How to start your business

Playa Rent supports you in setting up your company and launching your business

Which legal status should I choose for my business?

To operate a self-service rental station as an independent, you need a business structure that can issue invoices. This step gives your project a clear legal framework.

Each legal status has its advantages and constraints. With the help of support organisations, you can identify the structure best suited to your situation. Once your company is set up, you will also need to open a bank account suited to the chosen status.

The main legal statuses in France

Micro-enterprise (micro-entreprise)
Single-member limited liability company (EURL)
Limited liability company (SARL)
Single-member simplified joint-stock company (SASU)
Simplified joint-stock company (SAS)

Support organisations

Choosing the legal framework for your business is an important decision for its future. It is recommended to seek support from professionals on these complex matters. Below, we present 3 government services that can advise you on setting up your company:

Service-Public

Service-Public.fr is the official portal of the French administration, offering reliable, clear and up-to-date information. Its “Entreprendre” (Starting a business) section explains each legal status in great detail, with accessible legal references.

URSSAF

The Urssaf “Mon-Entreprise” website offers a smart assistant that helps you choose a legal status based on your situation. It also provides simulators to estimate your social contributions, your social protection and the real cost of each option.

BPI Création

Bpifrance Création offers comprehensive, highly detailed guides to compare legal statuses, with simple explanations and practical advice. The site also provides decision-making tools and resources to structure your project.

Going for the micro-enterprise status?

Your declared business activity

The business activity you declare for your company is essential. It must correspond to the rental of water sports equipment, which means selecting the appropriate NAF code. At present, the most suitable NAF codes are:

77.21Z: Rental and leasing of recreational and sports goods

The micro-social scheme

What is the micro-social scheme?

It is the scheme for paying social contributions (URSSAF contributions). It is a simplified scheme based on a fixed percentage applied directly to your rental station’s revenue.

Monthly declaration

The monthly declaration scheme means declaring your revenue every month in order to calculate and pay the corresponding social contributions as you go.

Quarterly declaration

The quarterly declaration scheme means declaring your revenue every three months in order to calculate and pay your social contributions each quarter.

Registering your business address

Registering a business address gives your company an official administrative address, needed for its registration and to receive its mail and legal notices. There are several options for registering your address. The two main options are:

At your home address

Registering your business at home means using your personal address as your registered office.

It is the simplest and cheapest solution. It lets you receive administrative mail at home and avoid the cost of business premises.

However, this option depends on the rules of your lease or co-ownership: some restrictions may apply, especially if your business brings in customers or requires significant storage. In most cases, registering your business at home is allowed as long as it does not change how the home is used.

With an approved business address provider

A business address provider offers a professional address you can use as your registered office, often in a strategic or prestigious location.

In addition to the address, these companies offer extra services: mail reception and handling, occasional office space, meeting rooms, telephone answering, etc.

It is a professional and flexible solution, ideal if you do not want to use your personal address or if you want a more prestigious image. It does, however, involve a monthly cost.

Income tax

There are 2 tax schemes to choose from when setting up your micro-enterprise: the standard income tax scheme, included in the progressive tax scale, and the flat-rate withholding option (versement libératoire), which lets you immediately pay a fixed percentage on each revenue declaration.

Standard tax scheme

Under the standard scheme, you pay tax later, based on your annual revenue.

The tax authorities calculate your tax based on your previous year’s income, which can create a gap between what you actually earn and what you have to pay.

The flat-rate withholding option

With the flat-rate withholding option, you pay your tax at the same time as your social contributions, as a percentage applied directly to your revenue.

It is a “real-time” payment that permanently settles your income tax for this business, with no later adjustment.

Registering with the one-stop shop (Guichet unique)

Prepare your administrative documents

Set up your micro-enterprise

Registration is done online only, on the OFFICIAL website of the Guichet Unique de l’INPI.

Claim the ACRE

The ACRE (aid for business creation or takeover) is a scheme that gives new entrepreneurs a temporary reduction in their social contributions, to help them get their business off the ground.

Contribution rate with ACRE in the first year:

10.6% for commercial or craft services (instead of around 21.2%)

Note: these rates may change. We recommend checking them on the economie.gouv.fr.

Apply for the ACRE

To apply for the ACRE, go to the autoentrepreneur.urssaf.fr. You will need to check your eligibility before applying.

Learn more about self-service rental stations

Need guidance through the process?

The Playa Rent team is here to help you with the process and give you advice.