Company Creation: Determining the nature of your company's activity
Verified 01 January 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Before you create your company, you must define the nature of your business. Your activity can be commercial, handcraft, liberal or agricultural. You're told how to tell them apart and if you can accumulate activities of different kinds.
What applies to you ?
Attention: you must have choose legal form your future company (micro company, individual business or business).
Micro company
All activities are permitted (commercial, artisanal, liberal) except agricultural activity.
The cumulation activities are possible under certain conditions.
Characteristics of the commercial activity
Your business is commercial if you are:
- You buy of property or goods for resell in profit
- You sell services in the fields of hotels, catering, transport, shows, security, computer science, design, etc.
- You have a rental goods, goods or services
Please note
The property you sell or rent must be movable property.
Do you need a degree?
No. You have no need to bring know-how or a diploma to practise a commercial activity.
Is the micro-company suitable for trade?
The micro-company is suitable for commercial activities, especially if you start.
Warning
You must stay below a turnover threshold to benefit from the micro-company regime, depending on the type of activity:
- Services or activities: €77,700
- Trade and supply of housing: €188,700
Authorised and excluded businesses
- Allowed: fast food, food lorry, delivery machine, developer, designer, decorator, graphic designer, DJ: titleContent (wedding, events, etc.), photographer (wedding, companies, shows, industry, etc.), distributor and distributor of musicians, etc.
- Excluded: real estate agent, hairdresser, optician, lunetier, pharmacist, topographer, tobacco office
Who should I contact for your requests?
You will 1re approach of creation also calledregistration of your company to Company formalities window. This registration registers you on the Commercial and business Directory (RCS) and on the RNE: titleContent .
As a merchant, your contact is chamber of commerce and industry in your area. The CCI: titleContent are here for you accompany and you advisor in your steps. You can call or contact by email ::
Please note
As a merchant micro-entrepreneur, you can contact Urssaf advisers especially in charge of your situation ::
Who shall I contact
Characteristics of the craft activity
To be an artisan, you have to answer 3 criteria following:
- Your business must be part of official list of craft trades or official list of crafts
- Your company must have fewer than 11 employees when it is created
- You must have specific expertise and prove it by diploma (CAP, BEP, etc.) or a professional qualification
- The nature activity industrial corresponds to a craft activity that has developed significantly.
- Artistic activity does not fall within the scope of company. Artists are not entrepreneurs or traders, even if they sell their work. Their activity meets precise criteria. Onlycraftsmen are entrepreneurs.
Warning
it important refer to official list of craft trades to find out whether you're part of it or not.
Examples of craft activities : taxi and VTC, hairdresser, beautician, dog groomer, catering (cheese maker, chocolate maker, pastry maker, glacier, etc.), manual technical jobs (plumber, glazier, rowing machine, dental technician, agricultural equipment repairer, bicycle repairer, shoemaker, mover), ambulance attendant, car technical controller.
Is the micro-company suitable for handicrafts?
The craftsman being often alone in its activity, the micro-company is adapted to this activity, especially if you start.
Warning
You must stay under one annual turnover threshold to benefit from the micro-company diet.
Who should I contact for your requests?
You will 1re approach of creation also calledregistration of your company to Company formalities window.
This registration registers you on the RNE: titleContent .
As a craftsman, your interlocutor is the chamber of crafts and crafts in your area. The CMA: titleContent are here for you accompany and you advisor in your steps.
You can call or contact by email ::
Who shall I contact
Please note
As a craftsman micro-entrepreneur, you can contact Urssaf advisers especially in charge of your situation ::
Who shall I contact
Characteristics of the liberal activity
A liberal activity consists mainly of the provision of services of a nature intellectual.
You surrender fee service.
You must have diploma or a professional qualification in the field.
Is micro-company appropriate for liberal activity?
The micro company is suitable for an activity unregulated liberal.
You can regulated professions directory or the search tool made available by BPI Creation.
There is no list of unregulated liberal activities. They few.
Licenced or excluded activities for micro-entrepreneurs:
- Allowed: consultant, business IT and digital, the boardinvestigation (detective), coach professional, public writer, trainer, translator, naturopath, etc.
- Excluded: regulated liberal activities. There are many. You can view the list of regulated professions.
