Hello everyone, I am currently reflecting on starting on my own business that would consist of helping non French speakers with any possible admin issue, and basically assistance in everyday situations. It’s been some time I am doing it for friends that live in Brittany and I thought- why not make it your job ? What I would like to know for you is:
Did you ever use these kind of services, and if so was it useful ?
Did you ever have a need but didn’t know who to turn to ?
There are quite a lot of « hand-holders » already established. The only one I have ever used is a woman who is a traducteur assermenté, as well as helping with administrative tasks. Had she not had this dual role with a recognised and legitimate skill/qualification I would not have used her.
Many know something about some of the immigrant administrative issues, but don’t have enough experience of the wider context so provide advice that is totally inappropriate and the client ends up in a big mess. Basically the client doesn’t know enough to ask the right questions, and the advisor doesn’t think to probe sufficiently.
And of course since this is not a regulated profession there is no comeback at all. So I would not use or recommend one except for a narrow and very specific issue. Which is unlikely to be lucrative.
Sorry to be negative. But think about something more concrete that you can show you have expertise in more specifically than just being French.
Hi Jane, thank you for your feedback!
Well first of all I’m not French and have struggled myself with all of the above once I moved to France. I have worked for 2 years as a legal guarding and taking care of all admin related situations for people that have lost their legal capacity to act. Hence I have a pretty good experience with the French system. Other than that it’s been 4 years that I am a volunteer and legal adviser for all sorts of migration related questions - titre de sejour, nationality etc.
I came up with this business ideas, that already is widespread in France, because I have realised that many non French people struggle with giving calls in French and handing the paperwork. It’s definitely an idea to be explored and elaborated so any contribution is very much welcome!
To me the good idea would not be to do the work but to teach people how to do it themselves - but that wouldn’t get repeat business! So to sit alongside someone and show them how to fill in their tax form.
Hate to say it but there are many french free services for folks to use for just about everything and anything without having to pay hard earned money for. Starting a business charging folks would incurr paying social charges and all that entails and possibly a special insurance. Non-starter I would have thought especially as everything is on the internet now unlike 35 years ago when we first started our french adventure.
Oh I can believe that, most won’t even try and learn the language in some areas and I used to get them at my door in Brittany asking for help until I got fed up and stopped that old malarky. A genuine person in distress at something is a different matter but asking for help about where to buy stuff, I draw the line at.
In my experience and those of my friends who don’t speak French, it is very difficult to get things done because of the language barrier. Many people are purchasing their residences and moving to France and need help with all sort of formalities- signing up for electricity contract, finding a school for the kids etc. I don’t think it’s about taking their “hard earned money” but providing a service like any other available. And I absolutely agree that there are many things available online but not everyone is tech savvy or has the ability to understand the French system. There are many businesses that already offer these services so there is a market for it and I just wanted to see what the expats themselves thought about it!
Expats will have a full spectrum of views I expect.
My daughters tell me I am a control freak. The very idea of someone setting up accounts for me and filling in forms for me fills me with horror. I need to do it myself so I know it has been done right. And if there is a problem I want to sort it out myself so that I understand what went wrong and make sure it does not happen again.
Other people seem quite happy to let someone else run their lives for them.
It takes all sorts.
No. The only times I encounter hand-holders is when things have gone badly wrong, or when people whom I don’t know recommend them.
No. That’s what SF (and other sites and groups) are for. It’s really not that difficult to (to quote one of your examples) set up a utility account.
You can probably guess!
Good luck. I think you’re unlikely to pick up any business here. Have you thought about advertising through the customers you already have, who presumably could vouch for both your effectiveness and integrity (both of which are crucial in an unregulated business like this)?
I rather suspect that google translate has made your services at least partially un-needed. Yes, there are some things a novice won’t know and will not be obvious, but language is usually the biggest barrier, and that’s much less an issue now than 20 years ago.
And I am grateful to the SF community for the advice and guidance available through this site.
Then they should bloody well learn French. This idea that the native tongue is a “barrier” is bizarre and lazy, One of the pleasures (and challenges) of moving to France is learning the language.
Thinking about it more, the gap in the market to me is an actual hand-holder service. As in physically accompanying people or being with them. As it would mean quite a bit of time the cost of doing that could man it’s not feasible. But I would have paid someone €75 (say) to sit beside me and help me through first tax return.
I agree John, but it’s a question of timing. Some of the most complicated French and the most daunting meetings happen in the days when one first arrives. OH and I arrived with school French 17 years ago. His A level standard, mine O level. We drove down through France with our luggage and dogs, parked the car and went into a 2-hour meeting with the notaire who went through our house purchase documentation page by page - we were exhausted and shell-shocked as we initialled page after page after page.
At the same time we were very fortunate. The house we bought had been a maison secondaire and “came with” a couple who had looked after the place for the previous owners. As Jane suggests, the wife literally sat with us through those early meetings - notaire, EDF, water, etc etc - not a professional translator, but someone who knew the ropes, could act as a go-between and smooth paths for us. That help at that stage was invaluable. We paid her what would have been a cleaner’s or gardener’s wage at the time, because that is what she did and we were very grateful.
He was negligent Sue. He should have had a translator (at your expense) present. You could have repudiated it all, and probably still could To protect themselves a notaire should ensure you understand what you are signing.
Like all of us I’ve muddled through on occasions, but we’re all majeur et vacciné. For those who think that moving to France is going to be walk in the park, think again, there will be lots of issues.
What happens if someone provides professional advice on a fee basis and gets it wrong? Say you pay them 75 quid to help fill in your tax form and five years later you get a demand for tax with penalties because of an error. Who’s fault?
Anyway, isn’t Fabian offering some services in this space?
That’s why unregulated handholders can be a bit of a nightmare (not always, but sometimes). I imagine the T& Cs include a disclaimer. As far as I know unlike financial advisors and insurance brokers there is no regulatory body for getting a visa so one employs people at one’s own risk.
What I would like to know for you is:
) at the number of "immigrants " who don’t appear to be able to do anything for themselves.
To protect themselves a notaire should ensure you understand what you are signing.