industrial (BIC). For instance does your business involve buying and selling activities such as food supplies? Or commercial services e.g., insurance, real estate agent? Or are you in the liberal professions (BNC)? For instance designer, translator, consultant. Or agricultural (BA)? And you must be aware that if you reproduce your creations and sell them – even if you think it’s the liberal profession BNC category you want, you may be considered BIC. Only original, unique creations fall into BNC.

And there are limits on how much you can earn before you have to register as a different type of business.

There are far too many rules and regulations to go into here, but suffice to say, there’s a lot to deal with.

Get help to set up as a microentrepreneur

Setting up as a microentrepreneur takes time. You do need at least a basic understanding of French. And you need to be able to navigate French systems and know what type of EI you are – there are hundreds of categories.

And if all this doesn’t sound like something that appeals to you (and hats off to you if it does), there’s help at hand. John Dislins of Please Help says ‘it’s stressful enough trying to set up a new business in France so what we do is take away the pain. We’ve helped hundreds of people to register their business. We also help them complete their annual accounts and create thriving businesses. We’re really proud to have been there at the start with them.”

He and his team offer a professional hand holding service. They take care of every aspect of helping you set up your business – from choosing the correct category of microentrpreneur, translation services, joining you on calls with French administration services, helping you with your tax and annual returns. They set up an email address so that enquiries from tax offices go to them. .This way they help you keep on top of enquiries and requests from various officials, and make sure that they are dealt with in a timely manner.

As someone who has used their services myself (and continue to), I highly recommend Please Help to make sure you start your new business and life in France in a way that helps you live it to the full and without spending time you may not have on administration processes.

Find out more about how Please Help can support you with your business in France, as well as settling into a new life in France (Carte de sejours/health card etc): pleasehelp.eu  Get 50€* off with the code TGL052023SM on purchase of a pack, valid till 16/9/2023.

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Parisians are unfortunately often stereotyped as rude, arrogant and not easily impressed. While this is in many ways a gross exaggeration, event planners with their eyes set on Paris venues still want to aim high. The City of Light, after all, remains an epicenter of world culture and the European economy. Its citizens are used to the very best at their fingertips, and event planners have to be prepared to meet that expectation.

The venues you choose will determine how successful your efforts will be. While there are two main venues, there are also many other smaller settings that are impressive enough to engage the Parisians of any lifestyle. Two of the main sites that are exceptionally inspiring are Paris Porte de Versailles, totaling two million square feet, and the 350,000 square foot Le Palais des Congres de Paris. There are enough facilities in close proximity to these centers to accommodate even the most particular Parisian.

Decide on a venue based on several strategic details. Does the venue provide overnight accommodations? Do they provide catering service? What about audio/visual services, parking, and security? How is the Wifi and online event registration? Can a live engagement marketing app function effectively within the space? Are set-up and clean-up included in the fee? Are there any restrictions of which the attendees need to be aware? In addition to these obvious questions, consider the surroundings. Are they pleasing to the eye? Do they create a sense of relaxation?

To plan a conference that will impress, in addition to a delightful venue, create something that is more than they expect. Schedule experiences for the participants that are atypical, such as an “escape room.” Turn a room in the conference center into an escape room. Develop a theme and a set of clues that participants will have to solve in order to get out of the room. Make it a competition, perhaps between different departments within the company. Set a time limit for the exodus. The group that has not “escaped” within the allotted time is the loser. If you are hosting events in Paris, make it an occasion to remember.

Entice clients with your over-the-top creative genius. Help attendees build lasting relationships and enrich their educational and informational sessions by planning events that are unrelated to the conference. Tours, happy hours, and on-site luncheons are all ways to provide experiences aside from the monotony of lectures and Powerpoint demonstrations. A wonderful marketing method is to customize event hashtags so participants can link up before and after the event.

To exceed the expectations of the participants, you have to step outside the ordinary because today’s conference goers are very savvy and want to learn something they do not already know and to solicit business contacts. As the meeting planner, you will want to market the destination and the enticements so that people will be enthusiastic about coming.

Planning a conference requires a lot of organization, and thinking “on your feet” is a necessity. Successful meetings using live engagement marketing in today’s technological world is a new concept that may maximize conference outcomes. Attendees can download apps to generate interactive content which can be used to intermingle with one another. However, all the technology in the world cannot make a boring meeting into an interesting and event-filled conference. Engage keynote speakers who will deliver engrossing content for the audience. When you see conference goers engaged in other activities instead of paying attention during presentations, you can be sure they are bored or disinterested.

