Open a business

Verified 01 January 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You have a plan to open a physical business. What are the steps indispensable before opening ? What are the good questions to land before you start? How to build your project ? What are the permissions necessary? We provide you with the necessary information.

Do you have the right to become a merchant?

You must to be of age and not to have been convicted in court for certain offenses.

Are you made for business?

It is important to ask you this question before your project.

You need to make sure you can create and manage a company.

Of tools specifically built for help you answer them are at your disposal on our dedicated page.

How to anticipate difficulties?
  • Do yourself accompany :

    • Meet merchants
  • Plan for practical difficulties
    • Make a financial reserve to deal with unforeseen events
    • Get ready for steady rate of work : weekend and evening, overtime
Is a diploma necessary?

If your profession is regulated, you must have a diploma or a professional card.

Example :

The professions regulated trade for example: tobacco store, bar-restaurant, driving school, real estate agent, antique dealer, pharmacist, etc.

You can use our search tool to find out if your activity is regulated or not.

Who can help you?

Before you start, you can ask different accompanying solutions.

Get closer to the CCI: titleContent from your region.

The KICs each offer training and personalized follow-up on your project.

Who shall I contact

Depending on the type of business you want to open, structures allow you to test your project.

This is company incubator, accelerator or incubator .

Do your market research

Market research helps you know if your business has a luck or notbe profitable.

We'll explain 4 steps: market, supply, demand and environment.

Who will be your customers?

You must define the exact profile of your future customers (age, gender, budget, tastes, etc.).

You must calculate the forecast number of your customers per week, per month, per year.

What products will be sold?

You must define precisely what products, services or goods you want to sell.

You must foresee of evolve them depending on modes, behaviors, etc.

Building your business plan

Make a business plan is obligatory.

It lets you know if your project is financially viable and present it to banks (partners and funders).

We'll explain the steps to build your business plan in our dedicated page.

Independent or franchised?

You need to choose whether your business will be independent or belong to a standardized "chain" of businesses called "franchise".

Your choice depends on several criteria including your budget, the nature of the business, your personality, etc.

What legal status for your company?

You must choose the status of your company.

Several statuses are possible:

Please note

The status of micro-entrepreneur requires meet CA thresholds that quickly limit your business growth. The annual threshold shall be €188,700.

What room, what location?

L'geographical location of your business is one element critical to success.

You must choose your business premises according to your business and your customers.

On what criteria to choose?

The criteria for choose your location are:

  • Immediate business environment: the more your premises surrounded by other shops, the more potential customers there are
  • Nature of the surrounding shops: a street of "food" shops will be less frequented in the afternoon
  • Access to your premises: sidewalk width, proximity to parking spaces, direction of traffic, pedestrian street, etc.
  • Visibility: are there obstacles (urban furniture) in front of the premises, the showcase is it good? visible from the sidewalk?
  • Background from the place: check with the nearby shops.

Please note

Think about quantify any work to adapt the place to your business.

How do I acquire a business premises?

You have 2 possibilities for obtain commercial premises :

Registration formalities must all be carried out on the website of the company Formalities Office, regardless of the legal form of your company (micro-enterprise, individual business VID (EI) or business).

Warning  

Since 1er january 2023, it is no longer possible to carry out your procedures in a company Formalities Center (CFE). You must make them on the website of the company formalities office.

Company Formalities Window

You must create personal account. Then you need to click on the column “ Company ” and then click on “File a company”. One interactive online form 8 pages is offered; you must fill it out step by step. A user manual is available on this Single Window website.

The supporting documents to be provided are different according to the legal status of your company.

Micro-company
What documents should be provided?

When applying for registration at the company formalities window, a certain amount of information must be provided and the following documents must be attached:

  • Entitlement of domiciliation the company with the clearly identifiable address (e.g. water, electricity or gas bill)
  • Copy of company project support contract (Cape)
  • Documents concerning the contractor:
    • Declaration on Honor of non-conviction and proof of filiation dated and signed by the entrepreneur
    • Copy of Contractor's ID
  • Authentic copy of the declaration on the immunity from seizure of immovable property not used for business purposes
  • If the contractor carries out a regulated activity : copy of the authorization to pursue the activity, diploma or title

FYI  

If the person who carries out the registration formality is not the contractor, he must attach to the application a copy of the power (authentic instrument or privately signed document) authorizing him to take steps on behalf of the contractor.

