Business

Free building materials in France: how the Cycle Zéro app works

New app relies on unused materials discarded in skips at local construction sites

SFR sale: how customers in France could be impacted

Millions of customers of telecommunications giant face having their accounts transferred to competitors

Camera and metal recycling firm among France’s top-growth companies

Financial newspaper Les Echos publishes a list of the country’s leading firms annually

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‘Dare to try’: a creative’s tips for monetising your talents in France

Reader Synthia Bléomelen explains how she makes money by creating and selling jewellery

French heat-reflecting paint firm in financial difficulty

Cool Roof enters administration while efforts are under way to secure a new investor

MP drops plan to allow French bakeries to open seven days a week

Proposal abandoned after opposition from the baking industry

A graphic of someone calculating savings and interest

Can small businesses earn interest on deposits in France?

Accounts in France are dominated by government-regulated products such as the Livret A and its higher-paying counterpart, the Livret d’épargne populaire (LEP)

Cybercrime rises in France: see some free resources to fight it

Attacks are becoming more numerous, targeted and difficult to detect

Fire-hit bakery finds lifeline through unique partnership with butcher

Local residents rally to help two well-known traders

What are the rules on paying in cash in France?

There are limits and exceptions depending on your tax status and the kind of transaction

A man wearing a suit jacket at a desk is being comforted by a lady standing behind him

Kidnappings prompt company privacy reform

Company owners can now hide their personal address details

French artisans lose exports as US tariffs bite

British couple with cookware business have seen their sales collapse

2025 small business VAT reform definitively cancelled after Senate vote

New 2026 proposals remain on table but likely to be struck out as MP debates get underway

Graph: Record international investment in France announced

France is ‘most attractive' European country for investment says government

Why employees in France are likely to receive less money in January

Three changes are expected to make a dent in the usual level of net pay

Does working on a bank holiday in France impact pay?

The company, sector, and collective staff agreements can all affect workers’ entitlement

Why is there such a row in France over who owns Doliprane?

News of a potential sale of the manufacturer has reignited debates over drug shortages and ‘drug sovereignty’

Which Cora supermarkets in France are rebranding to Carrefour?

The changeover will be gradual and in three stages, with no job losses expected

21 Casino supermarkets to close across France

Almost 1,000 people will lose their jobs in the latest round of upheaval to hit the brand

Amazon pledges to create 3,000 new jobs in France

‘I invite anyone who wants to join us to get involved’, says Amazon France’s CEO as he dismisses controversy over working conditions

Foreign investors still prefer France to UK or Germany, study finds

An annual barometer shows that France is leading in many sectors - however, it hides a more nuanced picture, which shows that the UK is recovering from Brexit

Gite owners in France urged to take advice on tax changes

New tax rules could leave furnished holiday accommodation owners confused about which accounting system to use

A view of the front of a Primark store in Bordeaux, France

Primark plans to double number of low-cost fashion shops in France

The Irish brand wants to open four new sites per year in suburban towns

Many gite owners in France forced into complex and costly tax regime

Some say the new finance law was rushed through and ‘accidently’ penalises gites

Hacker, peep shows, jail: the story of a French tech billionaire

Artificial intelligence is the next realm to be conquered in legendary tycoon Xavier Niel’s colourful career

Business accounting in France to get simpler for some

We explain the new income thresholds that trigger accounting and auditing obligations

Intermarché and Auchan to buy more than 300 Casino stores in France

‘It's the worst Christmas present the staff could have had,’ said a representative of the CGT union, saying workers will not ‘let themselves be thrown away without reacting’

Free training for small business owners in France

The business skills courses are part of the government's Covid recovery plan. We look at what is on offer and who is eligible

Career change: ‘French coffee choice was limited so I made my own’

Diana Rafla explains how she was inspired to start her own coffee business

The northern French city experiencing an industrial renaissance

Roubaix, which was once a powerhouse of the textile industry, is at the centre of efforts to bring production back to the country

French town’s drought ‘solution’: painting its dried-out grass green!

Grass in Mandelieu-la-Napoule near Cannes is being coated with an organic dye that also helps to replenish it with nutrients

Shaking hands with a background of French flag colours

Why online registration skews data for new French businesses

The internet-only process, introduced earlier this year, has made it hard to keep tabs on how many enterprises have been created

$193bn: how did this French businessman get so rich?

Bernard Arnault frequently beats Elon Musk to ‘world’s richest man’ title, we look at his complex relationship with France and what he owns

French business graduate finds the tools to tackle climate crisis

Thibaud Morthelier created his traditional hand tool business in 2021 after growing disillusioned with corporate life in Lyon

A lithium battery graphic with a bright orange connection cable

France set to open its first electric car battery factory

It is part of Emmanuel Macron’s plans to reindustrialise the country

Social charges, sick leave, SMIC: Change for workers in France in 2023

We also look at how the self-employed will receive more support and how unemployment benefits are changing

When can a French business charge you for a quote?

It may not be the norm in France, but most companies are allowed to charge for a quote, except those in certain industries

An image of a person's hand on the radiator dial

France sets out winter energy saving plan for residents and businesses

Brief cuts to electric radiators at peak times, money for car-sharing and added financial incentives for home working – we outline the key proposals being announced this afternoon

A photo of a pile of Euro coins and banknotes, and receipts

French PM urges big business to return purchasing power to the public

Élisabeth Borne said that ‘everyone should be responsible’ and that she ‘would be paying attention to what large companies do’ with massive profits

French set-up going to plan as UK wine wholesaler moves citing Brexit

€150,000 a year in extra costs were the catalyst for a change of country – but south of France lifestyle is added bonus

‘I fight for wine in French culture, heritage and economy’

The new president of France’s most powerful wine lobby talks to The Connexion about climate change, health and the true value of wine

Foreign firms pledge to invest record €6.7bn in France this year

Technology and manufacturing industries account for most of the investment and job creation

B&B owners in France receive music royalties bill for premises

Gîtes de France body demands clearer guidelines on who is liable and how it will be enforced

Can I sell my micro-entreprise business in France?

