Business ideas for expats

Now that the gite business is reputedly over-crowded (or impractical to enter because no one is buying and selling houses), and only the most wildly optimistic expat would set up as an estate agent, we need to look around for new ways for expats to scratch a living together.

Suggestion 1

One of the most common questions I get asked – both in emails and in comments on old posts in this blog - is about the practicalities of getting married in France.

The story I usually hear is about how difficult it is to find information, to get responses from wedding sites, or generally to find out how to proceed.

Now I don’t know much about weddings – except there is big money involved, and there are loads of castles and manor houses scattered across France that would make great wedding venues.

Even as we plunge into recession people will still want to get married.

Now personally I don’t have the time to set up weddings in France, and you can be sure I lack the social skills to arrange posh parties, and I can barely organise a meal in a restaurant for the family without forgetting what time and date I booked. But I think it’s a good business idea for an expat with the skills that I sadly lack.

Travelling around France checking out a couple of posh chambre d’hotes and venues in each region doesn’t sound too painful and I’m sure no area of France will have trouble sorting out nice food and wine!

Sorting out a photographer? Most towns in France already have a town photographer. Accommodation? That would be extremely easy in almost all regions, for pretty much all budgets.

Really there are very few obstacles or great expenses involved, I think.

There are plenty of people who like doing all that sort of thing, and more to the point are good at it. Perhaps the ideal would be someone who had contacts / friends in the UK, to help put the word about, but I doubt if that is essential – just get a decent website and keep an eye on blogs and forums where people ask about getting married in France, and make sure you leap in with some good advice, and you’ll be up and running in no time.

I’m pretty much convinced that if you are that kind of person then there is a goldmine sat waiting for you, not to mention loads of great parties…

Suggestion 2

I’ll elaborate much less on suggestion 2, because I haven’t thought it through.

Suffice to say, three times in the last month I have received emails from large groups wanting to visit France (Paris usually) who want ‘all-in’ quotes for a visit – including hotels, admission to the theatre, restaurants, a couple of tours, trip on a bateau-mouche, and so on.

Now I guess that a tour group of 40 people is expecting to pay quite a lot, and the person who can organise such a tour is presumably able to make quite a commission on hotels and other booking fees.

Again its something I don’t have the time or skills for, but someone, somewhere, is certainly well placed to act as intermediary – and no doubt to make a decent living while they are at it.

Good luck if it’s you!