France is a highly-developed, modern country, with one of the world’s largest economies, so all those enthusiastic entrepreneurs, who are looking to get started here can find immense opportunities.

French being one of the leaders of European nations, are proud of their country’s rich history and independence, but they always welcome ideas that can server the nation in better way. So the country is always looking for ways to tie its future to the continuous developments of the European Union (EU).

The surface area of France is over 550,000 km2 (215,000 miles2) which makes it one of the largest countries in Western Europe and it’s also one of the largest Exclusive Economics Zones (EEZ) in the world.

Since, France lies on the Western edge of Europe, sharing its borders with it six neighboring countries: Switzerland and Germany to the east, Spain to the south-west, Italy to the south-east and Belgium and Luxembourg to the north, it can be the best region to get your business penetrate in the region.

France’s strategical geolocation gives it five big advantages which make it a central point to connect with the rest of the world. So, whether you want to run a local business that you want to expand globally or you want to bring an international brand here, the socioeconomic and geolocation factors are in favor of both options. These five advantages include:

1. Due to its excellent communication network, France is at the crossroads of the heart of the European Union.
2. It is in the northwest and to the east by the immense urban and industrial area that stretches from the plains of the Po River in the north-west and the mouth of the Rhine, which borders Germany.
3. France is also within reach of the United Kingdom’s industrial and urban centers.
4. To the south, it forms an integral part of the Mediterranean arc that runs from central Italy to Catalonia.
5. The coastline of France provides access to America, Africa, and Northern Europe by way of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean, and the North Sea, which are some of the world’s busiest waterways.

Moreover, France has five bands of income taxation, ranging from 0% for those earning under e9,600 up to 45% for those in the top band of e151,000. It also adds VAT to some goods as can be seen from this article on VAT in France from Vat Global.

And one big plus point that France has, is its population, which is more of the highest in the European Union. In 2013, there were over 65 million people. The population numbers include over 4 million immigrants and foreign residents as well, so you’ve a diversified market to offer more diverse products and services.

French is the national language of France and is regarded as a symbol of their rich culture. Because of this belief, French people generally prefer to speak and be spoken to in French. So, whatever the business startup you launch here, that must speak the language of people, but also keep a global option for expats and immigrants!

It’s very important to know the climatic conditions, the buyer decisions do have an effect of the climate. France has three broad climatic regions. Southern France has a Mediterranean climate. The summers are warm and dry, the winters are wet and mild. ‘Le mistral’ is a northerly wind with cold dry air. The wind is known to blow, for days at a time, into the southern region of France during the spring and winter from La Vallée du Rhône which is near Lyon. In the interior and northeastern areas, which includes Paris, there is a continental climate with warm summers and cool winters. There is also a distinct autumn and spring. The oceanic region which is in the west has very little climactic change between the summer and winter, and it has year-round rain.