To keep attendees on-site during breaks, make their surroundings enticing. Comfortable seating, access to WiFi, popular beverages, scrumptious food, and ideas that promote good conversation create an inviting atmosphere. Keep the attendees informed of updates with monitors streaming information. When you have done your due diligence, you will be proud that even the French will be impressed.

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France has been a world leader in tourism for years and the market for independent accommodation in popular tourist areas has boomed. Here are some tips specifically for Gite or B&B owners, or anyone considering this as a source of revenue.

1. Gites & meublés de tourisme (gites and furnished accommodation) benefit from advantageous tax conditions. The annual turnover threshold for the simplified tax regime is limited to 81.500€, and 71% of turnover is deducted as costs before tax is calculated (2015).

2. Rental property must be declared to your Mairie using the Cerfa 14004*02 form which you can fill in online, or print off and manually complete. This ensures your property is listed by the Mairie and Office de Tourisme and may be passed to potential clients; some Mairies offer local signposts to help guests find you easily and it’s always worth asking if this is a service that is available.

3. If you want to boast a star rating on your property then you must apply to the accredited network for your category from the list supplied by Atout France here. After an inspection of your rental property, the organisation has 1 month to supply a certificate detailing your score from 1 to 5 stars, and the elements of inspection which determined their decision. You have 15 days to appeal their rating – without response from you the rating is considered accepted. Your star rating is valid for 5 years.

4. When does your rental deposit become part of your turnover for tax purposes? A deposit remains the property of the client until they take up their residency, and therefore a deposit received in 2015 for a stay in 2016 should remain in the account without declaration as income or accruing tax, until the balance of the reservation is paid in full.

Many non-French speakers need help with understanding their options when starting a new professional activity or making sure they have carried out the obligatory procedures for their new rental property. The best advice is to get reputable help if you decide not to go it alone…

By Jo-ann Howell of FrenchAdmin Solutions

The post 4 Key Tips for running a Gite Business in France appeared first on The Good Life France.

Did you know that self-employed expats in France may be able to claim costs for “ongoing education” such as learning French?  Or that some town halls in France offer a sign post to help guests find your gite or rental property easily?

Jo-ann Howell has built up almost two decades of experience of working with out operators, property owners and businesses in France and has created FrenchAdmin Solutions, a company that helps expats in France – an online support program for English speakers, a place to find answers to questions on life in France, from property rental or ownership to employment or running their own business.

Jo-Ann says “I have opened, and closed, most types of company that exist in the French system for my clients”. She adds that while each area of business is generally subject to its own rules, these are her top money saving tips which apply to all:

8 Essential Tips for Starting a business in France

1. Start on 2nd January at the earliest to avoid the CFE- Cotisation Foncière des Entreprises, payable by companies in operation on January 1st of each year. Note that France pretty much shuts down for holidays in August, so it is inadvisable to start your new independent activity then if you want to get moving fast.

2. Included in the social charges bill, which is due monthly or quarterly, is a fee towards ongoing education. In the second year of activity, on condition that positive turnover has been declared in the first year, all are entitled to continue their education – from lessons to improving language skills to specific courses which improve or expand their trade. Up to €1,000 to €2,400 is available to cover the costs, depending on your activity.

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The other day I interviewed an expat British couple in France. They had moved here seven years ago, took early retirement, bought a beautiful country house with a lovely garden in a pretty village in SW France.

We talked about how they find life in France and it started off well. They love the food, being able to go to the market to buy fresh veg and fruit. They love the fact that they can wander down to their local bar and everyone says hello and they feel welcomed to the community. They feel they’ve integrated well, the air is fresh, roads clear, it was the right move for them…

After a little while a note of unhappiness started to creep in and they began to moan. Although retired and able to live on their pensions, they’d like to earn a bit of extra income. They thought about starting a B&B or converting one of their many outbuildings into a gite. However, they found the paperwork to register a gite too difficult and gave up that idea. I was a bit surprised at this. Yes the paperwork is in French, yes it is quite onerous but – nothing ventured nothing gained and there are plenty of people who can ease the work, professionals who can do the translating, register the business, take care of tax forms and all that bureaucratic stuff.

Intrigued I asked if there was anything else that bugs them about living in France?

“Yes – the language is hard to learn”. This is true, for many people it is difficult and most expats will never fully master the nuances and colloquialisms. But, I protested, it’s perfectly possible to get by with a bit of hard work I’ve found. Ah, that was the problem though, they didn’t want to spend time learning, they felt that by living here they would simply pick it up – presumably by osmosis.

