The economy of France
France’s closest trading partner is Germany (see expanding your business in Europe’heart). This is one of the reasons why you should consider expanding your business in France. To have an overall view of the connections between these two countries, Germany represents about 17% of the total exports and 19% of imports. The main exports of France include aerospace and transportation equipment. Most of the imports are represented by cars and machinery.
(https://www.focus-economics.com/countries/france, Date: 28.03.2020, Hour: 10:28, Date of the publication: 3.03.2020)
The last and maybe the most important aspect of the France economy is the tourism sector. For about 25 years, the tourists consider France the most visited place on earth and there are a lot of reasons why. Besides the delicious food, people are fascinated by the places that the country offers, such as the Eiffel Tower or Disneyland. Unfortunately, the negative events that happened lately because of the coronavirus will bring a negative impact on the tourism sector. Maybe this will be the most significant damage that the country will suffer.
(https://www.annieandre.com/why-france-most-popular-tourist-destination/, Date: 28.03.2020, Hour: 10:42)
Facts about French people
No matter what kind of business do you want to expand, there are some things you should know about before expanding your business in France. There are a lot of rumors about French people, such as their rudeness or their coldness for foreign people. Many persons think that French people are too arrogant and they refuse to speak English. Some may be true, but there are always exceptions and we cannot judge all the people as being the same.
We all know that French people have stylish behavior and taste in clothes and sometimes that can be confused with arrogance. If you want to make a good impression make sure you are well-dressed; a good option can be a suit for men and a dress for women.
The second piece of advice is to make your appointment at least one or two weeks before. Do not let things on the last minute, because this is not professional. Another thing that I want to mention is lunchtime. This is the most important part of the day for most of the French people. They respect this lunch break and in French companies, all the employees have at least a one-hour break during lunch.
When you make the appointment make sure you are free after lunch. In case you are not, invite your French business partner in a restaurant to have lunch and to discuss businesses. Last but not least even if you are not fluent in French, it is important to know some basic French such as “Bonjour” or “Merci”. You will make your business partner happy and you will be with one step closer making a good deal.
These are some little aspects that can make a difference when you are preparing to meet a French person to discuss business with. Besides these, all the other things that make a good impression are things that every person knows and must respect such as being on time, being respectful with your partner and being well-prepared when you present your idea.
(https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-attitudes-behaviours-and-culture-of-the-French-people, Date: 30.03.2020, Hour: 11:44, Date of publication: 6.04.2017)
How do you expand your business in France?
In the last part of the article, I will mention some steps which are a must when it comes to expanding your business in France. We already discovered that the French market is one of the best options because it is well-developed and offers a lot of advantages. We have seen some facts about French people, but let’s enter deeper into their market.
The first thing that I consider super important is the language. French people admire foreigners who can speak their language. This is not a plus, but a must if you want to have success on their market. French people have huge respect for their language and you need to use it to turn people into your clients. A second thing that is good to know is that most French people care a lot about their culture. They like to combine their old and authentic things with new and stylish products. Finding a balance between them is very important and one of the hardest steps.
Another aspect is E-commerce. French people are very open when it comes to online purchases. If you are not sure that you want to put your business directly on the French offline market, a good option is to make it first online to see your possible future clients.
(https://www.business.com/articles/5-things-to-consider-if-you-want-to-expand-your-product-to-france/, Date 01.04.2020, Hour: 20:03, Date of the publication 25.10.2019, Author: Sean Hopwood)
The last, but not least advantage for those who want to expand their business in France is that they will not need to be worried about the bureaucracy. The French market is one of the most developed markets in the world. This is why they make it easier for everyone who wants to start a business. All the long rules are synthesized so that anybody can start a business. Remember that you are not alone on this journey. You will receive support all the way and with a little bit of work and desire, your dream will come true.
(https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/7-reasons-business-france/, Date: 01.04.2020, Hour: 20:46, Date of the publication: 10.10.2019, Author: Sean Hopwood)
Expanding your business abroad can be hard. It is a big step in your career. You face a new culture, new clients with other ways of thinking, different legal procedures and foreign business partners. It can be overwhelming, especially on a market such as the French one. Remember that this is the next level in your business. You need to work harder and learn to adapt to new things. The change always leads to improvement and at the end of your business journey, you will be very proud of what you have achieved. Good luck!
