How to create a business?
Verified 12 September 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Setting up a business involves defining your project, choosing your legal form, completing the various steps (drafting the statutes, choosing the name of your business, etc.), depositing the capital and registering the company.
Step-by-step approach
Once the company idea is chosen, several steps are necessary to define the project of a business.
The first is to develop a business model. The latter makes it possible in particular to visualize, design and adjust the economic model of a company. He therefore describes the company's project.
The second step is themarket research. It allows to know if the project envisaged is profitable or not, thanks to 4 elements: supply, demand, environment and commercial strategy.
Finally, there are many ways to refine your project: communicate on social networks, use your personal network, visit trade shows or participate in networking events.
The preparation of an entrepreneurial project involves two essential steps: the development of a business plan and the search for financing.
The writing a business plan (business plan) is a critical step in creating a business. The business plan is a structured document that formalizes the draft business, detailing its strategy (financing strategy, tax strategy or communication strategy), its financial forecasts and its economic model.
The development of a business plan is essential to convince banks and investors. This is the key tool to reassure the various stakeholders on the viability of the business.
Several possibilities exist for find funding :
- Financing your company through equity, i.e., through your own resources
- Financing your company through a bank loan
- Raise funds through the entry of new investors into the capital of the business
- Receive aid for the creation of a company (Acre, Arce, Cape, ex-mother-of-pearletc.)
- Register for competitions or benefit from scholarships
- Get a loan of honor
There are many other ways to funding to build a company.
That the business exercises a regulated activity (for example: real estate agency, hairdresser) or not, it is for the most part subject to the completion of certain preliminary steps.
This can be for example an application for authorization from the town hall of the city where the establishment is located or an application for approval.
Other steps, which are not directly linked to the nature of the business' activity, may also be taken on behalf of the business: opening a bank account, paying the administrative costs of creating a business or signing a commercial lease, for example.
FYI
It is possible to make commitments and perform acts, as a natural person, before the business is set up. We are talking aboutacts performed on behalf of a business in training.
Once the business is registered, the acts performed on behalf of a business in training may be resumed. This means that the act is the responsibility of the business, not of the person who performed it.
When choosing the legal form of the business, several factors must be taken into account, including the number of members, the amount of share capital or the extent of the liability of the members.
Legal form | Characteristics | Who can use it? |
|---|---|---|
Business of a high flexibility. The members (at least 2) are free to determine in the statutes the modalities of its operation. Without minimum capital. | Craftsman, trader, industrialist, liberal profession (but not legal, legal or health professions) | |
Simplified joint stock company composed of single associate. It may freely determine the operating procedures of the business in the statutes. Without minimum capital. | Craftsman, trader, industrialist, liberal profession (but not legal, legal or health professions) | |
Business allowing each of the partners (between 2 and 100) to be responsible for debts of the business only to the extent of its contributions personal. No minimum capital. | Craftsman, trader, industrialist, liberal profession (but not legal, legal or health professions, except pharmacists) | |
Limited liability company composed of single associate. He is responsible for the debts of the business only to the extent of his personal contributions. No minimum capital. | Craftsman, trader, industrialist, liberal profession (but not legal, legal or health professions, except pharmacists) | |
Real Estate Civil Society (SCI) | A form of civil business for the holding, management and transfer of real estate. It must be composed of 2 associates at least. Indefinite liability of partners. Without minimum capital. | Craftsman, trader, industrialist, liberal profession (provided that the SCI is limited to real estate management and does not exercise professional activity) |
A form of business usually reserved for large companies. It must be composed of 2 associates at least. The shares held by shareholders depend on the amount of their contribution to the business. | Craftsman, trader, industrial | |
Business to practice a regulated liberal profession. | Regulated liberal profession | |
The partners (minimum 2) are traders and jointly and severally liable for the debts of the business. No minimum capital. | Craftsman, trader, industrialist, liberal profession (but not legal, legal or health professions, except pharmacists). | |
Business allowing several members exercising a regulated liberal profession to exercise their activity jointly. Each partner is personally imposed on its share of profits. | Regulated liberal profession (except speech-language pathologists, speech-language pathologists, pedicure podiatrists, pharmacists, midwives, general insurance agents, accountants, dieticians, psychologists) | |
Business that can take the form of an SA, SARL or SAS. Associated employees are necessarily in the majority. They must possess at least 51% share capital. | Craftsman, trader, industrialist, liberal profession (architects, surveyors-experts for example) |
At the time of the creation of the business, it is necessary to appoint it. This is called the company name or the company name.
It allows the business to be identified as a legal person. Indeed, the business has its own legal personality, different from that of its founder: it is said to be a legal person.
Ownership of this name is acquired at the time of registration of the business.
The company name often refers to the activity carried out.
Please note
The company name should not be confused with the trade name or the sign. The name identifies the business as a legal person, while the trade name refers to the activity carried out, and thecommercial sign corresponds to the visible sign affixed to the place of exploitation. In practice, the corporate name and the trade name are often identical, although they perform distinct legal functions.
The registered office corresponds to the address of the business. All documents relating to the activity of the business are sent there.
This address must appear on the commercial documents (quotes, invoices in particular).
This is the place of effective direction of the business. Thus, it may be different from the place of exploitation or production.
The location of the registered office is fixed in the statutes at the time of the creation of the business but it can be moved during the life of the business. Without domiciliation of the companyHowever, registration of the business is not possible.
It is also possible to house your business in several places:
- At the domicile of the legal representative
- In a dedicated room
- In company sharing and coworking
- In a company of domicile
- In a nursery of young companies
The share capital of the business is made up cash contributions and contributions in kind carried out by the shareholders or partners of the business, at the time of the creation (or capital increase) of the business.
