STC France Connexion July-August 2008: Going for Gold!
Newsletter | newsletter
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July - August 2008 Welcome to the summer edition of the STC France Connexion newsletter. In this Issue: 1. Workshop Series: How to set up and run your own business in France - 20 Sep 2008 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Summer is of course a time for rest and relaxation, but it's also an ideal opportunity to reflect on your current situation, review your life and career goals, and plan for the year ahead. That's what the STC France leadership team has been doing, in any case, and we've put together an exciting program of educational and social events for the coming 2008-9 season. For those of you who have always dreamed of becoming your own boss or breaking into consulting work, we're kicking off the rentrée with a one-day workshop in Paris on Saturday 20 September on setting up and running your own business in France. This is a topic that many members have requested in the past, so we expect places to fill up quickly. The workshop is limited to a maximum of 15 participants, which is why we're giving you advanced warning in this issue. Reserve your place now to avoid disappointment! Also in this issue, we're planning ahead for World Usability Day 2008 and for that we need your input. You'll also find an overview of our program and objectives for the coming year (we'll have more details in our September issue), as well as details of how you can get involved. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and rendez-vous à la rentrée ! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Workshop Series: How to set up and run your own business in France - 20 Sep 2008
The first half of the workshop explores various business creation options in France, including "travailleur indépendant" (freelancing), "portage salarial" (freelancing through an agency), and EURL/SARL (incorporated companies). You will learn the advantages and disadvantages of each option and the various social charges and taxes associated with each. The second half of the workshop covers setting your business objectives, determining your fees, financial planning, time-management and different aspects of marketing to find clients. Come prepared to the meeting having asked yourself the following questions: Why do I want to own my own business? How many hours, days, months do I want to work? Who is my target customer? How much should I charge? Where will I find my clients? Bring any promotional material that you have (business cards, brochures, etc.) to the meeting. If you don't have your own material, you can bring promotional material from people in the same field for discussion. By the end of the seminar, you will know which structure is best suited to your personal case, and will leave with valuable practical advice about how to set up and run a successful business in France, including a list of business creation resources, useful local French addresses, books and internet sites. About The Instructor
When Where How Much
Price includes tuition, materials, lunch, and morning/afternoon refreshments. How to Register
Payment Pay online by PayPal/credit card or by check. See registration form for details. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Suggestion Box: Send us your ideas for World Usability Day 2008
Each year, on the second Thursday of November, over 225 events are organized in over 40 countries around the world to raise awareness for the general public, and train professionals in the tools and issues central to good usability research, development and practice. With the support and involvement of STC France members, we'd like to organize an event or activity as part of World Usability Day 2008 that draws on our expertise as technical communicators and usability specialists. For that, we need your ideas! The theme of this year's event is Transportation:
Do you have an idea for a fun event or other activity linked to the theme of transportation that would provide an opportunity for STC France members to explore or address one or more of these issues? Do you know of an interesting speaker willing to present on one of the topics above? Are you interested in performing a research study into one or more aspects related to transportation usability? If so, we want to hear from you! We're collecting ideas between now and 15 September. We'll then select one (or more) ideas that we consider most appropriate and then help promote and/or implement the idea in the run up to World Usability Day. Either on World Usability Day itself (Thursday 13 November), or somewhere close to that date, we'll hold an evening meeting to either implement or report on the results of the idea that was selected. So get your thinking caps on and let's work together to contribute to making transportation more user friendly. As they say, "The journey is the destination!" Send your suggestions to wud2008@stcfrance.org. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Planning Ahead: An overview of STC France's program and objectives for the coming year
Our theme for this year is all about connecting communities. We hope to strengthen our ties with the academic community and with industry and will continue to develop our relationships with neighboring STC chapters and other professional societies to develop joint programs and share resources. We're also planning to improve communication within our own community by introducing new ways for members to connect and collaborate with each other and by improving our existing channels of communication. This year will also see the launch of several member and industry surveys designed to improve our understanding of the current market for technical communication services in France and identify ways in which STC can provide greater value and support to our members and the profession at large. Planning is already underway for our next chapter conference which will take place in March 2009. We will also be offering a more regular program of activities throughout the year, alternating each month between educational meetings and social gatherings. Look out for more details in our September newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Going for Gold: STC France volunteer takes top spot at INTECOM
Theresa Cameron, an active member of the STC France Chapter leadership team for many years, has been elected President of INTECOM, the international association of technical communication societies. STC, as well as numerous local organizations in Europe, New Zealand, and North America are members of INTECOM, which promotes the technical communication profession through international initiatives and special projects. In congratulating Theresa and wishing her well, we'd like to thank her for her hard work and commitment to STC France as Membership Manager and Newsletter Editor, and as a key member of the program team that helped organize our 2008 chapter conference. Theresa has also been the international representative for the UK's Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC) and an active member of Tekom, so is certainly well qualified for her new role! As reported in our June newsletter, it was largely due to the success of our chapter conference that STC France was awarded a Community of Excellence Award at the STC Summit in Philadelphia this year. So pat yourself on the back because we can all take pride in this award - and we all have Theresa to thank for that! Like Theresa, you too can become a champion for your profession by joining the STC France Chapter leadership team! To volunteer for any of our programs or events, please email us at volunteer@stcfrance.org. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Samina Arnoult has nearly 25 years experience working with Legal and General, Worms, Natwest, and other financial institutions serving the expatriate community in France. She set up her own financial consulting business (conseil en gestion de patrimoine) in 1994 covering all aspects of financial life: investment, tax, inheritance, retirement, risk assessment, etc. and helps her clients reach their goals through careful financial planning. In 1994, she became a board member of Paris Entreprendre, a network supporting small businesses. She has been active in several networks, and has helped hundreds of businesses get started and prosper.
With several new volunteers on board this year, our all-day chapter leadership meeting in Paris on 28 June provided an opportunity for those more experienced members of the team to pass on their knowledge and enthusiasm for leadership within STC. Together, we discussed strategic objectives and came up with a long list of program ideas for the months ahead.
The Beijing Olympics may be in full swing, but you don't have to go all the way to China to find a champion.