The micro company is primarily aimed at the entrepreneur who start.
Indeed, the micro-entrepreneur must remain under a annual CA threshold to benefit from this scheme.
Who should I contact for your requests?
You will 1re approach of creation also calledregistration of your company to Company formalities window.
This registration registers you on the RNE: titleContent .
As a professional, your contact is theUrssaf. Urssaf's advisors are here for you accompany and you advisor in your steps. You can call or contact by email ::
Who shall I contact
Please note
As a Liberal micro-entrepreneur, you can contact Urssaf advisers specially in charge of your situation:
Who shall I contact
This is the agricultural activity and the activity of artist-author.
Agricultural activity
Agricultural activity is not permitted for micro-company.
How do I know if your business is agricultural?
An activity is agricultural if it depends on the plant or animal life cycle in the context of a farm or production.
This criterion is decisive and applies regardless of the legal form of your holding (individual business, business, agricultural grouping).
It may also be an activity that extends agricultural production.
Thus, the following activities are considered to be agricultural:
- Activities of "tourism on the farm" (gites, bed and breakfast, tables d'hôtes, farm inns, etc.) supporting the agricultural holding
- Activities of preparation and training of horses and domestic ponies for their exploitation: races, competitions, courses, etc.
- Production and marketing of biogas, electricity and heat through methanisation, where the majority of the production comes from agricultural holdings (more than ) 50
- Processing and direct sale of farm products (cheese, butter, jam, ice cream, meat, etc.)
Please note
pension horses or their exploitation for shows are not agricultural activities. These are commercial activities.
Who should I contact for an agricultural activity?
The chamber of agriculture your department and Agricultural Social Mutuality (ASM) are your main interlocutors:
Artist-author
If you're an artist or an author, it's a status apart. He responds to precise criteria.
How do you know if your activity is artistic?
You are an artist-author if you are a creator of original artistic works.
Your business and income must meet specific criteria.
As an artist-author, you enter the company field (microphone or ISIS: titleContent) only if your ancillary income is very large.
The Urssaf-Limousin and the Social Security of Artists-Authors are your main interlocutors:
Who shall I contact
By email
artiste-auteur.limousin@urssaf.fr
By mail
Urssaf Limousin
Artists and Authors Cluster - TSA 70009
93517 WATCH
By phone
Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm
0 806 804 208 (price of local call)
By Email
http://www.secu-artistes-auteurs.fr/contact
By mail
60 rue du Faubourg Poissonnière
75010 Paris
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
You have different activities in your micro-company
You have the right to accumulate different types of activities in your micro-company.
There is also talk ofmixed activity.
Example :
- You are a potter craftsman and you sell your creations: you are both an artisan (art) and a merchant.
- You sell bicycles and you decide to open a repair shop: you are first a merchant and you also become a craftsman (repairman).
Regardless of the number of activities carried out, the CA threshold not to be exceeded remains the same as with a single activity.
If you go over it, you get out of the micro-company diet.
You must define whichyour main activity and what is your secondary activity.
Example :
- In the example of the potter who sells his creations, his main activity is craftsmanship (art) and his secondary activity is commercial.
- In that of the bicycle seller, his main activity is primarily commercial, his artisan activity of repairer is secondary.
You're a self-entrepreneur and you have another activity going on
You have the right to combine the self-entrepreneur status with other statuses.
This could include employees, retirees, students, civil servants, etc.
You have to meet certain conditions.
Individual Entrepreneur
Your activity under Individual Contractor (IS) can be commercial, artisanal, liberal or agricultural.
The cumulation activities are possible under certain conditions.
Characteristics of the commercial activity
Your business is commercial if you are:
- You buy of property or goods for resell in profit
- You sell services in the fields of hotels, catering, transport, shows, security, computer science, design, etc.
- You have a rental goods, goods or services
Please note
The property you sell or rent must be movable property.
Do you need a degree?
No. You have no need to bring know-how or a diploma to practise a commercial activity.
Is ISIS's status appropriate for trade?
Yes, ISIS's status is appropriate for commercial activity.
All business activities are allowed in ISIS: titleContent : commercial shop (shoes, computer, grocer, florist, etc.), garage, restaurant, bar, fast food lorry, decorator, graphic designer, DJ: titleContent (wedding, events, etc.), photographer (wedding, companies, shows, industry, etc.), distributor and distributor of musicians, etc.