Please note

All these documents must be digitized and downloaded when you complete the company creation form, at the end of the procedure.

Individual business
What documents are to be provided?

When applying for registration at the company formalities window, a certain amount of information must be provided and the following documents must be attached:

  • Entitlement of domiciliation the company with the clearly identifiable address (e.g. water, electricity or gas bill)
  • Copy of company project support contract (Cape)
  • Documents concerning the contractor:
    • Declaration on Honor of non-conviction and proof of filiation dated and signed by the entrepreneur
    • Copy of Contractor's ID
  • Authentic copy of the declaration on the immunity from seizure of immovable property not used for business purposes
  • If the contractor carries out a regulated activity : copy of the authorization to pursue the activity, diploma or title

FYI  

If the person who carries out the registration formality is not the contractor, he must attach to the application a copy of the power (authentic instrument or privately signed document) authorizing him to take steps on behalf of the contractor.

Please note

All these documents must be digitized and downloaded when you complete the company creation form, at the end of the procedure.

Business (SAS, SARL, EURL)
When to apply for registration?

It is possible to start your business before the registration of the business. For example, it may be necessary to sign a lease or to charge future customers.

It is important to indicate on all documents the words "Business in training".

The application for registration must be made within 30 days which follow the start of activity.

Conversely, it is also possible to start business after the application for registration. In this case, the starting date must be fixed at the latest within 15 days of the application for registration.

What documents are to be provided?

You must contact the subsequent documents :

  • If you have not signed your company creation declaration yourself, original of the power by which you authorize a third party to sign the declaration on your behalf
  • Entitlement of domiciliation on your company with the clearly identifiable address (electricity bill, lease)
  • Certificate of publication of the notice of establishment in a legal listing support
  • Declaration on Honor of non-conviction and proof of parentage dated and signed by you
  • Copy of your ID
  • Original copy of the status of your businessdated and signed by all members or their authorized representative and supported by an original copy of the power special or dispatch
  • If you are engaged in a regulated activity, a copy of the authorization to engage in the activity, diploma or qualification
  • If you're married, exemplary signed and dated the certificate of issue of the information given to the spouse of the consequences on the common property of the debts incurred in the exercise of your profession

Please note

All these documents must be digitized and downloaded when you complete the company creation form, at the end of the procedure.

Authorizations related to particular businesses
If you occupy the outdoor public space (terrace, etc.)

If your business encroaches on the sidewalk or on a square, you must ask your city hall for permission. This is a AOT: titleContent.

This formality mainly concerns bars and restaurants, but not only.

Example :

If you have a furniture or antique dealer, you may want to put some items for sale on the sidewalk in front of your store. L'AOT is then obligatory.

If your store is more than 1,000 m2

Above 1 000 m2 of area, you must ask one commercial operating authorization.

The request is made at CDAC: titleContent to the prefecture of your department.

Who shall I contact
If you play music in your store

You must make a declaration to Sacem and pay an annual fee.

Sacem: applications for permission to broadcast music

You need to take out insurance of the professional liability type.

Please note

Specific insurance applies to micro-entrepreneur.

Security

A business is an institution receiving from the public (ERP).

You must respect the mandatory safety standards for LES.

One control takes place during 2 months after opening.

You must also protect against theft and scams.

Accessibility

Your business must be designed so that it is accessible to persons with disabilities.

There are precise rules to be observed.

When your trade will be open, you will need to follow the following rules:

You will also need to respect rules of accounting andbilling special.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • Inforeg (regulatory information on company creation and management)

    Legal response service of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP) in business law, social law and company taxation

    By telephone

     01 55 65 44 44

    Open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.30pm

    Price of a local call

    By email

    Using the form contact point

  • Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI)

  • If your store is more than 1000 m2: application for commercial authorization

    Prefecture

FAQ