Businesses in France differ from those in the UK as the owner of the property may not be the owner of the business. Take a restaurant for example. The owner of the restaurant will have a company that owns the fond de commerce (business) but will pay a monthly rental to the owner of the walls. Depending on the rental conditions the fond de commerce may be changed so the restaurant can be turned into an alternative business like a supermarket.

When buying a business it will state whether it is solely the fond de commerce you are purchasing or the walls (murs) also.

When selling a business the existing owner will generally supply the accounts (bilan) which will represent the company’s turnover (Chiffres des affaires) for the previous years. The turnover often reflects upon the sale price. This is not always the case but if a mortgage or loan is required, a bank will be wary of lending money where the cost of the business is considerably higher than the turnover has proved that it is worth.

You will need to be registered with an accountant who will make sure that you are properly registered with all relevant authorities of which there are many. The social security system in France is expensive but there are many benefits for paying the monthly charges.

Businesses for sale in Alpe D’Huez include hotels, bars, restaurants, shops.

If you are looking for a business that does not exist on our web site please fill in the search form in looking for something else