Who should I contact for your requests?
You will 1re approach of creation also calledregistration of your company to Company formalities window. This registration registers you on the Commercial and business Register (CSR) and on the RNE: titleContent .
As a merchant, your contact is chamber of commerce and industry in your area. The CCI: titleContent are here for you accompany and you advisor in your steps. You can call or contact by email ::
Characteristics of the craft activity
To be an artisan, you have to answer 3criteria following:
- Your business must be part of official list of craft trades or official list of crafts
- Your company must have fewer than 11 employees when it is created
- You must have specific expertise and prove it by diploma (CAP, BEP, etc.) or a professional qualification
- Industrial activity corresponds to a craft activity that has developed significantly.
- Artistic activity of artists-authors meets specific criteria. Only craftsmen have an activity of artisanal nature.
Warning
It important refer to official list of craft trades to find out whether you're part of it or not.
Examples of craft activities : taxi and VTC, hairdresser, beautician, caterers (cheese maker, chocolate maker, pastry maker, glacier, etc.), manual technical jobs (plumber, glazier, rowing machine, dental technician, agricultural equipment repairer, bicycle repairer, shoemaker, mover), ambulance attendant, car technical controller.
Example :
A butcher butcher butcher caterer who employs more than 10 employees is considered a trader despite his craft activity.
Is ISIS's status appropriate for handicrafts?
Yes, ISIS's status is adapted to a cottage industry.
Who should I contact for your requests?
You will 1re approach of creation also calledregistration of your company to Company formalities window.
This registration registers you on the RNE: titleContent .
As a craftsman, your interlocutor is the chamber of crafts and crafts in your area. The CMA: titleContent are here for you accompany and you advisor in your steps.
You can call or contact by email ::
Who shall I contact
Characteristics of the liberal activity
A liberal activity consists mainly of the provision of services of a nature intellectual.
You surrender fee service.
You must have diploma or a professional qualification in the field.
Is ISIS's status appropriate for liberal activity?
Yes, the ISIS status is adapted for an activity regulated or unregulated.
You can view the list of regulated professions. They numerous.
They depend on an order (order of doctors, architects, notaries, accountants, etc.). They have to respect ethics business.
There is no list of unregulated liberal activities. They few.
You can view the search tool provided by BPI Creation:
Know if an activity is regulated
Who should I contact for your requests?
You will 1re approach of creation also calledregistration of your company to Company formalities window.
This registration registers you on the RNE: titleContent .
As a professional, your contact is theUrssaf. Urssaf's advisors are here for you accompany and you advisor in your steps. You can call or contact by email ::
Who shall I contact
Depending on your profession, you must also register with the Order or consular chamber which you depend on.
Characteristics of agricultural activity
An activity is agricultural if it depends on the plant or animal life cycle in the context of a farm or production.
This criterion is decisive and applies regardless of the legal form of your holding (individual business, business, agricultural grouping).
It may also be an activity that extends agricultural production. Thus, the following activities are considered to be agricultural:
- Activities of "tourism on the farm" (gites, bed and breakfast, tables d'hôtes, farm inns, etc.) supporting the agricultural holding
- Activities of preparation and training of horses and domestic ponies for their exploitation: races, competitions, courses, etc.
- Production and marketing of biogas, electricity and heat through methanisation, where the majority is produced (more than 50%) of material from agricultural holdings
- Processing and direct sale of farm products (cheese, butter, jam, ice cream, meat, etc.)
Please note
pension horses or their exploitation for shows are not agricultural activities. These are commercial activities.
Is ISIS's status appropriate for agricultural activity?
Yes, the status of ISIS is adapted to agricultural activity.
Who should I contact for your requests?
The chamber of agriculture explain steps to create or resume an agricultural company.
She also explains which status to choose as operator.
All activities are allowed in the form of ISIS: commercial, artisanal, liberal or agricultural.
Warning
If you're an artist or an author, it's a status apart. He responds to precise criteria.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
You have different activities in your company (EI)
You have the right to accumulate different types of activities within your individual business (EI).
There is also talk ofmixed activity.
Example :
- You are a potter craftsman and you sell your creations: you are both an artisan (art) and a merchant.
