Change purpose of exisiting business or start a new one?

Andrea: I have been working in the french alps running ski chalets for a number of years and next year looking to rent and run a chalet for myself. I have set up a ltd. company in the uk to take the bookings.  My partner already has a french business providing maintenance to chalet companies.  Is it possible for us to use his exisiting business to run the french side of my chalet company?(changing the purpose of the company from maintenance to in resort services) Or do we need to set up a new company?

Valerie:Can you confirm a couple of details please. Has your husband set up an entreprise individuelle/ micro entreprise in France? And what exactly do you mean by resort services? Does it refer to rentals?

When registering his business, your other half was given an APE or NAF code which refers to his main activity. One option is to contact the Centre de Formalite des Entreprises where he registered in order to extent the APE code for his new activity.

The question is: who will provide the extra services? The entreprise individuelle only works for the person who registered it. If your partner is handling the new services that’s fine. If you are, you could consider becoming a conjoint collaborateur, which would enable you to carry both activities together. You would need to either be married or have a PACS. It will also increase your yearly social charges contribution. You might want to meet an accountant, so he could assess the extra amount for you. Last option if you don’t have a PACS and will handle the business yourself is to register your own company.