stephaniebrun

Thank you for the responses to my last post!

So, I'm now the lucky owner of a house in the Dordogne, but now need to work out how I can fund myself to spend as much time there as possible.

I am trained in silversmithing in the UK, and previously had a studio & shop in England. I also exhibited at various galleries.

In an ideal world I would make my own silver and gold jewellery in France and sell it at local markets, but I'm rather baffled by what I've failed to find researching the matter. Does anyone know whether I can buy silver sheet and wire in France, and how I get it hallmarked (as I believe that the French standard is different from the UK)? Will I even be able to buy the materials, given that my qualification does not come from France?

Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.

Many thanks

Stephanie

EuroTrash

Hi Stephanie, glad the purchase worked!

Re hallmarks - this probably tells you what you need to know:
https://www.service-public.fr/profes...sdroits/F31199
Re purchasing materials, it sounds as if you are already involved in this activity so couldn't you keep using the same supplier?

More generally, have you looked into what kind of business structure you would set up? In an ideal world French business structures would be a lot simpler than they are. By far the simplest structure is "micro entreprise", but on this regime you pay social charges as a percentage of turnover not profit, so if your expenses are high relative to profit, it's not cost-effective.

Are you British? I don't know what qualifications are needed, but up until Brexit, UK qualifications are in theory recognised EU-wide. You would however be required to attend a 5-day pre-setup course before starting your first artisan business here, these courses are a kind of introduction to business and are run on a regular basis by the local chamber of commerce (and you have to pay the fee yourself).
I'm not sure what you're aiming at when you say "how I can fund myself to spend as much time there as possible" - makes it sound as if living in France is kind of "pay as you go"! If you intend to become resident and live here year round, it could be worth setting up a fairly complex business structure, although I don't know if selling at markets alone would bring sufficient income to live on. Otherwise, setting up any kind of business, let alone a complex one, would probably in most people's view bring more hassle than it's worth. But, you can't make any income from a business activity in France unless that activity is properly registered here as a business with a siret number, and you're paying social security contributions etc.
If you're serious about this, the first place to go would be your chamber of commerce to find out what business advice is available.

Hope this helps, and enjoy France, however long you decide to spend here.

Tweedpipe

Excellent advice ET.

cyrian

Hi
My DD also makes silver jewellery which is hallmarked in the UK.
She orders raw material from all over the world including the USA and China.
If you have an online shop then you can continue to serve that but if you intend selling in France then you would need to register a hallmark in France.
France appears to more traditional than the UK in that you will see the word "artisan" which means craftsman for many trades.
This means that they will have served an apprenticeship with an apprentice master and have recognised qualifications.
This may mean that you cannot register a hallmark unless you have the appropriate qualifications.
I think that you should search for a guild of silversmiths for more information.
In the short term, why don't you keep your main home and spend most of your time in the UK while you research the best way to progress your business in France.
HTH

EuroTrash

The OP's longer-term intentions aren't at all clear to me - but it may be that Brexit and the likely end of freedom of movement is imposing a deadline. But you're right Cyrian, rushing into setting up a business in France without proper research and preparation isn't a good idea under any circumstances.