The self business exists for about ten years now. This structure, designed to stimulate the spirit of entrepreneurship and boost the French economy in times of economic crisis, is subject to lighter regulation than other types of business, which is why many working people choose to adopt it. How to become a self-entrepreneur? What are the advantages and the rules weighing on this status? We try to answer you in this article.
How do I become a self-employed entrepreneur?
Nothing could be simpler than to become a self-entrepreneur! In fact, you don't need to physically move around. All you have to do is fill out an online form on the auto-entrepreneur portal or submit your file to a company such as espace-autoentrepreneur.com, which will take care of your administrative procedures from start to finish.
The form concerned provides information about your identity (surname, first name), your means of contact (telephone number, e-mail, address), but also and above all about the nature of the profession you wish to exercise. Depending on the profession, you will be affiliated to a specific business formality centre (CFE). You will then receive your SIRET number, and it is only after receiving it that you will be able to market your products and services legally.
It is just as easy for a self-company to cease trading. Here too, all you have to do is fill in an online form, and don't forget to declare the last turnover you made. Note that no waiting period applies in this case, which means that it is possible to start another micro-enterprise the very next day, without the slightest constraint.
Why choose self-employment in your career?
It is possible to become a self-entrepreneur while keeping one's position within a company or in the civil service. In other words, this combination offers the possibility of starting a professional reconversion without cutting oneself off from one's current activity, or simply to supplement one's income with a secondary profession.
This is very advantageous, all the more so as it is possible to exercise one's profession in almost all sectors of activity with the micro-enterprise: communication, commerce, construction, training, agri-food, personal or business services, administration, transport, leisure, sports...
What regulations should be paid attention to with self-employment?
The rules that weigh on the micro-enterprise are considerably lighter compared to other structures such as the SAS (Simplified Joint Stock Company). You can also consult Entreprise-et-compagnie.fr to find out more about the different legal structures:
The turnover of the micro-enterprise is limited to 70,000 euros with services, and to 170,000 euros in the case of an activity of purchase and sale of goods.
For accounting purposes, it is important to keep a recipe book. A purchase book is also necessary if you have to buy supplies or raw materials for your profession.
Social security and tax contributions are calculated on the monthly or quarterly declaration of turnover.
What are the advantages of this status?
The advantages of becoming a self-employed person are numerous and counterbalance these rules:
The VAT exemption allows you to charge lower prices than your competitors. This is a real competitive advantage not to be neglected.
The cumulation of an employee position in a company or a civil service position with the status of a micro-enterprise is possible under certain conditions.
Social security contributions are calculated on the turnover received: at zero turnover, zero contributions.
There are therefore many advantages to becoming a self-entrepreneur, both in terms of flexibility and career opportunities.