The Internet – New Frontiers for French Entrepreneurs
While much of the world feels “been there, done that,” about Internet entrepreneurship, in France it is revving up in a big way.
As of 2010, the time to register a new business had fallen to seven days, from its former wait of 41 days. This is less of a wait than in other countries, such as Germany and Great Britain. Tax credits for investments in innovation and research have been increased. Because of these simplifications in starting new businesses, the rate of new entrepreneur-started businesses has doubled since 2007.
Current predictions note that by 2015 the digital economy of France will just about double in value, creating 450,000 new jobs…most of which did not exist half a decade ago. The current mindset is not just rampant in the business world; a recent poll revealed that the top three companies that French teenagers want to work for are (in alphabetical order) Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Businesses are being started from websites or blogs by the younger generation almost on a daily basis. Even the largely conservative French workforce is starting to lean toward the values espoused by French Internet entrepreneurs.
Another factor driving the young to turn to Internet entrepreneurship is that the job market is stagnant, with employers reluctant to make new hires due to high payroll taxes, forcing younger workers to be more creative in order to survive.
Further, the Minitel, France’s Internet precursor, will finally close up shop on June 30, 2012, leaving a much wider potential market for Internet entrepreneurs. During the late 1990s, Lionel Jospin, the French Prime Minister, warned that the Minitel risked halting French Internet innovation. The Minitel’s main legacy is that it basically taught the current crop of French Internet entrepreneurs their trade, because those entrepreneurs learned about computers and the Internet through trying to hack the Minitel network. It also showed French entrepreneurs the upside of having a network that reached even into rural France, to those who might otherwise have not had Internet access. The Minitel’s closing will force more people in France to start using the Internet, creating a larger market for the services the new French Internet entrepreneurs will provide.
Unlike the US Internet market, where most of the smaller companies have already been gobbled up by the giants, Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc., there is room in France for smaller companies to start and to grow to a profitable point.
The future for French Internet entrepreneurs is bright. Between a government that is beginning to support the creation of small businesses, a demand that has been created by a system that is going out of business, and a world increasingly dependent on technology and communications, chances for their success is growing by leaps and bounds.
If you are planning to visit or relocate to France anytime soon, then for sure you are worried about what internet service you can get to make sure that you still have a connection to the families and friends you leave behind. Of course, you can always go to an internet surf shop near you but there’s still no beating having your own connection; one that you can enjoy at the comfort of your own couch with a laptop on one hand and a delicious cup of French coffee on the other hand.
So we’ve compiled the list of available French internet companies from which you can get your broadband service. The list is never comprehensive enough to cover all French internet companies but we’ve managed to narrow down the usual suspects so you do not have to scour the best web hosting services just to find the company that you need.
French Internet Companies from Which You Can Get your Internet Access
1. Alice. Also known as Tiscali, Alice is considered one of the largest internet service providers in Italy and branched out to offer services in France. Where the normal household download speed is limited to 1.2 mbps, Alice offers services up to 2 mbps in some areas. It is also active in other market segments such as telephone and internet TV services. Without a doubt, it is the Drakensberg accommodation of French internet companies.
2. Orange. This is the official internet segment of the France Telecommunications Group and is one of the largest providers of internet services in France. Its size is also a good indication of its capital outlay which in turn translates to reliable service. If you want the San Diego flooring equivalent of French internet companies, your best bet lies with Orange.
3. UKTelecom. A common problem among expatriates relocating into France is the language barrier and dealing with a largely French-speaking internet provider can be quite a tedious endeavor. For this reason, UKTelecom provides welcome relief and familiarity for English-speaking transferees to France. UKTelecom covers the whole spectrum of telecommunications services from internet to phone and can be relied on to deliver these services in a language that you understand without the need of a translator or dictionary. If you want a seamless purchase much like getting used cars which are proven and tested to meet the demands of everyday use, then UKTelecom might just be the company for you.
4. Nuef Telecom. Widely considered as the second largest French internet company next to Orange, Neuf Telecom has international connections with the Cegetel Group and AOL to provide services in internet connections. Neuf promises the fastest internet connection package at 100 mbps on a fiber optic connection and dispenses with the annoying fixed-term contracts so users can depend primarily on their level of satisfaction as a means to continue or terminate a package. This is as close as you can come to a wedding photographer York: a company designed to deliver your needs and one that you keep coming back to for more without purely based on previous performance.
5. Darty. This is one of those integrated French internet companies where television and phone services are bundled with the internet into one package. It links through the Completel network and boasts up to 20 mbps of connection speed combined with free internet to local phone calls from local and international destinations as well as an impressive HDTV service. This is the Sharepoint Hive of internet companies as it offers an all-in-one comprehensive system for all users.
Take note that there are more companies offering various internet services and picking the ones that’s best for you can be a tedious process with many considerations. Aside from speed, you will also need to look at reliability, price, add-ons at cheaper if not free cost, and many others. Consider that with an integrated service, you will need less of yoga mats to help you with your stress levels against a faulty and unreliable internet connection.
