MINDING YOUR BUSINESS - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 311

foreign companies of all financial levels currently operate
in the Paris area. The ultramodern business skyscrapers of
La Défense, built to ensure that central Paris' age-old charm
remains untouched, houses the headquarters of major
French corporations and many multinational giants. (For a
current listing, access http://www.parisladefense.com.)
In addition, embassies are headquartered in the
French capital, as are other international organisations
such as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Social and
Cultural Organisation; http://www.unesco.org) and OECD
(Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development;
http://www.oecd.org). These create hundreds of diplomatic
and supporting staff positions, with periodic rotation of
personnel. Hundreds of non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) accredited to UNESCO also bring professionals
from all over the world to the Paris area. Thus, a significant
expatriate community has settled in Paris and its suburbs,
filling various professional positions. As a result too, many
shops and services have sprung up to meet the needs of
this community.
FRENCH BUSINESS INFORMATION
Fortunately, there is a wealth of government-generated
information concerning the starting up of businesses in
France. The most efficient way to begin is to access the
many relevant websites and links—some are governmental,
designed for the French, but the information is accessible
to all. An English version is often available, indicated by
an icon of a British flag. See also the section below for
assistance specific to Anglophones. If you do a search on
the Internet on 'doing business in France', you will find a
long list of resource links to aid you in your research. Be
aware of when the information was posted, for regulations
change from time to time.
APCE (Agence pour la Création d'Enterprises);
tel: [phone]; website: http://www.apce.com. Offers
official information on setting up a company in France,
including information on options for company structure,
taxation laws, etc.