Join a Co-op
France has a car entrepreneur setup to help self-employed people get started. Many writers and freelancers start out this way but eventually join a workers’ cooperative. This is the best way to ensure you have your business set up correctly.
If you are self-employed, you are your own company. In many tax systems, you are a freelancer for the company you are writing for, or you are a temporary worker.You need to know how you plan to file your taxes at the end of the year.
The best way to do this is to join a workers’ cooperative where you can ask questions of people who are already working.
Paying ten percent of your co-op earnings is typical, but in return they protect you as a writer. They make sure you collect your debts from non-paying customers and take care of all your bookkeeping. You can get payslips and a permanent contract showing that you are on a permanent contract.
These services are essential to organize your life in France or even to apply for your home. Professional communication at all times Even if you use private email or SMS for many conversations, always keep your communication professional. Using your personal taste in business requires knowing how to change your tone. If you don’t get the tone right when you start communicating, you’ll have a hard time going back to something more professional later on.
When you start out as a freelancer, people might not give you the respect you deserve, but once you get the hang of how it works, it’s easy to change. You will quickly learn how French people communicate at work. Many of their interactions are very formal, so expect to use first names and technical terms at all times.
Avoid slang, any form of exaggerated language, or comments that you would not associate with your career. You can be relaxed as long as you know how to be still all the time. You should keep your first contact very formal to ensure that you are taken seriously from the start of your relationship.