There are 3 types of intake:
- Cash contributions (i.e. money)
- Contributions in kind (buildings, machinery, etc.)
- Contributions in industry (know-how, experience, relationships that a person puts at the service of business)
In the event ofcontributions in kindHowever, the creation of the business requires the intervention of a contribution commissioner, whose role is to assess the assets contributed to the capital of the business.
The deposit of share capital must be done when a business is made.
This deposition is generally carried out on a open business bank account especially for the activity of the business.
FYI
The capital deposit is a mandatory step for all commercial businesses (SAS, SASU, SARL, EURL, SA) but remains optional for civil businesses (SCI, SCM, etc.) who are not obliged to deposit their share capital. Once the deposit of capital has been made, a certificate of deposit of funds (or certificate of deposit of capital) is transmitted by the banking institution. This certificate must then be sent within the registration file of the business.
To build a business, it is important to appoint one or more officers to manage the business.
This appointment can be made at the time of drafting the statutes or in a separate act before drafting the statutes.
The executive will have a different name and different powers depending on the type of business that's put in place.
Please note
When the personal address of an officer is specified in the articles of association or any other document attached to the business creation file, it is possible to request its occultation as soon as the application for registration is made on the company formalities desk. This option makes it possible to limit the public dissemination of this information, while respecting the filing obligations.
One of the essential steps when creating your company is drafting of statutes. They are used to set the rules for the operation of the business.
This step occurs between the fixing of the amount of the share capital and the deposit of the share capital.
It is at the signing of the statutes that the business is constituted.
Warning
The procedure for drafting statutes varies depending on the legal form of the business chosen. For example, the simplified share business (SAS) is known to be very flexible, since the members are free to determine the modalities of its operation in the statutes. However, the drafting of the statutes of the business by shares with limited liability (SARL) is more regulated by law.
Before registration, you have to publish a notice of incorporation business (or creation notice).
This notice of incorporation must be published in a support authorized to receive legal announcements (Shal) It is either a legal newspaper (JAL) or an online press service (SPEL).
The cost of publishing depends on the type of business that is created.
Once the notice of incorporation is published, it is necessary to obtain thecertificate of publication issued by the JAL or the SPEL, to transmit it to the formalities desk of the companies at the time of registration of the business.
Once all the previous steps have been carried out, it is necessary to declare the business. This statement is also called registration. For this, it is necessary to respect a certain number of formalities for registration of a business.
To register the business, a file must be sent to the site of the company formalities office:
The supporting documents to be submitted are as follows:
- Company creation form completed online on the website of the company formalities desk
- Form of declaration of beneficial ownership
- Copy of the identity document of the manager(s)
- Statutes of the business dated and signed
- Proof of registered office depending on the chosen place of residence (e.g. water, gas, electricity bill)
- Certificate of non-conviction and filiation of the director(s)
- Certificate of publication of the notice of creation in a medium authorized to receive legal announcements
- Certificate of deposit of capital
- In the case of a regulated activity: a copy of the authorization to practice, diploma or title
- For the concealment of the personal address of a natural person linked to the business: the request to conceal the personal address.
FYI
Certain natural persons linked to the business, such as directors (managers, presidents, chief executive officers, etc.) or partners indefinitely responsible for legal persons (SNC and civil businesses partners), may request that their personal address no longer appear in documents accessible to the public: documents filed with the RCS (Trade and Companies Register) such as the statutes of business, the minutes of general meeting or the Kbis extract.
After registration, the following identification elements shall be issued:
- 2 unique identification numbers:
- One APE activity code (main activity carried out)
To benefit from the concealment of the personal address, it is necessary to apply at the time of registration of your business, on the website of the company formalities office. Moreover, there is a model for requesting the concealment of the address of the natural persons concerned to be downloaded from the INPI website.
The INPI makes available a model of request to hide the personal address of the natural persons concerned:
Request to hide the personal address of the natural persons concerned
However, certain entities such as public authorities or regulated professions (notaries, judicial commissioners, etc.) retain full access to this data, in the interest of their missions.
If the request to hide the personal address of an officer or partner indefinitely liable is not made at the time of registration, it can be made later on at the formalities desk of the companies. It is indeed possible to request the concealment of information already published in the RCS, by transmitting a redacted version of the acts concerned as well as a copy of the act or the document concerned.
Concerning the instruments deposited in RNE, they are already subject to protection of the personal data of natural persons. Indeed, only the municipality of residence is published.
Any business that is registered in RCS: titleContent, with the exception of publicly traded businesses, must make a declaration of beneficial ownership (DBE) In other words, the business must add the beneficial owners of the business to that declaration.
One beneficial owner is a person who has more than 25% capital, or more than 25% voting rights of the business.
The DBE identifies natural persons who control, directly or indirectly, the business. It is mandatory and must be transmitted via the company formalities window, as part of the business registration process:
FYI
Information on the beneficial owners of a business is not accessible to the general public. Access to the Beneficial Ownership Register (RBE) is restricted to the competent authorities.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Number of associates in SA
Provisions applicable to SAS
Provisions applicable to LLCs
Personal information at the RNE
Persons required to register with the SCR
On the single body responsible for company formalities
Combating money laundering and terrorist financing
Information on beneficial ownership
Registration of the statutes of a business in the tax department
Simplification of the law of businesses and individual limited liability contractors
Online service
Online service
Document template
Document template
FAQ
Registry of the Commercial Court of Paris