Caro Feely, 57, was working as an IT strategy consultant and entrepreneur in Dublin in 2000, when she read an Oprah Winfrey quote that changed her life.
“It went something like: ‘Create your vision of where you want to be in five years.'
Caro Feely: ‘Create your vision of where you want to be in five years’Chateau Feely
"If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there. Imagine everything, where you are, what you’re doing, what you’re feeling, who you’re with, and write it down.’ It was so simple and made so much sense.”
Alongside her husband Sean, an investment writer and certified financial analyst, she accepted the challenge.
“When we compared our page of dreams, they were almost identical: an organic farm in France, with a vineyard and winery, gardens for self-sufficiency and two dogs,” she said.
“We already loved France and had discussed the idea of wine-farming before, but we didn’t have the financial means to do it. We also had no formal training in farming or winemaking, and limited French. But having written it down, we started planning to make it happen.”
Through tiny steps, they finally achieved their dream in 2005 when they moved to Château Feely in Saussignac (Dordogne), in the heart of Bergerac wine country.
Business practicalities
At first, the couple opted for an agricultural business structure called an EARL (exploitation agricole à responsabilité limitée).
“However, our work evolved to include accommodation in 2006, and then our French Wine Adventures tours and school started in 2008, so we changed to the more general SARL (société à responsabilité limitée),” said Caro.
“A SARL is a limited liability company. As a formal business structure, the annual accounts must be done by a chartered accountant (expert-comptable) and we have to file paperwork with the greffe du tribunal du commerce. You have to budget time and money to do all that.
“Under SARL Château Feely we have two brands: Château Feely is the organic vineyard and wines plus vineyard accommodation, while French Wine Adventures offers wine tours, vineyard walking tours and a wine school.
“Alongside this, I have also become a yoga teacher and writer in recent years, publishing a set of four books about following our dream in France.”
What is a SARL?
SARL stands for société à responsabilité limitée, meaning a company with limited liability.
This is one of the simpler types of business in France, best for small- to medium-sized companies.
It is often used for family-run businesses because shareholders can include children and associations. It is even possible for a family to create a SARL to purchase a property.
The SARL has its own legal entity and remains separate from any individual employee or manager, so it is roughly equivalent to a limited company in the UK or a limited liability company in the US.
In practical terms, it means that regardless of what happens to the business, the people involved can only be held liable for the amount they have contributed to the company’s capital, which could be as little as €1.
A SARL requires at least two shareholders, and someone must be appointed as the general manager or gérant.
Certain official steps are compulsory, such as creating a written set of statutes to govern how the company runs and who has the authority to make decisions on its behalf.
You must also hold an annual general meeting for all shareholders, at which accounts and major decisions are approved by a majority vote.
No two days the same
For the Feelys, a typical working day depends on the season.
The sun roomChâteau Feely
“In winter it’s planning and marketing, website work, writing books and promoting the multi-day tours, as these tend to be booked well in advance,” said Caro.
“In season, I could be teaching a yoga class at 8:30, then at 10:30 hosting a Wine Adventure Day tour with lunch, followed by a one-hour tour at 16:00 or receiving overnight guests.
“In between, I catch up on administration and reply to emails.”
Sean, meanwhile, is occupied with farming and maintaining the property, which comprises two gîtes and 14 hectares, including seven hectares of vines.
“He also loves gardening, so we eat homegrown organic produce all year round,” said Caro.
Harvest time in September is especially busy for us, but also a very special time of the year.”
Language advantage
Caro and Sean believe they could have set up a similar business even if they had stayed in Ireland, because both are so passionate about vines and wine.
“But it would certainly have had a different spin,” said Caro. “For a start, vines don’t grow in Ireland!”
She believes that being a native English speaker is advantageous in their line of work.
“For our clients who don’t speak French, it’s a comfort that I speak English but also speak fluent French. It also helps with marketing to Irish and British contacts.”
To anyone thinking of starting a similar venture, Caro advises thoroughly researching the charges and administrative requirements in France first.
“We didn’t realise how large the social charges would be even if we were making a loss, as was the case in our very early years. It’s vital to understand the full costs of your business set-up.”
‘We had no formal training in farming or winemaking’; the partners look out over their business propertyChâteau Feely
She also advises people to highlight the things they are passionate about in their business.
“For me, one of those is organic farming, and visitors leave our vineyard with an understanding of how their choice of products and farming methods directly impacts their health as well as the communities where their food is grown.”
More than anything else, however, Caro believes the key to success is tenacity, especially in the early years of growing a business.
“With the passion of doing something you love – and that persistence – you will succeed.”