- You sell bicycles and you decide to open a repair shop: you are first a merchant and you also become a craftsman (repairman).
You must define which your main activity and what is your secondary activity.
Example :
- In the example of the potter who sells his creations, his main activity is craftsmanship (art) and his secondary activity is commercial.
- In that of the bicycle seller, his main activity is primarily commercial, his artisan activity of repairer is secondary.
You are an individual entrepreneur and you have another activity in parallel
You have the right to combine your individual entrepreneur status with another activity. This may include, for example, an activity of an employee or a public official.
You must comply with certain rules in your employment contract. This is mainly about non-competition clause and loyalty to employer.
As an employee, you need to know what the independent activities that you have the right to perform in parallel.
For example, you can accumulate liberal entrepreneurship with employee status.
You can also accumulate your status of contractor with that of official or public official.
Business
Your business can be commercial, artisanal, liberal or agricultural.
The cumulation activities are possible under certain conditions.
Characteristics of the commercial activity
Your business is commercial if you are:
- You buy of property or goods for resell in profit
- You sell services in the fields of hotels, catering, transport, shows, security, computer science, design, etc.
- You have a rental goods, goods or services
Please note
The property you sell or rent must be movable property.
Do you need a degree?
No. You have no need to bring know-how or a diploma to practise a commercial activity.
Is the business fit for trade?
Yes, the shape of the business is adapted to the commercial activity.
Authorised shops
All business activities are allowed in business: commercial shop (shoes, computer, grocer, florist, etc.), garage, restaurant, bar, fast food lorry, decorator, graphic designer, DJ: titleContent (wedding, events, etc.), photographer (wedding, companies, shows, industry, etc.), distributor and distributor of musicians, etc.
Who should I contact for your requests?
You will 1re approach of creation also calledregistration of your company to Single window of company formalities. This registration registers you on the Commercial and business Directory (RCS) and on the RNE: titleContent .
As a merchant, your contact is Chamber of Commerce and Industry in your area. The CCI: titleContent are here for you accompany and you advisor in your steps. You can call or contact by email ::
Characteristics of the craft activity
To be a craftsman, you have to answer all 3 criteria following:
- Your business must be part of official list of craft trades or official list of crafts
- Your company must have fewer than 11 employees when it is created
- You must have specific expertise and prove it by diploma (CAP, BEP, etc.) or a professional qualification
Warning
it important refer to official list of craft trades to find out whether you're part of it or not.
- The nature activity industrial corresponds to a craft activity that has developed significantly.
- Artistic activity does not fall within the scope of company. Artists are not entrepreneurs or traders, even if they sell their work. Their activity meets precise criteria. Onlycraftsmen are entrepreneurs.
Examples of craft activities : taxi and VTC, hairdresser, catering (cheese maker, chocolate maker, pastry maker, glacier, etc.), manual technical jobs (plumber, glazier, rowing machine, dental technician, etc.), agricultural equipment repairer, bicycle repairer, shoemaker.
A butcher butcher caterer who employs more than 10 people is considered a trader despite his craft activity.
Is the business suitable for handicrafts?
Yes, the shape of the business is adapted to a handicraft activity.
Who should I contact for your requests?
You will 1re approach of creation also calledregistration of your company to Company formalities window.
This registration registers you on the RNE: titleContent .
As a craftsman, your interlocutor is the chamber of crafts and crafts in your area. The CMA: titleContent are here for you accompany and you advisor in your steps.
You can call or contact by email ::
Who shall I contact
Characteristics of the liberal activity
A liberal activity consists mainly of the provision of services of a nature intellectual.
You surrender fee service.
You must have diploma or professional qualification in the field.
Is the business suited to liberal activity?
The business can be adapted for an activity regulated or unregulated.
You can view the list of regulated professions. They numerous.
They depend on an order (order of doctors, architects, notaries, accountants, etc.). They have to respect ethics business.
There is no list of unregulated liberal activities. They few.
You can view the search tool provided by BPI Creation:
Know if an activity is regulated
Who should I contact for your requests?
You will 1re approach of creation also calledregistration of your company to Company formalities window.
This registration registers you on the RNE: titleContent .