Consequently, services like Neuf are impressive in that these do not bound clients through a fixed term contract but rather allow clients to terminate services anytime they are displeased. This pushes the company to continue innovating and providing new packages that keep clients excited and engaged. Like water softener reviews, it keeps clients constantly in control of their internet subscriptions and does not allow the company to relax and take it easy.
So the next time you find yourself in France for an extended period and would want to have your own internet connection, the five companies on our list are definitely must consider water fountains or sources of service to allow you to keep in touch with your family and friends from back home. At the very least, it will ensure that you have a lifeline to people that can help you with your loneliness. So do not compromise your convenience and interests despite being in a foreign country. With the sheer number of options, there is certainly that’s good for you.
The French Tech Community
Whatever reasons the French had to not create a Silicon Valley in one of their cities, even after being offered by various companies, does not set into the human mind. Experts describe the scenario in closed shutters as a regional knot that bounds areas to craft models according to their own societies. By looking closely, experts noticed a slight hint of uniqueness in the idea of France not creating a Silicon Valley, but something better, according to their workings. By providing excellent communication facilities, inter-territory transport, quality training programs and huge areas of space, the French tech community saved itself from
announcing a DePuy hip replacement recall by not choosing to build a Silicon Valley.
The famous technology park of Sophia Antipolis is what France has in place. The area spread to hundreds of miles, like the inner textures of Dreamweaver templates, is situated in the southwest portion of the city of Nice. This park is where most of the French computing and electronic community resides, most of the acres booked under the ownership of the renowned Valbonne. The park itself is termed after the wife of a French Senator, Sophie, and the word Sophia Antipolis has a wise Greek meaning to it. Even the streets inside the technology hub are termed after Greek phrases or names.
Quite a few elite establishments are present in the area that train its students for a variety of fields that has a long list just like there is to a CAN test questions sheet. The training is done for computing and e-purposes mainly such as providing SEO facilities like a strong backlinks service, detailed graphic designing, animation studios, intelligent web design capabilities, mastering at programming etc. The park even incorporates the W3C headquarters in all of Europe within its walls where thousands of register to master at computer languages and codes such as PHP and HTML.
Etalab and its partners launch DataConnexions
After the constructions of such technology hubs, the most common trial they face is between employees and employers having different demands. But the area had no problems with log book loans or any payday loan whatsoever. One of the key challenges that struck them was to bring all the organizations together and fill them with a common intellect of society and community. They had to commit all the parties to create a social interaction with each other for a collaborative environment and the bringing together of ideas. This job does seem like one for the San Antonio marketing department but the feeling had to be initiated from inside the organizations working at the science and technology square by making people from different minds meet and fertilize their notions together. The park then introduced professional clubs such as Telecom Valley and the Sophia business angels club to build a better French tech community which eventually grew into a landmark of innovation, science and a probe for France. After successfully building a community atmosphere, the science and technology park now includes one of the world’s most popular companies such as IBM, Hitachi, NVIDIA, ST Ericsson, Hewlett Packard, Air France, Wall Street and Orange with their business centers, franchises and research laboratories.
The Sophia Antipolis also constitutes a residential society within its premises known as the Garbejaire. The location appartement is in the middle of the technology park where all the necessary residential places are present such as chemists, hairstylists, superstores, lodging houses, bakeries etc.
French Business Formation Process
These days, forming a French company is by no means a small and easy feat, the way fat loss 4 idiots provide the figure that one wants without having to scrimp on meals and looking like a guy straight out of a drug rehab facility. Getting the needed government permits is not as uncomplicated as receiving free government cell phones or simply buying ebook reader and cheap laptops from eBay.
The whole business of French business formation can be quite bumpy, like being inside a coach hire traveling on a rocky road, or on inversiontables hanging upside down.
First, one will have to go through a somewhat complex legal trail to ensure that the business passes all French government regulations, much like someone hiring a Mesothelioma lawyer to prove that an employee suffered from Mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos at the workplace, hence passing the provisions for just compensation for work hazard-related claims.
However, everything will be worth it once you’ve hurdled over all the legal complexities of setting-up the business and getting all the permits to start your business rolling. It will be like having a bad tooth removed with the help of a good San Pedro dentist, or getting the youthful glow you’ve always wanted by using the best anti aging cream available in the market.
The actual process involving French business formation may vary, usually depending on the business formation company that you will hire. However, there are some pretty standard procedures that you can expect. Here is a generic progression of setting up a French business:
1. Searching for your company name. Nobody wants to have another business named exactly like theirs! So do you. This is why you should first choose a company name that is unique, and most importantly, catchy. Have your chosen name checked by the Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle so they can discern if your chosen company name is unique and available.
2. Open a French bank account. It’s important that you have a French bank account as it will establish your presence and identity in French soil. You will be required to make a deposit and the required start-up capital so you will be deemed capable of conducting business. The bank will issue you a certificate which should be published in a French journal or a widely-circulating newspaper.
