Many of us in the Bucks region have spent sometime in France. Either we have gone on holiday to France or we have stayed in one of those famous Gîtes. We may even have driven through the lands of Molière on our way to Spain. Have you noticed how good the roads are? Have you noticed how well kept the towns are?

Did you know that after centuries of the English invading and taking parts of France for their own the French have themselves been doing something similar? Slowly but surely they have been coming over and have been carving out parts of the UK economy. You will find French interests in our railways, water companies, power industries and to a certain extent many French people have actually relocated to live and work over here.

So am I declaring war on the French? Am I about to run up the flag of St George and cry for God, Harry and once more into the breach dear friends? The answer is No! For sure the French laugh themselves silly over our food and climate. However, they may not like to admit it but there are some things that they would love to have in France. Let me name just a few in no particular order: Pubs, bacon and eggs, marmalade, courtesy on the roads, bed and breakfast, double decker busses, London taxis, flexibility at work, English goods, tea, the English countryside, antiques, football and finally our sense of humour.

What I am trying to say is this. The French have sampled our way of life, our products and our services. They understand that there is a certain cachet, a quality and a feeling that can only be described as made in England. There you have it folks. There is a market out there. Instead of a price battle with the usual suspects that are your competitors why not have a think about making yourself unique in a new market of 60 million souls?

I can hear the objections already. They speak a foreign language. It would be too complicated. I have no experience. The French are known to be tough negotiators. Ok, let us counter some of these arguments.

The French have made massive efforts with their education system. Most businesses will now be populated by people who have a good command of the English language. How else do you think they would cope when dealing with Scandinavian, Germanic or Latin companies? You might think it would be complicated, but then again the same can be said of customers over here who do not pay. We also have our hang-ups over political correctness and the infamous H&SE. Europe is gearing up with legislation to harmonise most things from warranties, to quality and to consumer protection. Yes, the French are tough negotiators but that is down to their culture. Once you accept their culture and you understand some of the important drivers then this can be dealt with. Simplistically all you need to do is to hold your ground intellectually, to argue back with passion and not to give in without a fight.

France is a nation that loves to plan and invest. Just take a look at their roads and visit some of their factories. You will see that they mean business. They can compete with anyone, any company and any nation. They will often take on the Americans and actually win. Take a look at any market sector and you will find a French company in the top 10 if not top 5. But somehow in this busy world they remember to take time out and they are actually able to live a little.

The way the world is moving and the fact that Europe is slowly becoming a virtual state then one could do less wrong by getting into bed with the French. You might actually learn something, make money and have fun !

*The Editor.
editor@bucks4biz.co.uk

*The editor spent 9 years living in France and is pationate about the French way of life. He is married to a French lady and will one day return for good.