As a professional, your contact is the Urssaf. Urssaf's advisors are here for you accompany and you advisor in your steps. You can call or contact by email ::
Who shall I contact
Depending on your profession, you must also register with the Order or consular chamber which you depend on.
Characteristics of agricultural activity
An activity is agricultural if it depends on the plant or animal life cycle in the context of a farm or production.
This criterion is decisive and applies regardless of the legal form of your holding (individual business, business, agricultural grouping).
It may also be an activity that extends agricultural production. Thus, the following activities are considered to be agricultural:
- Activities of "tourism on the farm" (gites, bed and breakfast, tables d'hôtes, farm inns, etc.) supporting the agricultural holding
- Activities of preparation and training of horses and domestic ponies for their exploitation: races, competitions, courses, etc.
- Production and marketing of biogas, electricity and heat through methanisation, where the majority (more than 50 %) of the material comes from agricultural holdings
- Processing and direct sale of farm products (cheese, butter, jam, ice cream, meat, etc.)
Please note
The pension horses or their exploitation for shows are not agricultural activities. These are commercial activities.
Is the business suitable for agricultural activity?
Yes, business is a form adapted to agricultural activity.
Who should I contact for your requests?
The Chamber of Agriculture explains the steps to create or resume an agricultural company.
She also explains which status to choose as operator.
All activities are allowed in the form of a business: commercial, artisanal, liberal or agricultural.
Warning
If you're an artist or an author, it's a status apart. He responds to precise criteria.
You have different activities in your business
You have the right to accumulate different types of activities in your business.
There is also talk ofmixed activity.
Example :
- You are a potter craftsman and you sell your creations: you are both an artisan (art) and a merchant.
- You sell bicycles and you decide to open a repair shop: you are first a merchant and you also become a craftsman (repairman).
You must define which your main activity and what is your secondary activity.
Example :
- In the example of the potter who sells his creations, his main activity is craftsmanship (art) and his secondary activity is commercial.
- In that of the bicycle seller, his main activity is primarily commercial, his artisan activity of repairer is secondary.
You're a business entrepreneur and you have another activity going on
You have the right to combine your business entrepreneur status with another activity. This may include, for example, an activity of an employee or a public official.
You must comply with certain rules in your employment contract. This is mainly about non-competition clause and loyalty to employer.
As an employee, you need to know what are the independent activities that you are entitled to carry out in parallel.
For example, you can accumulate liberal entrepreneurship with employee status.
You can also accumulate your status of contractor with that of official or public official.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
To small and medium-sized and micro-entreprises, do you have a business project, a difficulty or a question ?
Quick and simple public service: you will be contacted over the phone by one of our experts.
Speak with an advisor on Place des Entreprises- Act No. 96-603 of 5 July 1996 on the development and promotion of trade and craftsDefinition of crafts
- Trade Code: Articles L110-1 to L110-4Definition of acts of trade
- Decree No. 98-247 of 2 April 1998 on the qualification of craftsAnnexe: list of activities in the field of crafts
- Decree No. 2022-1417 of 10 November 2022 on the abolition of computer services provided by certain company formalities centres
- Decree of 24 December 2015 establishing the list of craftsArts
- Company formalities window
Online service
- Know if an activity is regulated
Search tools
- Search for an APE code in the French activity nomenclature (NAF)
Online service
FAQ
- What are the consequences for a micro-entrepreneur who exceeds the turnover thresholds?
- Can a public official combine his job with a private activity?
- Under what conditions can an employee accumulate several jobs?
- Professions: What legal status and how to report the activity?
- How do you combine employee and micro-entrepreneur status?
- How should a craftsman make a declaration of activity?
- What is the APE (NAF) code?
- Company creation: formalities for registering a business
- Company Creation: Home your company and business
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- Changing business Statuses
- Everything you need to know about the taxation of a simplified share business (SAS)
- List of craft tradesChamber of Crafts and Crafts (CMA)
- List of crafts and craftsNational Institute of Crafts (INMA)
- Regulated craft occupationsBpifrance Creation
- Regulated or unregulated professionsBpifrance Creation
- Choice of legal status of an agricultural operator
- Accumulation of a liberal activity and another activity or statusUrssaf
- Choose the right business for your businessBpifrance
- Steps to create or resume an agricultural company
