Creating and structuring your business
Your structure isn't an administrative detail, it's a risk choice
Before any tool, one decision: under what form will you operate? This choice determines what you pay in taxes and contributions, how your personal assets are exposed, and what you must declare. In France, the solo beginner often hesitates between the micro-enterprise (simple, capped, ideal for testing), the single-member company (EURL/SASU) (which protects personal assets and adds credibility), and multi-partner forms (SARL, SAS) when going into business with others. None is "the best" in absolute terms: the micro-enterprise is perfect for a light start, the SASU becomes essential as soon as you raise funds or want a clean separation between personal and professional.
Choosing your structure means trading simplicity today against protection tomorrow. It's exactly the kind of decision where an accountant's advice pays for itself fast.
The services that handle formation for you
You can do everything yourself through the official one-stop portal, but platforms industrialize the formalities (articles, legal notice, filing) for a few tens to a few hundred euros:
| Need | Tools | Indicative price | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnkey company formation | LegalPlace, Legalstart, Captain Contrat | ~€100-300 + legal fees | SASU/EURL/SAS without a lawyer |
| Formation + integrated business account | Shine, Qonto, Blank | often free with the account | Solo who wants everything in one place |
| Free official process | One-stop portal (INPI), autoentrepreneur.urssaf.fr | free (legal fees only) | Micro-enterprise, comfortable DIY-er |
| Human support | online accountant (Dougs, Indy, Keobiz) | ~€50-150/month | Company with bookkeeping to maintain |
Practical rule: for a micro-enterprise, the free official registration is enough in 90% of cases. For a company (SASU/EURL), a platform like LegalPlace or Legalstart saves time; but if the situation is delicate in tax or estate terms, go through an accountant.
The one-stop portal: the mandatory channel
Since 2023, all business formalities (creation, modification, closure) go through the INPI one-stop portal. Platforms file on your behalf, but the final channel is the same. Practical consequence: don't pay for what the state does for free, and beware of sites that mimic official portals while charging for a simple redirect. Always check that the address ends in an official domain before entering anything.
Classic pitfalls at launch
Three mistakes come up again and again:
- Confusing fast with good. Express formation with generic articles can cost dearly if the capital split or clauses between partners are rushed. Whenever there are several partners, get it reviewed.
- Forgetting the dedicated bank account. Even as a micro-enterprise, separating business and personal flows is mandatory above a certain threshold and essential for clarity.
- Neglecting the corporate purpose and address. Too narrow a purpose blocks a future activity; a poorly chosen registered address complicates what follows.
AI as a preparer, not a decision-maker
An AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude) is valuable for understanding and preparing: explaining the micro vs. SASU difference in your case, listing the documents to gather, translating the jargon of the articles, preparing the questions to ask the accountant. It should never be the final decision-maker on a legal structure: it can be wrong on a tax subtlety and binds no one. Use it to arrive clear-headed at the meeting, not to replace it.
Key takeaways
The choice of structure trades immediate simplicity against future protection: micro to test light, a company (SASU/EURL) to protect and add credibility. Platforms (LegalPlace, Legalstart, Shine, Qonto) industrialize the formalities, but everything ultimately goes through the INPI one-stop portal — don't pay for what's free. As soon as there are partners or an estate issue, add an accountant. Once the structure is in place, every relationship needs to be framed in writing: that's the next chapter.