"The French people who settle in Miami today are not the same as they were five or six years ago."It's a real challenge," says Jérôme Cherki, owner of the concept store 'L'appartement', which recently opened in the Wynwood district. "They first came after 2008 for the property boom, when the euro was strong, but they are now attracted by the desire for a change of lifestyle, in an urban, cultural and seaside setting."continues this Frenchman married to an American. "The French community is growing and is diversifyingsays Marie-Charlotte Piro, manager of the Viaprestige Miami estate agency. Many French people continue to work with France, but choose Miami to offer their families a good quality of life and quality education. Others settle in Miami to create or develop their business in a favourable climate."
Not only are the shops and restaurants run by our compatriots multiplying, but, under the impact of expatriation, French schools are flourishing. "I'm currently looking for the ideal location for the future French lycéeIt's a real challenge," explains Élisabeth Gazay, Director of Barnes, which, as its name suggests, is a French estate agency. She arrived with her husband and children in the early 2000s,
Élisabeth Gazay has become one of the pillars of Miami's French community. Her credo: to help new arrivals settle in as well as possible, but also to find out if they are really making the right choice.
Because expatriation is not a path lined with roses. Many failures. So it's best to avoid them. And to do that, Élisabeth Gazay advises those interested to set up in a field that is already theirs, not to try anything extravagant, but also to prospect before setting up. "Miami is still an adolescent city in full expansion. The French feel at home here insofar as they play an active part in its development. If you come without getting involved, hoping to spend your time on the beach, then it's not worth it."she warns.
When it comes to taxation, we're not talking about tax havenBut Florida companies are still in an advantageous position. In some areas of activity, setting up in Miami means you can reach not only the United States, but also Canada and Latin America. It's an invaluable advantage.
Meeting with Sarah Hamon
In Paris in 2010, she set up S2H Communication, an agency dedicated to design, architecture and travel, before launching a branch in Miami.
Leaving Paris with my family, I wanted a more pleasant everyday environment.
I chose Miami for a number of reasons. Firstly, I wanted to develop my agency's business in the United States, as I was working a lot with American journalists on design and architecture stories. New York would have been the logical choice, but if I had to leave Paris with my family, I wanted a more pleasant environment to live in on a daily basis, with more sunshine, more light... And it just so happened that Miami seemed like the perfect place to play: the leading activity here is property investment, and everything to do with the home is booming. There was a place for it. That said, expatriation is an enormous challenge. When we arrived, we asked ourselves a lot of questions about life abroad: you think you know everything, but it takes a lot of humility to understand a new country. What's more, in Miami you're not really in the United States: the population is a mosaic of Latin, European, Russian and other origins... It's very enriching, even if it can create some funny or frustrating situations on a daily basis, because the codes are not the same, particularly in the world of work. Gaining the trust of Americans is certainly the biggest challenge.
Meet David and Alexandra Funès
After managing several restaurants in Paris, the couple have just moved to Miami to open a top-of-the-range pizzeria under the SPRIS brand. They left with two of their children, the eldest having remained in Paris for her studies.
The freedom of American entrepreneurship appealed to us.
After attending a hotel management school, we simultaneously managed three establishments in Paris. Then one day, we felt like leaving everything behind. Why the USA? Part fantasy, no doubt, part American dream, and also a desire for a radical change of life. And then the sad realisation that in France, particularly in the restaurant industry, the burden of charges is very heavy and it's becoming complicated to run a small business. The social and political atmosphere was weighing on us, which finally convinced us to try something elsewhere. The freedom of American entrepreneurship appealed to us. It's true that
Miami's exceptional climate and large French community were decisive factors in our choice. In the course of our canvassing trips, we met French people who gradually became acquaintances. We took a very methodical approach. First, we had to find an investment to get a visa, then a house and a school for our children. The complex thing about moving here is that you need to have a bit of money put aside to get a visa or, better still, a Green Card. The entry point is the E2 investor visa, the criteria for which are simple and precise: you have to invest at least $100,000 in a viable project and employ as many American staff as possible. We opted for a partnership and franchise contract to enter into an already existing and solid model. Pizza is a product that represents 45 billion dollars a year in the United States, with growth of 10 %. We're going to open our restaurant in South Miami, around Sunset Place, and live in Coconut Grove, a former hippy hangout from the 70s, with lots of artists.
The atmosphere is more European than in Miami Beach; it's full of trees and lush vegetation, and you can walk or cycle around.
