Running a French business feels like a marathon

By Valérie Aston on 20 October 2022 · Viewed 1001 times · Questions

Running a business in France can sometimes feel like running a marathon. You are one mile from the finishing line, starting to celebrate this massive achievement when you suddenly realise that there is a steep hill just after the last bend…

That’s what it felt for me when I created my first micro-entrepreneur (called auto entrepreneur at the time) back in 2009. I was celebrating turning my side hustle into a business, when I realised that I’d have to spend more time doing some research to handle weird-looking forms and lots of paperwork.

What on earth was I supposed to do in order to :

  • Know which letters to file, keep or bin.
  • Fill in 6-pages-long forms.
  • Know how to issue an invoice with all the legal terms.
  • Handle the turnover declarations with URSSAF.
  • And that was just the start for the next 3 months…

I wished at the time that someone had shown me what to do, but:

  • My business was too small for an accountant to care “Come back when you’ve reached 72,000€”
  • The information online was sparse and unreliable.
  • The tax man told me to “search on the web”...
  • The good news is that it doesn’t have to be so hard for you!

Manage Your Micro Entrepreneur is my brand new group course for new micro-entrepreneurs wanting to become autonomous with their French business.

Manage Your Micro Entrepreneur course includes:

  • A 3-months group course for new entrepreneurs (from 0 to 4 month-old).
  • An 8-step roadmap to manage your business admin and taxes.
  • Details how-to videos and checklists to follow.
  • A fortnightly Q&As with me.
  • 3 presentations from business experts.
  • A dedicated Facebook group.

Learn how to Manage Your Micro Entrepreneur

Join Manage Your Micro Entrepreneur now - Doors close on 23rd October at midnight.

Student Testimonial

Here's what Jo has to say about this course. She sells equestrian products online and locally via her micro entrepreneur:

"The money I invested in this course was just the best investment I could have made! I would have been lost without the help I received. I found the videos indispensable as I could complete my paperwork as the video played and stop it if I needed to recap. Valerie was always responsive to my (many) emails for help and further explanation. Honestly, I could never have managed with out this course and I can’t recommend Valerie highly enough!"

Book a course discovery call

You are still not 100% sure that Manage Your Micro Entrepreneur course is for you? Book a 30 minutes discovery call with me.

We'll discuss the challenges that you are facing with your Micro Entrepreneur. After a 25 minutes chats, I will confirm whether these topics are covered within the course and whether it seems like a good fit for your.

Running a French business feels like a marathon

Valerie Lemiere: Start Business in France

About the author: Valérie Aston

I've been helping people who want to start or already have a small business set up in France since 2009. After graduating from a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, I worked as a senior marketing consultant in the UK and France for various International companies. I worked as a conseillère en création d'entreprises (senior business advisor) for BGE here in France and run this independent business on a daily basis.