Based in Paris.

Your commercial team in France.

We help companies build their business in France through hands-on local representation and Fractional Country Management, our outsourced country manager service.

For French companies, we identify commercial opportunities, partners and suppliers across Central & Eastern Europe.

Let’s discuss your project Explore our services

Local knowledge. Commercial focus. Long-term commitment.

We know the French market.Founded by a former Head of the CzechTrade office in Paris and former economic diplomat, Bohemia Connect brings first-hand experience of helping companies navigate the French business environment.

We turn strategy into action.We go beyond market reports and recommendations. We approach potential customers, develop relationships, attend meetings and follow opportunities through.

We connect two business environments.Working across France and Central Europe, we understand the languages, business cultures and practical challenges companies face when entering a new market.

France is a major market. Entering it takes more than a few emails.

France offers significant opportunities for international businesses. But turning those opportunities into actual business takes time, local understanding and consistent follow-up.

Decision-making can be slow. Relationships matter. Buyers often prefer discussing business in French, and international suppliers compete with established local players.

A successful trade fair or a promising first meeting is rarely enough. Without someone maintaining the conversation, even promising opportunities can gradually lose momentum.

Hiring a full-time country manager is one solution. But for companies still developing their market, that commitment can be difficult to justify.

There is another way.

A local country manager who develops your business in France, without the cost and commitment of a full-time hire.

That is the idea behind our Fractional Country Management model.

For Central European companies

Expand in France

Build your presence in the French market with an experienced local partner who understands your business and takes an active role in developing it.

Whether you are testing the market, looking for distributors or ready to build a long-term commercial presence, we adapt our involvement to your priorities.

Our core service

Fractional Country Management

Your country manager in France. Without the full-time hire.

We act as your local commercial representative and country manager, taking responsibility for developing your business in France within an agreed scope.

How the model works

Fractional means having an experienced country manager working for your business on an ongoing basis, within an agreed scope and level of involvement.

It is not a full-time employment arrangement or an unlimited-hours service.

Each engagement is defined through clear responsibilities, priorities, reporting and commercial terms.

What we take care of

Commercial strategy & market prioritiesWe identify the most relevant opportunities, sales channels and target customers for your business.
Prospecting & business developmentWe research, identify and approach potential buyers, distributors and commercial partners.
Distributor & partner managementWe help establish and develop relationships with local distributors, resellers and business partners.
Local meetings & representationWe represent your company at meetings, industry events and commercial discussions throughout France.
Negotiation & follow-upWe support commercial negotiations, maintain contact with prospects and help move opportunities towards a decision.
Local coordinationWhen required, we coordinate with legal, accounting and other local specialists.
Reporting & management reviewsWe provide structured updates, review commercial progress and agree on priorities and next steps.
Commercial model:Monthly retainer + success fee.Discuss Fractional Country Management

The right support at the right stage.

Not every company needs ongoing country management from day one. Some need to validate the market, prepare for a trade fair or coordinate their local setup.

Our complementary services can be booked independently or combined with Fractional Country Management.

France Launch

A focused three-month market-entry sprint.

Before committing to long-term expansion, understand how your offer performs with potential French buyers and partners.

We combine market assessment with initial commercial outreach to help you evaluate the opportunity and define your next steps.

What’s included:

Market and competitive assessment
Commercial positioning and route-to-market strategy
Identification of priority buyers and partners
Initial outreach and market testing
Market feedback and recommended next steps

Duration: 3 months

Outcome: A clearer understanding of your market opportunity and the next steps to consider.

France Launch can lead into Fractional Country Management, but it is not a mandatory first step.

Explore France Launch

Trade Fair Support & Representation

Make the most of your presence in France.

Exhibiting at a trade fair is an investment. The commercial value often depends on what happens before the event and, especially, afterwards.

We help you prepare, connect with relevant prospects, represent your company on site and follow up on new opportunities.

Services include:

Pre-event planning and prospect targeting
Meeting coordination
On-site commercial representation
Customer and partner discussions
Post-event follow-up

Format: Project-based, priced per event.

Discuss your next trade fair

Legal & Local Setup Coordination

Local setup, without unnecessary complexity.

