Trends, Needs, Warnings and Other Remarks:
This section is a list of randomly selected remarks that might be useful to any American considering a move to a French village. Note that some of these ideas are well under way, while others are barely on anybody’s radar. Some are just my personal thoughts on how projects could be implemented in a rural area.
Some villages are actively trying to attract artists or craftsmen. In some cases municipalities are going as far as financing a dwelling and inviting an artist to come and spend a few weeks to a few months; or move to the village permanently. Generally speaking, artists are seen as a viable way to attract tourists, either for the day, or for multiple days in the case of artistic workshops. In a village that has accommodations and is visually pleasing, artistic workshops/attractions can turn into a win-win situation. Here is the link to an interesting article on the subject http://www.echo62.com/article-une-trentaine-d-artistes-vont-transformer-tout-un-village
Another trend for many villages, and oftentimes the only way a business can survive, is to be a multiple-use business. This is increasingly the norm, and in fact is the concept on which the Association Bistrots de pays was developed. However, that should only be done to the extent that such a business does not duplicate existing services from an already struggling business in the village. Ignoring this basic rule in a small community will hurt your bottom line, and, perhaps even worse, irretrievably damage your standing in the community.
When trying to assess if an activity would be viable in a village, it is also worth wondering if this activity could be done on a business-on-wheels basis. It is definitely a trend in today’s French villages; and has been done by bakers, hairdressers, tools and hardware merchants and pet-grooming professionals, among others. The advantage being that the business can cover several nearby villages.
Villages nowadays are very keen on all things related to computer science and new technologies; both in regards to their inhabitants’ access to these technologies (which is still uneven) and as a means towards economic and population growth. Much remains to be done, and if you are a technology professional you may be thinking that rural areas hold growth possibilities for you; or perhaps you love French villages and are thankful that you can take your technology job wherever you want to be. However, it is a good idea to double check that the access will be up to your standards.
Occasionally, new government policies meant to resolve one issue create a logistical nightmare for rural areas, and create a sudden need. A recent example of this is the reform known as the Réforme des rythmes scolaires, increasing the number of days children go to school but decreasing the number of hours spent each day on academic activities; with the expectation that the freed-up time will be spent on cultural or sport activities organized and financed by the municipality. A large percentage of rural municipalities feel that they have neither the financial resources nor the access to the qualified professionals needed for these activities; but those that are trying to comply with the reform are now in need of locally organized cultural, artistic or sport activities for school-age children.
In spite of the severe lack of physicians in much of rural France, physicians whose credentials were obtained out of the EU are – with a few rare exceptions based on very-hard-to-meet criteria – not allowed to practice medicine in France. The French government is trying to remedy the lack of physicians in rural areas by grouping health services and by expanding the use of telemedicine. Some of these projects can still be undertaken by out-of-EU physicians, but only insofar as they do not involve the practice of medicine. My impression is that at this point in time, telemedicine is more developed in the US than in France, making this an ideal opportunity for a person with the right background. Here is a link to give you a sense of what regional governments are thinking about when it comes to telemedicine. http://www.ars.paca.sante.fr/fileadmin/PACA/Site_Ars_Paca/Projet_regional_de_sante/Docs_officiels/2012-01-30_ARS_DG_prs_programme_telemedecine_arspaca.pdf
Other professions have, as a condition built into their licensing requirements, the specific exclusion of out-of-EU foreigners. Such is the case of people wishing to operate a Bureau de tabac (tobacco products store). I mention this one since this type of business is very common in villages. Before you proceed, I recommend carefully checking the regulations surrounding a profession.
© Laurence Raybois Consulting