What else, I asked.  The man piped up “when we go to restaurants, I always ask for my steak to be medium rare but it’s always too rare”. Why don’t you ask for it to be well done I asked, that way you know it will be more cooked? “Because” said the man “I have always had it medium rare”.

More bugbears? “Yes, in the summer the farmers drive their tractors late at night and its really noisy”.  Oh, says I, didn’t you know that when you live in the country, surrounded by farm land and farms that they would be working late sometimes, getting the crops in before it rains for instance? Well, yes, they said, “but we thought we’d get used to it”.

Anything else? “Yes, there is another expat couple in the village and they don’t declare that they are resident even though they live here more than 6 months of the year”.

Now this surprised me. How on earth could this be a problem for this couple? “Well”, said the lady “it’s irritating, it gives us Brits a bad reputation, we’re thinking of alerting the authorities”.

The couple confirmed that their British neighbours did not claim benefits, were not a nuisance, spent money locally on doing their house up & went back to the UK on a regular basis! I had no answer for this, far too absurd for a response.

After all this moaning I asked them “you seem so disatisfied with life here, when are you going back?” Their answer? “Oh, we’re not going back, it’s even worse back there”… I cut them off and made a hasty departure.

It’s clear some people look for reasons to be irritated, I suspect that where ever they live they would be unhappy and find reason to complain. However, I did think to myself that if these were the only things the couple found to irritate them about living in France – it doesn’t seem too bad does it?!

How to make friends in France
How to be a successful expat in France 
5 Things I don’t like about France
Volunteering in France – at the SPA Animal Rescue Centres

The post The Grass is always Greener for some expats appeared first on The Good Life France.

Mary and Mike Devereaux used to spend all of their holidays in France with their three children. They dreamed of a day when they might be able to spend more time in the country they had fallen in love with and in 2002 bought a holiday home in Deux Sevres.  Four years later, they decided not to wait any longer and packed up their belongings in their home town of Birmingham in the UK and moved to live permanently in France.

Their home is in a small hamlet called La Grande Tranchée in the commune of Les Alleuds in Deux Sevres.  Mary says “when we bought this house it had not been lived in for many years but fortunately it only needed a new kitchen and bathroom, the rest of the house just needed decorating”.

Most of their efforts went on sorting out the garden because Mary is a florist and loves to grow as many flowers and evergreen shrubs as she can. “We completely restocked the garden with flowers and shrubs and are lucky enough to have four rows of vines too. Each year we pick our grapes for making into wine and in 2013 our harvest was 111kg of red grapes which are now fermenting into wine and Pineau!” laughs Mary.

How hard is it to set up as a florist in France for an expat?

Mary advises “I buy most of my supplies from the flower wholesalers in Niort. It meant learning the French names for all the flowers I order but my wholesalers are very helpful as they know I am English and still learning the language”.

Mary had already completed a college course in flower arranging in Birmingham before moving to France.  Even before making the permanent move she discussed her goals with the local Mayor and as a result has been handling all the flower arrangements for village celebrations for the past 10years – even if it meant arranging holidays around fetes!

“I’ve always thought of it as a way of giving something back to the villagers who had made us so welcome when we arrived here” says Mary. She tries to use themes for her floral arrangements, from a French flag, French painters, the seaside, the opera and even the market. “The local villagers ask ‘what is your theme this year’ but I always keep it a secret until the day.” Mary’s flower arrangements have become a talking point in the village and each year the Mayor asks if he can give the flowers to the ladies in the kitchen who have cooked for the villagers.

TOP TIP for expats in France wanting to start a business – Mayors have good networks and can really help to get a  business off the ground, don’t be shy, go and see your Mayor and talk to them about your ideas and goals.

Mary and husband Mike attended a 5 day ‘stage’ training course in Limoges on starting up a new business. The course was run by the Niort Chambre de Metiers  “it was compulsory to attend a course and obtain a certificate to start up in business” advises Mary. They chose to attend the  English language course that the Chambre de Metiers runs in Limousin.

TOP TIP: Check with your Chambre de Metiers to find out if they hold English language courses if your French is not quite perfect.

Mike and Mary also visited their Chambre de Metier to discuss their plans and were assisted throughout the process and with necessary paperwork (of which, this being France, you can be sure there is plenty!). Mary gained further experience by working at the local markets with a flower stall. This allowed her to build up a good customer base of regulars “who use my floristry services to send bouquets to friends.” Mary also has clients in the UK who have family in France and they email her their orders for birthday or anniversary flowers.