The micro-entrepreneur scheme allows you to set up as self-employed with simplified means of paying social security contributions and income tax

French car collector helps other owners find old tyres to fit

‘There are quite a few technical changes to the tyre body which mean modern tyres on an old car can affect performance,’ he told The Connexion

Stimcar co-founders Yann (left) and Jean-François Brazeau

Meet the French brothers who are transforming the used car market

Business is booming for Stimcar founders Yann and Jean-François Brazeau - the firm reconditions second-hand cars for dealers and has plans to expand across Europe

Self-employed in France get new law to protect home if business fails

Personal assets like property, furniture, cars and bank accounts will automatically be protected from debt collectors

Floating phone inventor relocates handset factory from China to France

Wage rises and Covid disruption in China prompted Crosscall’s French founder to build a smartphone factory in Aix-en-Provence

EDF bosses and staff oppose ‘crippling’ electricity bill cap in France

EDF customers get electricity price rises capped at 4% but the French government majority owned firm will lose billions

A view of the Rosbank bank office in Smolenskaya square, Moscow

Ukraine war: How French companies with Russian links may be affected

Auchan, Renault, Engie, Airbus, TotalEnergies: several French giants also operate in Russia

Who can I tell about illegal car business in France?

The mairie is, usually, the first port of call for these issues

Meet the last traditional makers of the Parisian café chair

Paris would not be Paris without its terrace bars and cafés with their signature rattan chairs. When Alexis Dyèvre took on Maison Gatti in 2019, he felt he was buying a small part of the French capital

A Champagne bottle pouring into several glasses

French Champagne’s record €5.5bn year is ‘victory for good living’

Industry expert says that 2021 sales are likely to be the ‘best ever year for Champagne’ – a marked improvement after the sector was badly hit during the first lockdown in 2020

Money: can I still receive paper invoices instead of online?

Reader question: a while ago I read that firms cannot charge extra to people who want to receive paper invoices instead of email or online versions – is this still the case? S.H.

Do I have to pay the full CFE business tax this year?

There is a tax exemption for businesses with a very small turnover and depending on location, a special two-thirds reduction linked to Covid

I am retired but can I do work as a pet-sitter in France?

Working as a pet-sitting is certainly a possibility if you like animals, however, to do it properly according to the rules involves a certain amount of dedication – and paperwork

How do taxes work for non-French owners when running a gîte?

Running a gîte , explained.

Rules for providing a quotation, or 'devis' for work in France

Providing a quote for services or work is obligatory by law for businesses in certain cases. We explain

France’s favourite brands in 2021: Decathlon, Peugeot, and Leclerc

The third annual ranking saw the sports brand top the poll again but online Covid appointment booking app Doctolib rose up the charts in a sign of the pandemic times

President Macron pays tribute to Bernard Tapie, who has died age 78

The head of state has praised the ‘ambition, energy and enthusiasm’ of the charismatic and much-loved-yet controversial businessman, who has died of cancer

Could health passes be required when French ski resorts reopen?

Tourism minister impressed by the way health passes give reassurance and keep firms in business. It comes as the prime minister announces he is to ask for a law extension so the health pass can be continued after November 15

Should France allow bread to be sold seven days a week?

A bakery union is the latest group to fight a 100-year French law that bans the sale of bread seven days a week - but not all bakers are in favour

June 15 is mid-year payment deadline for France's CFE business tax

Advance payment cuts pain of a big December bill, when the full balance in due

500,000 shopkeepers in France launch anti-Amazon campaign

The online retail giant turns urban centres into ghost towns and destroys local jobs and the environment, the traders claim

Business Sirens and Sirets in France explained

All businesses in France, whatever the size, must have a Siren and a Siret number, and this also applies to self-employed 'micro-entrepreneurs'

Eurostar secures £250m refinancing deal to stave off bankruptcy

The firm, which is based in the UK and operates under UK law, had previously asked both the UK and French governments for help but none was forthcoming.

Britons shocked by post-Brexit difficulties, says ex-ambassador

Peter Ricketts, former British ambassador to France, tells of the difficulties faced by businesses and the 'extra red tape' as well as travel changes

French small businesses struggle with Brexit red tape

A leader of French business body Medef says full Brexit is ‘brutal’ for thousands of small firms and some will cease trading with the UK

Paper fuel cells could track vaccines and help diabetics

The cells, developed over the last 30 years, could replace batteries and be used for enhanced transportation and logistic tracking, say developers, as well as in medical products

French winemakers celebrate EU-US tariff agreement

The two sides have agreed to a four-month suspension of tariffs imposed due to the long-running Airbus-Boeing dispute, which cost French winemakers €500 million in 2020

€500 help to set up website for small businesses in France

Small businesses that had to close during the second confinement are eligible for a €500 grant to help them set up a website

State aid for France's ski resorts as lifts stay closed

Authorities refuse to speculate on possible reopening dates as school holidays loom

How long must you keep your business documents in France?

Businesses must, by law, keep all official documents, such as invoices, that they have sent out or received

Restaurateurs in France fear no January reopening

Government sources have suggested that the reopening of restaurant and cafes will not happen on January 20 as previously announced

Hollywood hero's support phone message for Corsica

Leader of local business association gets action star Chuck Norris to deliver a New Year greeting