How to Simplify Your Expat Business and Enjoy Life in France

Let's be honest—running a business while trying to master the art of French living is... a lot.

Last month, I found myself hunched over my laptop at 9pm, drowning in paperasse, while the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses drifted up from the terrace café below my apartment.

Not exactly the dreamy life I'd imagined when I moved back to France, right?

If you're nodding along (perhaps while simultaneously checking emails, translating a document, and trying to remember if today's the day the post office closes early), then this is for you.

Because here's the truth: you didn't move to France to recreate the same stressed, overworked life you had back home—just with better bread. 🥖

The reality of expat business life often feels like trying to ride a bicycle while juggling flaming torches and learning a new language. It's hard stuff!

It's not just the business challenges everyone faces—it's the added layer of doing it all in a foreign system, often in a second language.

So, here's "quelques tuyaux" to stop the madness and actually enjoy that glass of rosé guilt-free (and in moderation).

Simplify Your Business (Without Breaking a Sweat)

The secret to simplifying isn't working harder—it's working smarter.

Nouveau concept, I know! But seriously, here are some game-changers that won't make you tear your hair out:

Create templates for everything

And I mean EVERYTHING. Client emails, proposals, invoices, social media posts.

My client Sarah saved 10 hours a week with just this one change. That's an entire working day she now spends taking watercolour classes in Montmartre!

Embrace the power of batching

The French are masters of efficiency (when they want to be). Set aside dedicated time of days for specific tasks: mornings for focus work, afternoon for delivery, beginning of the week for difficult tasks, lighter packed days at the end of the week to handle emergencies and leftover tasks. Your brain will thank you for not making it switch contexts every 30 minutes.

Use tech that plays nice with French business

Tools like Stripe for payments and invoicing, Calendly or Zcal for scheduling across time zones, and—my personal favourite—a simple Google Doc with all your frequently used French business phrases. Because nobody wants to Google Translate "I'll send the invoice shortly" for the 100th time.

Implement the "touch it once" rule

When an email comes in, either respond immediately, delegate it, or schedule a specific time to handle it. No more opening the same message fifteen times and still not dealing with it (we've all been there).

The beauty of these tips?

Once they're set up, they run in the background while you run off to that charming little market you've been meaning to visit since you arrived.

Get Help (Because You're Not Superwoman)

Here's the thing about us business owners—we tend to think we need to do it all ourselves.

Perhaps it's because we're already used to figuring things out on our own, let alone in a foreign country. Or maybe it's because we're not sure who to trust with our precious businesses in a new place.

But here's the reality check: the most successful entrepreneurs I know have strategic support. Not because they're lazy, but because they're smart.

Outsource what drains you first

For me, it was anything with 'formulaire' or 'déclaration' in it. For you, it might be social media or bookkeeping. Whatever makes you want to pack your bags for home—that's your priority.

Because life's too short to spend hours deciphering French administrative jargon when someone else can do it in half the time (and without the existential crisis).

Match the support to your needs

Need specific tasks handled? A Virtual Assistant is perfect. Feeling overwhelmed by the whole operational side? An Online Business Manager might be the second brain you never knew you needed.

As my friend Sophie says, "My VA saved me time, but my OBM saved my sanity."

Consider a skill swap

Short on cash but rich in skills? I know an American graphic designer who trades her services with a French accountant. They both get what they need, and they've become good friends in the process.

Très clever, non?

Find your perfect match

When you found someone who understands both your business AND the expat entrepreneur experience, everything changes. They will not just take tasks off your plate—they will help you rethink how your business could work smarter in France.

Remember: It's not just OK to get help—it's essential.

Boundaries, ma chérie !

The French didn't invent work-life balance, but they certainly perfected it.

My biggest "aha" moment came when I was working in the UK, having to deal with a French supplier. They casually mentioned that my order wasn't gonna arrive before September, because the company shuts down in August. Not for a week—for the entire month! And they said it without a hint of apology.

Learn to say "non" like you mean it

The French don't apologise for protecting their time. When a client asks for a rush job over the weekend, channel your inner Parisienne: "Ce n'est pas possible." Then stop talking. No lengthy explanations needed.

Your availability is not an emergency service

Set client hours and stick to them. My phone goes into airplane mode at 6pm, and I've never lost a client because of it. In fact, they respect me more for having clear boundaries.

Create sacred spaces in your calendar

Block off your "French lifestyle time" first—your market mornings, your long lunches, your weekend escapes to the countryside. Then build your work around these non-negotiables, not the other way around.

Manage expectations from the start

My client welcome pack clearly states I don't work French holidays. This isn't just for my benefit—it helps clients plan ahead. One even sent me a thank-you note for reminding her to take Bastille Day off!

Remember why you moved here. Was it to recreate your stressed former life with a better view? Or was it to embrace a different way of living?

Your business should support your French life, not compete with it.

Work Like the French (They're Onto Something)

When I first moved to the UK as a Frenchy, I thought the two-hour lunch breaks were a worldwide practice. I quickly figured out that it wasn't the case, having to run outside the office to fetch a sandwich and soda over my 25min lunch break.

There's genius in the French approach to work that the Anglo entrepreneurs would do well to adopt.

Lunch is sacred

Not a sad sandwich at your desk, but a proper pause.

Real lunch breaks = Productivity

Something magical happens when you step away from your laptop, enjoy actual food, and let your mind wander. Those afternoon client calls became sharper, my writing more creative.

Holidays aren't optional

The French take their five weeks (and some change) of holidays and don't think twice about it. That's Burnout prevention for you !

It's common practice here to close business for three weeks in August. As long as you warn your clients months in advance, and returns with ideas that pay for the time off within weeks.

Quality trumps quantity every time

The French aren't impressed by how many hours you work—they care what you produce. I've cut my working day by 25% by focusing intensely for shorter periods rather than dragging tasks out while checking Instagram. The result? Same output, more time for wine tasting.

Cultivate the "right to disconnect"

French labour law recognises this right, and you should too. Create tech-free evenings where business problems mysteriously solve themselves while you're focused on your coq au vin recipe instead.

Embrace "la rentrée" energy

The French return from summer with renewed purpose. Schedule your own business "rentrées" throughout the year—periods of rest followed by focused planning and fresh momentum. I do work in cycles throughout the year, with 2 weeks cooling off period

The irony wasn't lost on me when my business finally became profitable the year I started working less. As my accountant Jean-Pierre noted with a knowing smile: "You finally learned to work French hours, but with Anglo-Saxon focus. C'est parfait."

Your business can absolutely thrive with longer lunches and proper holidays. The French have been proving it for centuries.

Wrap-up: Your Simplified French Business Life Awaits

So there you have it—your blueprint for running your business the French way. Simplified systems, strategic support, proper boundaries, and a work rhythm that actually leaves room for life.

Start with just one change this week. Perhaps it's creating that template you've been meaning to make, blocking off proper lunch breaks in your calendar, or making a list of tasks you could potentially outsource. Small steps, big impact.

Remember why you came to France in the first place. Was it for the opportunity to work yourself into the ground with a view of the Eiffel Tower? Or was it for a life with more depth, pleasure, and balance?

Your simplified, successful, slightly-more-French business life isn't just possible—it's waiting for you. And trust me, it pairs beautifully with a glass of Bourgueil.

À votre succès!
Charlotte