Most of us try not to offend, most of the time and I’m sorry John blew up at you - I don’t think it was called for. @cat and/or @james (the site owners) have strict rules regarding personal attacks and I’m sure will be willing to adjudicate if we ask them nicely.
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Apart from the current counterexample, but John is right SF is generally a decent place to hang out without much animosity (zero would be a tall ask but people are removed quite often for overly personal comments). At least sleep on it.
It might - as long as you can get it recognised - but mainly if you wanted to be an electrical engineer rather than an electrician.
The French want a qualification for everything - there’s a guy that visits the village to sell pizza out of the back of a van once a week - he has a “pizza making qualification”, with certificate displayed in the van. I kid you not!
In fact I seem to recall it was “basic level” - I bet there’s intermediate and advanced as well.
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One must also remember we’re all on our third bottle of Margaux, apart from Annie who’s feeding the dog 
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Sorry Nina , I think I didn’t explain myself very well. I’ve also hardly set foot in the Uk for over 15 years and I’m sure that a lot has changed. I used to have a very good mate who was a sparky and I base my knowledge on him and what I saw then. I’m sure you’re a wizard, or wizardess at electrics, that’s not a problem, but as boilerman has pointed out, France simply doesn’t recognise foreign qualifications in so many fields, especially those heavily regulated for safety reasons like electrics and gas. It’s a bit of a joke here that you need to have the qualification to fart here! When first looking for work here people would look at my UK honours degree from a top 10 uni and almost discount it because it wasn’t French, then I’d produce my maîtrise from a French university and everything changed, I existed, they could pigeon-hole me, I was one of them. I have a few friends who are electricians and plumbers, they’re all chock a block with work and will be for the rest of their days, there’s a shortage in both professions here but I’m pretty sure that you’ll need to do some sort of “formation” to get on the books here. How’s your French too as you’ll need to be fluent to get through any training and deal with customers, suppliers etc.
I’m sure it’s possible but it may be a bit of an uphill struggle to begin with 
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Ha Ha, I do have a masters degree but not in tobacco studies. I did, however have to do the compulsory week’s training and have update training once every three years, a couple of days training for FDJ too. A massive dossier at the Douanes who overse us and with whom buralistes sign their licence (which can of course be revoked).
Nina, just a further example, my OH wants to sell her “gâteaux à la broche” it’s a local speciality from the Aveyron. She’s already had to do training courses at the local chambre des métiers and will need to do more, just to flog home-made cake!
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Hi Nina,
Please reconsider, I’ll message you directly 
Thanks
James
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Can we buy it online Andrew? 
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If only it was that simple… currently in a quandry as other half can’t set up as an auto-entrepreneur (she’s alread an associate in our SNC which I set up to run the tabac) and it’s probably not worth doing if she has to set up under the normal scheme (waiting for our accountant to get back to me ) All this adds weight to the difficulties of doing business in France (my OH is French by the way) and the advice we’re putting forward to Nina. Here’s one Béa made this summer (it’s something she’s grown up doing with her Mum and Aunts on the farm, for weddings, christenings and other celebrations)
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Lovely, I can see why a relais colis wouldn’t be ideal.
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The link to Guichet earlier is the best place to begin. I suspect it will get more complicated post
Brexit as EU rules won’t (may not - caveat no bugger knows) apply - but it comes down to whether the French accept your qualifications and proof of experience. I assume there’s a national contact somewhere but its normally via the local CMA who administer the scheme and award/issue a certificate stating fit to practice based on your UK qualifications/experience. There is Europass scheme of formal agreed qualification equivalences - I know City and Guilds were accepted - can’t say for NVQs (the hairdressing NVQ is accepted if that helps…)- it may be a decent start point to ask who administered your NVQs if there’s a Europass certificate/equivalent…
Its definitely do able as it stands today - other UK sparks have moved here and done fine - but its not as simple as arrive - trade - you do need to spend time going through the process of getting qualifications recognised - and I have no idea what happens post Brexit given the National Qualification / European Qualification Frameworks may no longer apply.
Once your qualifications are recognised you can get insurance and work out the business structure that would work.
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It looks like it is ready to dive right in 
@BrightSpark please don’t let one comment put you off!
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Hmm what about the decinial insurance on a cake.
Surely they can’t expect it to still be around in 10 years?
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ffs John, keep it quiet… if @fabien finds out I’ve been looking at that cake, my mutuelle premiums will go up 
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Do Tabac’s sell stamps? 
Yes, we had an obligation to do so (as a public service) until 2006, now it’s up to us, some do (including mine) many don’t. I don’t sell them individually though - too much hassle for almost no return (carnet de 12 ou les rouges par demi carnet de 6). I also sell timbres fiscaux and you can pay your parking and speeding fines, impôts and other taxes in my tabac but I think I’m the only one in town where you can.
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Our nearest PO is closed for two months, refurbishment, so if I do run out of stamps I will try a Tabac. Thanks Andrew.
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Sorry Andrew…but download and print at home is pretty easy! Or you can get them delivered, or you can just ask the facteur (well we can here…)
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Don’t worry, Jane, I won’t lose any sleep over that!
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