Mary’s talents are proving popular in France and she has been featured in magazines and newspapers which has led to her becoming increasingly well known for her skills with wedding flowers. Mary has managed the bridal bouquets and floral displays for many French weddings, including the Mayor’s daughter in her village. Increasingly she is being sought out by overseas brides who arrange to marry or celebrate in France. “There is a difference between French bridal flowers and what a UK bride would choose” says Mary.

“French brides like bright colours and will sometimes require the (caleche) horse and trap which is used to carry them to their ceremony to be decorated with flowers. One French bride asked me to decorate her house and staircase with flowers, it looked very beautiful. The colour of the flowers for another French bride was bright orange and brown… so different from UK brides who usually ask for more subtle colours in their bouquets and will tend to follow trends such as vintage or get inspiration from programmes such as Downton Abbey.”

Mary works in the stone barn in her garden, renovated by husband Mike and where she has her workshop. Always the perfect temperature thanks to the thick walls, she designs and creates her beautiful displays, inspired by the view over the beautiful countryside of this very lush part of France.

The post A British Florist in France appeared first on The Good Life France.

How would it be if you could go to France – anywhere in France – and live the life of a local? Go to the bars where the inhabitants go, find out what restaurants are favoured by the locals, see off the beaten track places that only those who live there know about. You can join in the daily rituals of life and really get to immerse yourself in the culture of a village, town or city, experience the history and traditions and lose yourself in the excitement of really living the French way…

Well you can if you choose one of the many cultural exchange opportunities in France with a group called Workaway.

What if you live in France and you’d like to host visitors who are looking for that real quality of cultural exchange, people who want to stay with you and live the life alongside you doing all the things that you do on a daily basis. Perhaps helping you out in your vineyard, lavender farm or garden, getting to know and feed your animals, or getting involved with renovation projects for just a few hours a day in exchange for experiencing life as a local…

Well you can if you host Workawayers who are seeking to appreciate living in France, enhance their language skills and learn what life is like as a native rather than as a visitor.

Workaway is an organisation that enables travellers willing to work as volunteers to contact hosts – they may be individuals, families or groups who want to share their life with guests and in return get voluntary help with their projects or activities. Volunteers or Workawayers contribute a small amount of time per day (5 days a week) and in return receive lodging and food provided by their hosts.

We spoke to expat Briton Madeleine Clifford-Winters who lives and owns gites in the stunning medieval village of Tillac in Gascony, south west France who says that she and her husband have hosted many Workawayers, some of whom have become friends and who return year after year. With gites and a huge garden to maintain it has proved an excellent way to have help with the weeding and planting that a keen gardener needs. Madeleine says that they have hosted guests from all around the world – Argentina, Australia, Canada, Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, USA and the UK included. As she and her husband, Tony, suffer from arthritis, getting help in the garden whilst making friends and learning each other’s cultures has been a very rewarding experience.

Madeleine and Tony started as hosts after a recommendation by a friend who praised the way that the exchange works – learning new language skills and really getting to know the culture of foreign countries, working alongside guests for a few hours a day.  Madeleine and her husband live in a small village with no nightlife and say that it is the perfect escape from the hassle of city life. They have hosted guests from 18 years old to 65 years old and have found that the different levels of skills and experience have worked really well.  A Scottish Workawayer who stayed with the couple “made a huge difference”, in fact enthuses Madeleine, he has become such a good friend that he has come back to stay, as a friend, several times and even joined them for Christmas and New Year.

Workaway host Donna Kerridge who lives in Nord-Pas de Calais says hosting guests who, like her, love to travel on a tight budget and really get to know the place where they visit has been a tremendous experience. She and her artist husband Nik have also stayed friends with many of their guests. Susan Arbital from Tennessee, US, wanted to experience France, not as a visitor but real France and offered to help out with Donna’s vegetable garden when she came to stay. It didn’t turn out that way as Susan is a well-known stained glass artist and instead she taught Donna and Nik some of her glass skills. Donna and Nik introduced Susan to their friends, their favourite places to visit in the gorgeous Seven Valleys where they live, places that Susan would never find without willing hosts to share. Their daughter has benefited too from the multi-cultural environment that hosting guests from around the world has provided, giving her an insight into the customs of different countries and peoples. The Kerridge family are now firm friends with Susan who has returned to stay with them – this time on a holiday round Europe.

We spoke to numerous hosts and Workawayers and discovered that the system is almost without fail, a brilliantly simple and successful way for people from different cultures to learn from each other and for hosts to benefit from getting some much needed help.

So, if you’re looking for an opportunity to host a guest who really wants to learn about where and how you live as a local, supporting you in your day to day activities – Workaway might just be your perfect solution.

The post Cultural Exchange Opportunities in France appeared first on The Good Life France.