As your business develops, you may need local legal, accounting or administrative support.

We connect you with qualified professionals and help coordinate the process, allowing you to stay focused on commercial development.

Support includes:

Introductions to lawyers, accountants and other specialists
Coordination of company formation and registration processes
Support with contracts and local administrative requirements
Communication between your company and local advisers

Bohemia Connect provides coordination only. Legal, tax and accounting advice is delivered by appropriately qualified professionals, including our external legal partner Cabinet Laurin where relevant.

Discuss your local setup

For French companiesCentral & Eastern Europe

Expand in Central & Eastern Europe

Central & Eastern Europe offers opportunities for French companies looking to develop new markets, find manufacturing partners or strengthen their supply chains.

We help you identify the right opportunities, connect with local decision-makers and move projects forward.

Our approach combines commercial experience, regional knowledge and a network of local business contacts.

Business Development & Commercial Representation

Find customers. Build relationships. Develop your market.

We help French companies identify commercial opportunities and develop business relationships across selected Central & Eastern European markets.

From prospecting and initial outreach to local representation and follow-up, we support the commercial process.

Services include:

Market and customer targeting
Identification of distributors, buyers and partners
Direct outreach to decision-makers
Local commercial representation
Meeting coordination and follow-up

Supplier & Manufacturing Partner Search

Find the right production partners in Central Europe.

Looking for a new supplier, manufacturer or industrial partner?

We help you identify and assess companies that match your technical, commercial and operational requirements.

Services include:

Supplier and manufacturer identification
Shortlisting based on your requirements
Initial supplier qualification
Coordination of meetings and site visits
Support during commercial discussions

Local Meetings & Negotiation Support

The right people. The right conversations.

Business across borders often requires more than an introduction.

We help you organise and prepare meetings, navigate local business practices and keep negotiations moving.

Services include:

Identification of relevant contacts
Meeting preparation and organisation
Local support during business discussions
Negotiation support
Follow-up and reporting

Discuss your project in Central EuropeEach project is scoped individually. You receive a written commercial proposal before work begins.

Because entering a market takes more than opening doors.

Over the years, we have seen companies invest significant resources in international expansion, from trade fairs and market studies to prospecting campaigns and business trips.

Some generate promising leads. Others establish a local company before they have their first customers.

Yet the same challenge often remains: who will actually develop the market once the initial effort is over?

A cold email rarely builds a lasting commercial relationship. A single meeting is rarely enough to close a deal. And a market entry strategy has little value if nobody follows through.

From our experience, companies that make real progress tend to have one thing in common: someone consistently representing their interests on the ground.

But hiring an experienced full-time country manager, especially before sales volumes justify it, can be a substantial commitment.

We created Bohemia Connect to bridge that gap.

Our fractional model gives companies access to experienced local commercial leadership, with a level of involvement adapted to their stage of development.

Not just advice. Not just introductions. Someone helping build the business, month after month.

Because international expansion is not a one-off project. It is a process that needs ownership, consistency and time.

Team

Based in Paris and connected across Central Europe, we bring together commercial expertise, international marketing experience and a network of specialised partners.

Founders

Jakub Smetana

Founder

Former Head of the CzechTrade office in Paris and former economic diplomat, Jakub helps companies enter and develop the French market. He combines local market knowledge with practical experience in finding partners, supporting negotiations and building commercial relationships. At Bohemia Connect, he leads client engagements and stays directly involved in their business development.

Kamila Flodrmanová

Co-founder & Partner

Former Senior Global Marketing Manager at Philips, Kamila brings international marketing experience and a strong analytical approach to market development. She helps clients assess opportunities, sharpen their positioning and translate market insights into practical marketing and commercial plans.

External partners

Aleš Bartoš

Commercial Partner | ALFA-X France

Founder of ALFA-X France, Aleš has extensive experience selling specialised technical products in France. Combining his Czech-French business background with studies at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, he helps European manufacturers build dealer networks, develop customer relationships and grow their brands through long-term local representation.

