Working in the countryside attracts more and more French people. Indeed, activities in rural areas are much more profitable than those carried out in the city. Labor costs, real estate costs, and supplier and subcontractor rates are low. In addition, entrepreneurs benefit from various subsidies such as the ZRR exemption or aid granted by organizations. If you too are tempted by this idea and are looking for a thriving sector, follow this guide!

Work in the Tourism Sector

Creating a gite or bed and breakfast is an activity that allows you to change scenery and please holidaymakers. There are currently about 43,000 gites in France, and 2,500 are created each year. As for bed and breakfasts, there are 60,000 throughout the country. Although the competition is very tough, the sector is very profitable if your establishment is located in a tourist region.

To increase the profitability of your business, think about setting up structures that will allow your clients to have fun: common activity room, library, swimming pool, cinema room, wellness center, etc. Also, install tables d’hôtes where you will be able to serve typical dishes of the region. Some owners of bed and breakfasts offer guided tours of tourist sites to satisfy their customers and increase their turnover.

In addition to the amount paid for the purchase of the property, you can expect an investment of up to 45,000 euros for the renovation of 5 rooms, for example. Added to this are the costs of various additional installations: electrical, heating, etc.

There are also other activities related to tourism that you can do in the country such as:

• the creation of an eco-museum ;
• the opening of an educational farm;
• the creation of an accrobranche course;
• the setting up of an equestrian center ;
• camping
• the sale of handicrafts.
• Becoming a breeder or farmer

Being closely linked with the tourism sector, leisure activities can complement those mentioned above. For example, it would be interesting to raise exotic animals such as ostriches, bison, birds of prey, reptiles, etc. This would attract many tourists who would like to see these animals up close. This is a non-domesticated species breeding operation. Your property will become like a small zoo. However, this activity must be non-profit and therefore a secondary activity. It is to accompany the main activity—a strategic way to attract more people to your B&B, guest house, etc.

Among the most popular sectors in the countryside is farming. If you are one of those people who are passionate about agriculture and cultivation, now is the time to live your dream and turn it into a professional activity. You can start by raising more common animals like cattle, cows, goats, pigs, sheep, poultry, or fish. It is also possible to expand your business into breeding unusual animals such as bees, rabbits, quails, guinea fowl, frogs, silkworms, snails, etc.

Just like animal husbandry, farming is also on the list of promising activities in rural areas. There is a wide range of plants to choose from: vegetables, herbs, fruits, grains, bamboo, etc.

Once commercialized, the products obtained from livestock (leather, horns, meat, eggs, feathers, dairy products, fertilizer, honey…) and cultivation constitute a quick source of income. You can transform them or sell them directly to consumers (sale at the farm or sale on markets) or go through the works councils that collect and deliver your products. The marketing method will then depend on your availability, personal choice, commercial strategy, and skills.