Thinking of starting a portable business while living abroad and want to know more about the legal implications?  Don’t even know what kind of questions to ask?  Listen now to understand what you need to consider and research when launching your portable career as an expat spouse.

Our guest today is Rosiane Houngbo-Monteverde, a French corporate Lawyer who built her career working for major companies before leaving France to join her husband in Bahrain.  There she managed to work for another major regional company. However, at the same time, she started realizing a real need for legal support for expats who build businesses away from their home base. This is what led her to launch her own company, named Legal Nomads, a law firm for French expats abroad and foreign expats living in France.

Business regulations can be very different from a country to another and even though Rosiane specializes in French law, she has worked in many international circumstances and companies.  She shares her experience and important legal advice for other expat partners who want to reinvent themselves and create their own portable careers.

Highlights from the episode

• Rosiane describes her experience when she first moved abroad with her husband
• The need to embrace her complete identity and not solely defining it by her employment status
• Things to consider when launching a business abroad
• Know what questions to ask and find the right experts
• Countries to consider for setting up a company abroad when you’re constantly moving as an expat spouse
• How to protect your brand and trademark
• How to choose the right expert and lawyer to help you

Legal considerations for starting a portable business abroad

• Visa status:  does your current visa allow you to launch a company?
• Location: consider where you are currently living but also where else you can set up your business
• Tax treaties: understand the tax implications
• Liability:  protect yourself and understand the laws in the country you live and where your business is registered
• Social care: starting a business may impact your insurance eligibility and social protection
• Trademark: local versus global registration
• E-commerce: where to implement your e-shop and the terms & conditions that apply to your business
• Contracts: protect yourself with a contract that has been created by a lawyer

Really believe in what you are doing. It will help you through the tough times.

Other Resources

• Visit the local Chamber of Commerce in the city you want to start your company

Where to find Rosiane

• Website: Legal Nomads Law Firm 
• Legal Nomads Facebook Page

The legal aspects aren’t the only things to consider when setting up your business.  Listen to the episode 74 for the 6 rules to grow your portable business.  

Do you have any further questions?   Ask in the comments below or on the Tandem Nomads