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Envie de Lisbonne

An interview with its founder,
Jean Luc Paulhe

Jean Luc spent a significant part of his career within the French EDF group. After starting as a quality engineer in 2000, he quickly transitioned into a buyer role and worked in the group's procurement department for nearly 20 years. In 2018, he became the Key Account Manager within EDF's Commercial Department. In 2019, he permanently left Paris to settle in Portugal and founded "Envie de Lisbonne" upon his arrival.

How did the project come about?

Envie de Lisbonne was born out of a realization. Settling, renting, or buying property as a foreigner, or even from a distance, is a real ordeal. Personally, it took me 4 years to achieve when I was still in Paris. I didn't feel supported. And even though the apartment hunting market is highly competitive, when it comes to assisting families with pure installation services, they often find themselves left to fend for themselves.

With Envie de Lisbonne, I wanted to offer a differentiating concept, entirely designed around service. The company offers apartment hunting for purchase or rental, but more importantly, it offers a turnkey installation support service, separate from the purchase.

I wanted this service to be as comprehensive as possible and completely in line with the real needs of foreign families. Envie de Lisbonne offers:

- Tax assistance (with an appointment with a tax specialist to implement a clear tax strategy)
- Comprehensive administrative support
- School or daycare registrations
- Opening utility contracts for electricity, gas, water, and internet...

Through our network of partners, we also offer services related to moving and vehicle legalization.

We often assist foreign families who have chosen Portugal for a better quality of life. They may either continue their business activities in Paris, London, or Berlin, or they may be on professional assignments or even starting their own ventures.

In such cases, we also assist them in setting up their business by connecting them with selected partners. We also consider the "trailing spouse," who can often feel a bit isolated. We offer connections with recruitment agencies or even with people who have been in a similar situation some time ago.

Envie de Lisbonne is a very human service, providing efficient and close support. We understand that settling in can be a rich and complex topic that can quickly become difficult to manage, so it's up to us to make it simple and transparent.

What are your short and medium-term challenges?

Since 2019, our turnover has doubled every year. We are working to continue this growth rate by maintaining our relocation services and accelerating apartment hunting services for investors. Our ambition is to open an office in Porto in 2023 with the recruitment of an additional person.

When did the collaboration with Joongle begin?

My first business was created abroad, and during my first year, the relationship with my accountant was catastrophic. The first year, more than any other, requires more support; everything is new and potentially stressful.

I met Joongle at an entrepreneurial event. In a very straightforward manner, we had a conversation, and after 30 minutes, I received so much advice and information that a few weeks later, I decided to leave my previous accounting firm.

This relationship has now been going on for more than two years.

What do you expect from your accounting firm?

I expect regular updates, advice on optimizing my accounting, on recruitment, or on daily management. I expect the firm to be able to support me while fully defending my interests. We talk a lot, the team understands my business, my challenges, and even if it gives them more work, I know they will always make the most suitable choices for my company. Joongle is a strong team with a real sense of service, and the added bonus is that the support is in French.

A concrete example?

For my first hire, I received 5-star support. For the team's first trip to a foreign trade show, I received 5-star support. For managing the first sick leave of an employee, they made themselves completely available. They ensured that we experienced no administrative burdens, no stress, and no financial loss for both the company and the employee. They handled the case and guided us through the entire process.

What is your daily relationship like?

The daily relationship is straightforward, and they are very available (and I know how rare that can be). I always get answers to my questions. Beyond that, we have a working routine and quarterly meetings that help us understand how to optimize the company's management. I discovered that the relationship with an accountant could be close, with a real advisory role.

One word to describe Joongle?

Availability (and a smile :))
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