Launching your business

Growing an idea, creating your own job or supplementing your income: there are many reasons why auto-entrepreneurs decide to start a business.

But first of all, you have to take the time to define your activity, because if the steps to create your structure are simple, the development and the success of your project are another challenge!

Getting started means first finding the right idea, testing the market and making sure that the implementation is realistic. Starting a business requires time and investment: the flexibility of the auto-entreprise allows you to start easily, freeing you from many constraints. It is also a way to test your project and validate its potential success, before switching to another company status (SARL, SAS, etc.), this time with no turnover limit!

Declare your activity according to your activity

When creating a micro-business, the first administrative steps begin in front of your screen. The registration is done online, on the dedicated government website or on the URSSAF website. On these platforms, you can directly declare your activity or fill in the forms of physical person (PO) or legal person (MO), depending on your situation.

These first administrative steps can also be done at a Centre de formalités des entreprises (CFE).

Then, the registration of the company is done with the Trade and Companies Register (RCS) or the Trade Register (RM). It is done automatically after the declaration of creation of your activity. The CFE will make the request directly to the appropriate department.

Good to know : Registration with the RCS applies to both craft and commercial activities. Only craft activities are registered with the RM.

Registering your company

Domiciliation is an essential step in the process of creating a company: it determines the head office and postal address of the structure.

Several solutions exist:

• set up the head office at your personal residence.
• find a dedicated room to domicile your company.
• Register with a domiciliation company to receive your mail.
• Opt for a coworking space that offers domiciliation services.

The choice of a registered address has many impacts, well beyond the postal reception of your official documents and mail related to your business. This address also allows you to :

• identify the company;
• prove its nationality;
• designate the competent court in case of litigation.

An address also enhances your image and can give meaning to your activity if it corresponds to your strategic positioning. For example, regarding the Multiburo offer in Paris, a lawyer could opt for Multiburo Opéra, in the heart of a business district, while a freelancer specializing in luxury would choose Multiburo Montaigne.

Insuring your company

To cover the damages and risks related to your activity, you need to insure your company. Professional insurance is only mandatory for certain professions (health, construction, transportation, financial advisor, etc.). However, taking out such a contract protects all activities, whether the insurance is mandatory or not.

Among the possible options, the professional insurance RC PRO, guarantees the civil liability to cover possible damage caused to third parties. It intervenes, for example, in case of problems that would arise during the realization of your service.

For a more advanced protection, there is the multi-risk insurance. It offers protection in case of fire or water damage, but also in case of theft of your equipment. This insurance is recommended in the context of coworking, to complete the protection of your activity and offer you a better coverage (property, liability, legal and financial protection).

Managing your accounting

If the management of the accounting is simplified since 2016, with the merger of the status of micro-entrepreneur and auto-entrepreneur, there are obviously steps to respect.

First of all, all the company’s bank transactions must be justified. A receipt book must contain the amount and the origin of the receipts, the method of payment and the references of supporting documents.

Although a business bank account is not mandatory, it is highly recommended. This account, reserved for the transactions of your company, allows :

• to collect receipts ;
• to withdraw the company’s expenses;
• to pay yourself;
• to make payments on behalf of the company.
• The use of an accountant is not compulsory and represents a cost, but can allow you to ensure a perfectly compliant follow-up.

Choosing where to work

Once all these steps have been taken, you will need to decide where to work. If your activity does not require a dedicated space, such as a business with a shop window, several options are available to you.

First solution: your home, the most flexible and economical formula at the beginning. However, in order to work in the best conditions, you need to set up a space, or even an entire room, to install an office corner in your home. This situation can quickly become restrictive and complicate the separation between personal and professional life.

Among the options to explore, consider coworking! This service is more flexible and adaptable to your needs than having your own office, which involves signing a lease and numerous procedures. In a coworking space like Multiburo, you will have a space dedicated to your business, with all the necessary facilities. It’s the ideal place to avoid isolation and even to stimulate your network by exchanging with other coworkers. A gas pedal for your business!