Matthias Laurin

Legal Partner | Cabinet Laurin

Matthias is a lawyer practising in Paris and Prague, with more than ten years of specialist experience in cross-border commercial law and French-Czech business relations. He leads Cabinet Laurin’s French activities, focusing on company formation, mergers and acquisitions and the resolution of commercial disputes. He combines deep knowledge of both legal environments with a pragmatic approach to business. He helps clients not only to navigate legal questions but, above all, to find solutions that make commercial sense.

Our extended network

Depending on the project, we collaborate with local commercial partners and specialised professionals in France and Central Europe.

How we work

A clear process. Adapted to your business.

Every company enters a market from a different starting point. Our role is to understand where you stand, identify what makes commercial sense and build an approach around your priorities.

Understand your business
We start with a conversation about your company, products, objectives and previous experience with the target market.
We assess whether and where we can add value.
Define your market approach
Together, we identify the priorities, target customers, distribution channels and resources needed to move forward.
Depending on your situation, this may involve a structured market assessment or a direct move into commercial development.
Choose the right engagement
France LaunchA focused three-month project to test your offer, approach potential buyers and gather market feedback.
or
Fractional Country ManagementOngoing commercial development and local representation, led by an experienced country manager in France.

Companies with a clear market strategy can start directly with Fractional Country Management.
Develop the market
We approach prospects, develop relationships, take part in meetings and support negotiations.
We review progress regularly and adjust commercial priorities based on market feedback.
Build your long-term presence
When commercial development justifies it, we can coordinate the next stage of your expansion.
This may include setting up a local company, recruiting an internal country manager or handing over established relationships to your own team.
Your business develops. Our role adapts.

Let’s discuss your market entry

Our clients

Companies we work with. We work with businesses developing commercial opportunities between France and Central Europe.

Frequently asked questions

Questions companies ask us.

What is Fractional Country Management?

It is an outsourced country manager for France: a way to develop your business with an experienced local manager, without employing someone full time.

We take responsibility for agreed commercial activities, including prospecting, partner development, local meetings, follow-up and reporting.

The scope and level of involvement are defined with each client.

Do I need France Launch before Fractional Country Management?

No.

France Launch is designed for companies that want to test their offer and assess market opportunities before committing to ongoing development.

If your business is already prepared to approach the French market, we can start directly with Fractional Country Management.

Which sectors do you work with?

We focus primarily on industrial and B2B businesses, construction and interiors, design, consumer brands and selected technology companies.

Our approach is particularly relevant when successful market development depends on relationships, local knowledge and access to decision-makers.

We assess each project individually and are transparent when a sector falls outside our expertise.

Do you work on commission only?

Nope.

Entering a new market requires considerable work before the first contract is signed: research, targeting, prospecting, meetings and continuous follow-up.

We are not a traditional sales agency focused solely on closing individual transactions. We work with companies to develop their market over time and we share the risk.

For Fractional Country Management, we typically combine a monthly retainer with a success fee. This allows both sides to share the commitment and align incentives around commercial progress.

Other assignments may be priced on a project basis.

Can you guarantee results?

No. Commercial decisions ultimately depend on buyers, market conditions and the competitiveness of your offer.

What we provide is structured business development, consistent local representation, qualified commercial outreach and clear feedback from the market.

If we believe your offer is not ready or your objectives are unrealistic, we prefer to address that before starting an engagement.

Do I need to establish a French company to start selling in France?

Not necessarily.

In many cases, European companies can begin selling into France without immediately establishing a French subsidiary.

However, the appropriate structure depends on your activities, tax obligations, products and commercial model.

Where needed, we coordinate with qualified legal and accounting professionals to assess the options.

Do you also work with French companies?

Yes.

Through our Expand in CEE services, we help French companies develop commercial relationships, identify suppliers and manufacturing partners, and organise meetings and negotiations across Central & Eastern Europe.

Your next step

Let’s talk about your plans.

Thinking about entering France or developing business across Central Europe?

Tell us a little about your company, your product and what you want to achieve.

We will discuss the opportunity, potential challenges and whether our approach makes sense for your business.

No obligation. Just a straightforward conversation.

Or contact us directly: jakub@bohemia-connect.com