An up-dated profile of the auto-entrepreneur has been revealed by the Caravane des Entrepreneurs. Every year, this road show visit about 90 towns through France, Switzerland and Belgium to advise would be entrepreneurs on how to start their business. The survey carried out on 705 auto entrepreneurs in 17 locations confirms that the average auto entrepreneur is a 40 year old man providing services.
Here’s a more detailed profile:
- Average age of 40 for women and 42 for men
- Out of 750 would entrepreneurs, 52% were unemployed, 22% were employees and 15% were either studiants, retired or civil servants
- 45% were women
- 57% of activities are related to services, 17% to intellectual services (i.e. professions libérales such as consultant, programmer, writer, private lessons), 16% with mixed acitivites and 10% for trade;
- Auto entrepreneurs are attracted by the simplicity of this new system (37%), and low charges (15%);
- 85% of these auto entrepreneurs have not received any advice regarding their business and found the information online (30%) or via the official website http://www.lautoentrepreneur.fr (13%). No mentions of accountants or chamber of commerce
Amongst the reason for registering as an auto entrepreneur, 66% wanted to create their own job, 15% were testing an idea, and 13% aim to increase their revenue.
About 20% of these auto entrepreneur do not know how they planned to develop their activity in the long term - remain auto entrepreneur, start an entreprise individuelle or remain employed. More worryingly one third of these entrepreneurs had no idea about how much revenue their new activity will generate. This auto entrepreneur survey will be updated by the end of the road show. I will keep you posted on the final findings.