3. Preparing the Articles of Association/Statutes. This is one of the key points that you must accomplish, as it is important to define clearly what your business will be like, and what activities your business will be into. This will let authorities (particularly the Societe a Responsibilitee Limitee) decide whether or not to approve your business and release the necessary French business permits. Keep in mind that you should also have a Board of Directors for your company to be considered legitimate.
4. File your company documents with the Centre de Formalités des Entreprises. After registering your company statutes at the local tax office, you should file your company registration with the Centre de Formalités des Entreprises and procure the required company books and legal papers.
Once you’ve accomplished all these steps, your necessary French business permits will be delivered to you–which means you could now start your French business! So good luck and have a successful French business venture!
How to Start a Business in France
With France widely regarded as one of the strongest economies not only in Europe but in the world as a whole, it is no surprise that you can easily find many people looking to start a business in France. All sorts of professionals – from a Master in Public Health to a Master of Accounting – aspire to be able to put up a business that taps into the potential of the French market. In this post, we will talk about some of the most important considerations in order to successful start a business in France.
First, look into the regulations that govern the industry where you want to put up a business. France is known for significant government intervention in many business matters so even something as simple as offering Information Technology degrees can be fraught with bureaucratic red tape. Still, there have been significant strides to this end done in the last few years and a definite relaxation of the regulative powers of government has been in full swing so one shouldn’t worry as much.
Second, scout the competition that might lower your profit margin. Fashion and winery, for example, are the bread and butter businesses in France and starting a business in this sector is very challenging. Conversely, forays into the French education system might be more successful because of lack in competition. Companies that offer a Project Management degree online or online Masters Degree programs in general are not as common and should be assessed for business feasibility.
Third, summarize your feasibility study reports taking into account potential cost like insurance, taxation, manpower, overhead expenses, advertising, office rental, office equipment and the likes. Even if you are offering virtual services like computer science degrees online, you will incur overhead costs such as server fees, programmers, VoIP, teachers and the likes. Failure to take these into account exhaustively oftentimes compromises the profitability of a business.
Fourth, business permits are very important towards a successful venture and regardless of your chosen industry, you should ensure 100% compliance with all the regulations. Likewise, recent changes in French laws have created many benefits and exemptions for business owners including exemption from social security contributions for up to two years from the day the company is put up. Obviously, you do not need a Master of Social Work or someone with a Finance degree to tell you that exemptions are important to improve your bottom line.
For a thorough approach to compliance on regulations, you will need the services of a lawyer and an accountant to advise you how to properly register your business. These are professionals whose work is consultative in nature so you will have to spend to get their opinion on regulative matters. However, it bears no need for emphasis that legal compliance is a non-negotiable commodity when starting a business.
Of course, the real task of starting a business in France is much more complicated than this 4-step process, much like if you want to cheat at scrabble but you cannot find the reference to support that a word does exist. However, as long as you are committed to seeing your business through and meticulous in planning for any potential business outcome, you should be in good hands. A business opportunity, no matter how attractive, will only be profitable if you setup your business to take advantage of it. So whether you are in the real estate in Belize or taking advantage of the boom in France, follow-through the business creation steps properly and you should be able to realize the benefits in as short a period as 6-months to 2 years.
The Tech Boom in France
Provided you are interested in learning more about tech boom in general and the French tech boom in particular, you can read more here on this site or opt for a related site and try to see the full picture. No matter how good and positive you might be regarding this boom to be, the reality is there are plenty of arguments that seem to be stating the opposite.
Well-developed countries such as France now enable interested individuals to fully and easily embrace an RN to BSN online program or some masters in criminal justice programs as long as they are the owners of some desktop computers or laptops and even smartphones that are enabling them to access these online schools. But what happens when these computers or laptops break and they need to be replaced with new ones. Where do the old ones go? Are they being properly discarded or are they contributing to the further pollution of the environment? These are the main issues that seem to be raising the most concerns in France and other countries of the planet where the tech booms seems to be in bloom now.
Sure that the medical aid services there are definitely superior to other in other countries where the tech boom is yet to arrive, due to the shorter times of response in relation to medical interventions. As a matter of fact, today doctors have the opportunity of offering advice to their patients who are not admitted into their hospital, but they are at home, still under their care. With the help of amazing French hospital technologies, special supervising systems and fast interventions, the medical tech boom in France seems to be worth all the money. If you are interested in reading more about this topic, you should be able to quickly locate a full article online.
If you are interested in learning more about the French tech boom in other areas, you should consider making a simple Mozilla Firefox free download and doing some extra research on the fields you are most willing to learn about. You could find out that the tech boom in France is bringing a huge contribution to the overall improvement and resolving of a great deal of problems. Technological innovation that is currently constantly expanding is creating more job openings. But it is also contributing to the apparition of additional issues, such as the development of labor issues such as minimal workplace regulation issues and human right abuses inside high tech factories.
The desire to quickly cater to the needs of a variety of consumers and the need to do that before other nations step in is making the French tech boom become one of the most apparent and easy to spot changes in the area. But not all of these changes are for the best and humankind could suffer on the long run because of some nation’s desire to do things a lot faster than in the past.
