French Consulting Market Navigator

Negotiate TJM by first calculating your minimum viable rate from monthly expenses, then researching the ESN's sell rate (typically 1.4-1.7x your buy rate). Anchor 15-20% above target and concede only in exchange for longer duration, remote days, or better renewal terms.

Portage salarial yields roughly 50% of TJM as net income but includes unemployment rights and retirement contributions. Micro-entreprise yields around 70% net but provides no social protection. The gap is the price of the safety net.

Malt suits portfolio building with a 10% client-side commission, while collective.work targets higher-value missions with portage integration. Crème de la Crème fits premium positioning at 700-900 EUR/day but has selective admission.

Yes, but disclose your location upfront since mid-process discovery kills deals and triggers rate reduction demands. French clients prefer paying a French entity, so use portage salarial or a billing relay like collective.work.

Standard NET-30 terms in French ESN chains compound into 60-90 days of actual payment delay because each intermediary adds its own billing cycle. Budget your cash flow accordingly and act on delays exceeding 15 days past due.