Help needed !!

[Stace]

Hi to you all,

We are a family of 4, that are relocating to France.

We will be arriving next week to look at some houses, in the Champagne-Ardrenne area.

My Husband is a car mechanic with 14 yrs experience. Do you think he would struggle to find work, he speaks basic french ( we are working on it ).
He is thinking about going self employed with a little van to do the basics moblie, and maybe having a garage at home for some of the bigger stuff !!
He will only have to work part time, which will be a plus.

Any help would be great. The aim for us is to be self- efficient, veggie patch etc. To get away from the everyday life that we have now, which finds us both working all the hours, not seeing each other and most importantly missing out on the family life we both crave.

Now i am going on abit .

[Stravinsky]

Well Stace, I dont live there of course and dont know the area but from what I have read over the years on forums, it is not easy to get work in France. If he's thinking of going self employed then of course he needs to get business, and I would think thats mainly going to be aimed at fellow ex pats so you need to choose the right area.

Don't forget health issues ..... you need to have that all covered.

Good luck

[Bevdeforges]

Hi Stace, and welcome.

I assume you're coming from the UK, so you are spared all the visa agonies. But as Stravinsky said, finding work in France is difficult, particularly if you don't speak the language reasonably well. For doing work as a car mechanic, there's a whole special vocabulary he'll need to understand what's going on - and the local regs on equipment and the "controle technique" (roughly like the MOT in the UK).

Going into business for yourself is an option, but brace yourself for the bureaucracy required to get a small business up and running! There is lots of paperwork, and almost none of it is available in English. Then, of course, there is the usual drill of establishing vendor relationships (for parts, etc.), and handling the accounting and taxes, especially the VAT. If you can do that sort of stuff, there is the possibility of working on an unpaid basis, but having the business pay your "cotisations" (national insurances) as a "spouse collaborator" in the business.

If your French is up to it, one of the best sources for information is the French Service-Public website: SERVICE PUBLIC - Particuliers There are some English pages, but they don't cover nearly as much as the French pages do.
Cheers,
Bev

[giantpanda]

Hi!

If he is independant, he will have to register.
Registering imply high ( in relation to first turnover level ) URSSAF contributions. ( There can be changes he in the next year ).

See here ( nothing really on the contributions )

Comment opter pour le régime micro ou régime réel ?

He should contact the local: Chambre des Métiers, who should be able to help him to decide what to do.

It may be a good idea to work in a garage for some time, to get to know some of the ropes.

Yours,

giantpanda

[oddball]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Hi Stace, and welcome.

I assume you're coming from the UK, so you are spared all the visa agonies. But as Stravinsky said, finding work in France is difficult, particularly if you don't speak the language reasonably well. For doing work as a car mechanic, there's a whole special vocabulary he'll need to understand what's going on - and the local regs on equipment and the "controle technique" (roughly like the MOT in the UK).

Going into business for yourself is an option, but brace yourself for the bureaucracy required to get a small business up and running! There is lots of paperwork, and almost none of it is available in English. Then, of course, there is the usual drill of establishing vendor relationships (for parts, etc.), and handling the accounting and taxes, especially the VAT. If you can do that sort of stuff, there is the possibility of working on an unpaid basis, but having the business pay your "cotisations" (national insurances) as a "spouse collaborator" in the business.

If your French is up to it, one of the best sources for information is the French Service-Public website: SERVICE PUBLIC - Particuliers There are some English pages, but they don't cover nearly as much as the French pages do.
Cheers,
Bev

You know , a car is a car , is a car , what is the problem ? The french just love to do it 'Thier way' backwards , but there , what , shame . I personally can fix any motor cycle built in any country at any year , guaranted , most likely more efficiently than the country of origin . I cannot get a license in France ? Not my loss , thiers , period . Colin

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by oddball

You know , a car is a car , is a car , what is the problem ? The french just love to do it 'Thier way' backwards , but there , what , shame . I personally can fix any motor cycle built in any country at any year , guaranted , most likely more efficiently than the country of origin . I cannot get a license in France ? Not my loss , thiers , period . Colin

No one said you couldn't get a license in France. But I'm impressed everytime I have to take my car in to the shop that there are so many "car words" I have no idea of. Had to have the gasket thingee on one of the doors replaced - any idea what that is in French? How about the little warning lights on the dash?

What I really need to do is spend a good half an hour with a dictionary every time I take the car into the shop. But usually I just head over there and point and gesture to get the message across. Only problem is that, if the mechanic has to do that, he loses credibility pretty quickly with the customer.
Cheers,
Bev

[minesthechevy]

Bev, any gasket is a 'jointe' (spelling might be wrong) and with true Gallic economy a Jointe-ISP is an oilseal.

I think.

[Bevdeforges]

Nah, then maybe "gasket" isn't the term for the rubber strip thingee that was flapping in the breeze from my door.

In any event, there's a whole vocabulary out there that they don't teach you in school or on those foreign language learning tapes. (There sure is in MY line of work!)
Cheers,
Bev

[Stace]

Thank you all for your replys.

Just out of interest what do all the other expats do to get by ,

[giantpanda]

Originally Posted by Stace

Thank you all for your replys.

Just out of interest what do all the other expats do to get by ,

Hi!

The majority are pensioned or prepensioned people.

Some run gîtes or chambres hôtes (although that can only work if this is not the main source of income, especially since most depend on GB customers ).

Many who work are sent by GB firms, or taken over by the French firm, who has an afiliate in GB).

Some by an old house, and redo it, to sell.( supposes capital ).

Some are walking a tightrope and working black.

Yours,

giantpanda