The registered office is specific to companies and designates the company's official address. This, in turn, determines its nationality, its tax system as well as the legal authorities with jurisdiction to settle disputes. French law authorises the separation of the registered office and the place of work.
They can therefore use the services of a domiciliation company to adopt a different address, which is likely to bring them many advantages. A true symbol and reflection of the image that your company wishes to give to its future partners, the address of the registered office must imperatively appear on all its official documents.
Choosing an address in Lyon, a dynamic city with an urban area of nearly 2.1 million inhabitants, offers many advantages to encourage the growth of your project.
It is home to many key industries: metallurgy, textiles, manufacturing of machines and equipment, etc. Major chemical and pharmaceutical companies have also established significant research and production units there (biotech, cleantech, laboratories, etc.).
The Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region accounts for approximately 7 billion euros in research and development (R&D) investments each year. This represents 14% of the total amount invested in R&D across France.
SMEs are the region's biggest employer, accounting for 30% of employees. This shows how diverse the types of companies are in Lyon.
Lyon is among the 20 most populated metropolitan areas in the European Union. Its population is known for its youth: 25% of the population is under 20! This means there are tons of universities, training centers, and top schools in all fields (University of Lyon, INSA Lyon, Centrale Lyon, EM Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon).
Lyon ranks first among French cities where it's good to do business out of the 100 largest French cities, according to a 2019 ranking by l'Express. Lyon is the French city with the highest number of freelancers, after Paris.
Lyon has a prime location that helps it fit into major cross-border trade routes. As a hub for major European routes and located two hours by plane from Brussels, London, Madrid, Berlin or Rome, it's possible to reach over 115 international destinations from Lyon!
Like ambitious urban projects such as Lyon Part-Dieu and Lyon Confluence, the city aims to be modern and forward-looking, including all the sustainable development challenges in its Lyon Smart City project.
Lyon is a seriously business-friendly city, no matter the size of your company or your sector!
The city notably has 6 startup accelerators, 8 incubators, many co-working spaces, and 3 competitiveness clusters. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) supports entrepreneurs who want advice or to participate in specific training programs.
There are many business districts that are particularly attractive for setting up your company's headquarters:
- Firstly, the Part-Dieu district, located in the 3rd arrondissement. Considered the second city center of Lyon, it is also the second business district in France after La Défense.
- In the 5th district, Lyon Vaise is known for hosting many innovative companies in the digital sector.
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Confluence is the new business district in the 2nd arrondissement of the Lyon metropolitan area, and concentrates a large proportion of companies in the tertiary sector.
- Finally, located in the 1st arrondissement, the Hôtel de Ville district is the city's historical, administrative, financial, and cultural heart.
Setting up your company's address gives you a prestigious and valuable location to project a positive image for your company and enhance your business card. Domiciliation companies offer a wide range of prestigious addresses to choose from.
It's up to you to choose the one that suits you best, depending on the image you want to convey of your company.
Setting up your company's address helps simplify your day-to-day and save time with a wide range of extra services. Domiciliation companies offer lots of services to outsource time-consuming tasks that don't add much value: daily mail management, phone answering, legal and administrative help, meeting room rentals, and more.
At SeDomicilier, dedicated experts support entrepreneurs throughout the entire business creation process to answer their questions and ensure smooth procedures.
These services can be chosen individually depending on the company's needs and budget.
Moreover, business domiciliation avoids the need to enter into a commercial or professional lease, thus avoiding significant expenses and formalities at much higher rates. Also, occasional office and meeting room rentals are an alternative for entrepreneurs to permanently renting premises for their professional spaces.
Whether it's an accelerator, incubator, or business nursery, they all recommend business address services to start-ups to reduce their expenses.
As France's 2nd largest business hub, Lyon is a great alternative to Paris, with costs averaging 30% less.
As a competitive and globally connected destination, Lyon attracts more and more entrepreneurs every year. Ranked as the 2nd happiest region in France according to the Relative Happiness Index, the synergy between existing companies, training centers, and research labs offers real opportunities to foster rapid and sustainable growth for your project.
Written by our expert Paul LASBARRERES-CANDAU
November 3, 2021
