Carpets a fitting idea for start-up

CARPET-FITTING skills learned in England have stood Jasen Saunders in good stead in his life in the Côtes d’Armor, Brittany.

Mr Saunders, 41, has been fitting carpets for more than 20 years, since starting as an apprentice in Portsmouth.

He fits both for private individuals and companies.

What is your business and how long have you been trading?

I run a carpet, vinyl and carpet tile fitting business which I started in March 2009

Did you do the same trade either in or out of France before?

I started fitting carpets as an apprentice to Maurice Cole of Portsmouth in 1987, the sole contractor to Knight & Lee department store, a branch of the John Lewis Partnership.

What qualifications do you need to do this kind of work?

I served an apprenticeship which consisted entirely of on the job training, but no actual qualifications were required.

Why did you think it would work?

Many people prefer the English method of fitting carpets with gripper and underlay compared to the French method, where the carpets are generally stuck down all over.

What type of business set-up are you - sarl, auto-entrepreneur etc, and do you have any employees?

I set my business up under the auto-entrepreneur scheme and I do not employ anyone.

Is it your main income?

Yes

Would you be brave enough to tell us your income?

Suffice to say that I am still below the threshold to be an auto-entrepreneur [turnover of less than e32,100], however at the current busy rate of work I may have to review this in the future.

What’s surprised you?

The cost of carpet fitter’s insurance compared with the UK - over 10 times more expensive. The lack of reasonably-priced, good quality carpets and related supplies available, despite many carpets being manufactured in Belgium nowadays.

How do you market yourselves?

I have two websites, in English and French http://carpet-fitter.eu and http://revetements-sols.eu plus I advertise in many English-speaking magazines and on websites for people living in France

Who is your market?

My market consists mainly of English expats, although more and more interest is being generated from French clients who prefer the luxury and aesthetics of properly-fitted carpets.

What was your biggest mistake looking back and your biggest success?

My biggest mistake was probably assuming that a Mitsubishi van originally from Belgium would be easy to transfer to French plates and not difficult to source parts for, eg. a new windscreen.

My biggest success has been my clients’ reactions to my work, and the associated word of mouth referrals this has generated.

Did you do a business plan?

I did a basic plan which was more of a checklist really, after researching the best way to start up a business in France.

I also completed the stage de gestion [business management} course at the chambre de métiers a couple of years ago, in anticipation of eventually moving to France.

The newly-introduced auto-entrepreneur scheme made everything very easy and no detailed business plan was really necessary.