on February 5 and 6, the Québec participates in the Salon des Entrepreneurs in Paris to advise the French are attracted by the entrepreneurial adventure across the Atlantic.

The Province is back at the Salon des entrepreneurs in Paris. For the second consecutive year, the Quebec immigration Office in Paris and its partners (Montréal International, Québec International, the economic development Corporation of Drummondville and Desjardins) are participating in this major event for all those who wish to embark on the entrepreneurial adventure.

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on February 5 and 6, stand 215, experts advise, and guide the French tempted by an implantation across the Atlantic and will present the possibilities of immigration, in particular via the “entrepreneur Program”. Several conferences (“launch your start-up in Montreal”, “entrepreneurship in Quebec, with support of mentoring”, etc) will also be organized to help the future entrepreneurs to refine their project and to better understand the world of business in quebec.

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Because if the Province does not lack qualities for an entrepreneur, it is better, however, not to underestimate the specificities of this market… Explanations with Nathalie Narboni-Isal, attached to the Quebec immigration Office in Paris and head of the entrepreneur Program, and partnerships for Europe.

the extent to which Quebec is a fertile ground for entrepreneurs ?

Nathalie Narboni-Isal : For business people who want to discover new horizons, Québec and its regions – offering a diversified economy, dynamic and open to the world. The province has many areas of excellence that stand out at the international, such as artificial intelligence, life science, aerospace, video games, wind, or even cyber security.

Thanks to the strategic geographical position of Quebec, the entrepreneurs can have access to the vast north american market, not to mention that the costs of installation and operation are particularly competitive. For those interested in the resumption of business, there are also in Quebec a nice pool of businesses available, in a wide range of sectors.

Finally, the entrepreneurial ecosystem is very welcoming and there are a lot of strong moments, such as Expo Entrepreneurs in Montreal, the Week digital to Quebec, Startupfest, etc, what’s more, entrepreneurship is seen as something very positive in Quebec. Even if there are periods of chess, it bounces ! According to the Index québec’s entrepreneurial 2018, the steps to launch his business had tripled between 2009 and 2018. And immigrants are two times more likely than natives to be active in this area.

The entrepreneurs francophones are also a target of interest to the Belle Province…

N. N.-I. : Yes, because the survival of the French fact is a major issue in Quebec. For example, individuals who demonstrate a level of intermediate French advanced, and who make an immigration application in the Program contractors are not subject to a quota and can apply at any time.

We meet a lot of people, at the fairs, who explains to us that it’s been a long time that they have a blow of heart for the province of Quebec ; and to know that a device exists to assist them in their aspirations for entrepreneurial, this reinforces their interest, as much as we put in before the family’s immigration (the entrepreneur Program allows the spouse and children of the immigrant to receive a work permit and/or study open, editor’s NOTE).

what do you have to be careful when deciding to create or take over a business in Quebec ?

N. N.-I. : I think it must imbibe the habits of local consumption, because it does not sell an object or service in the same way in Europe as in North America. The risk, for entrepreneurs, is to do a copy-paste of what they are doing here.

the relations between France and Quebec are strong, we are united by a deep friendship, but this must not make us forget that there are cultural differences. And even if, for French-speaking immigrants, the language is an accelerator of integration, it remains an adaptation to societal to do, because Quebecers are North Americans who speak French. Thus, it is important to understand that this is not because Quebecers are friendly and the discussion with them is fluid and sympathetic, and that your project is validated…

What advice do you give priority to those entrepreneurs tempted by the Quebec ?

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N. N.-I.: know ! The biggest trap to avoid is to think that we are capable of without help, then it exists. The government websites offer plenty of resources and thanks to the Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ), the less than 35 years can also participate in exploratory trips to discover the’entrepreneurial ecosystem local.

what’s more, it is important to learn about the culture and history of Québec, as well as on the importance of French. In France, since few years, the English takes up more space. In Quebec, the name of a company needs to have a connotation in French. For example, Decathlon added an accent on the “e” to its name when it is launched on the quebec market… It is a way to conform, to fit in. And take into account the sensitivity of québec.