IF YOU ARE FRENCH, YOU ARE BETTER OFF IN LONDONI was reading my Evening Standard last week on my way home, when a small article caught my eye: “If you are French, you are better off in London”. This article claims that the wealth creators of France may be better off in London where their hard work and skills will be better rewarded regardless of who is elected President in the upcoming elections in France.
Strangely enough I was having the same conversation with my boss a few weeks ago about the gap between French and English culture. According to my English boss (who spend his early childhood in France), he explained that our misunderstandings come from our lifestyle!
Let me explain:
The French have a decidedly civilised approach to life, and appreciate the finer things — champagne, good wine, fine cheeses, artistic expression in music, art, architecture, literature, and conversation – especially when enjoyed with friends and family. French life simply oozes with “joie de vivre”. Although it has a similar size of population, the country is more than twice as big as the UK, so it has more space for its vineyards, mountain ranges, natural parks, coastal scenery, dairy herds, golf courses and vast swathes of agricultural land. As well as enjoying the space, the French eat well, engage with our communities to celebrate everything from French history to French music, talk passionately (and with a lot of Gallic shrugging) about everything from political philosophy to French wine. In short, French life, especially in the south, is enjoyed at a fairly slow pace and savoured. An expat in south of France even claimed: “I’d rather be poor in France than rich in England!”
Conversely in UK and especially in London, unless you have a good job or are pretty well off, you are constantly working to pay off your mortgage and don’t have the means to do things you enjoy! The house prices are much higher and the pace of life is like a racetrack. In the UK, people do not stop; it is a constant sprint to get things done and earn money quickly. I believe one thing English people will always envy is the French lifestyle
So why do so many French expats come in London?
Many young people, like me, have chosen to quit their beloved family, friends and country in search of a better life. Yes, France is a beautiful country, and very dear to our heart, but the business opportunities are not as good as in London. That’s the reason why we renounced the legislation for our 35h/week and sometimes work more than 60h/week.
In London, if you work hard, you can achieve and aspire to better work and better pay. Now it looks like young French people are willing to work harder, while more English people are considering spending their pensions in France!
London is also a financial capital, which attracts more and more of young French entrepreneurs. And after the invitation from London Mayor Boris Johnson, I don’t see why we shouldn’t accept his invitation of:
“Bienvenue à Londres. This is the global capital of finance. It’s on your doorstep, and if your own president does not want the jobs, the opportunities and the economic growth that you generate, we do.”
In some ways this is a shame. We should be able to stay in our beautiful country and still be able to do business, don’t you think? The attraction for London can be seen in plenty of different ways, especially in business. I am personally aware of several French companies who decided to have a presence in London, by staying in France! They used this amazing concept of virtual office, which is a concept still rather unknown in France! Basically, for a small monthly fee, you can use a business address in London, on your marketing materials, business cards & website.
This way, you have a business presence in London without having to move from your home in France!
So if you are thinking about setting up a company in London, or about expanding your current company to the foreign market, it’s the right move. Why abandon your country when you still can do business with the UK?
For more information about our Virtual Office, please contact Elisabeth on elisabeth@debello.com or visit our website: www.debello.com