Many might assume that most expatriates speak English. Well, many do of course, however, deciphering the subtleties of a rental property description, understanding the details of a lease, finding your way through an insurance contract or working out the terms of enrolment in a school are hard enough without having to do it in a second language.

It was for this reason that, in 2012, Sylvie Froger founded Simply London, a relocation Destination Services Provider (DSP) specifically focussed on French-speaking people moving to London. 

Sylvie started the company with no track record in the relocation industry other than her own experience on the receiving end of relocation services.  “It was usually very difficult,” she explained.  “So, I used this experience to create the services I knew the French-speaking community would want.”

French speakers are often very proud of their own language, more perhaps than some other nations.  For this reason, Sylvie recognised that providing a DSP specifically for the French-speaking community would be welcomed by her clientele. “We started as an agency for French people moving to London,” she said.  “Now we service the French-speaking community as they move to the UK from wherever they are in the world.”  Of course, Simply London also has non French-speaking clients too.

As the company grew Sylvie recognised that this specific service would be equally well received elsewhere and so she started the Bienvenue! network at a meeting in London in October 2018 with 15 like-minded companies from around the world.  “We wanted a French name, but one that non French-speaking people would understand,” said Sylvie. “Bienvenue means ‘welcome’ in English which is exactly what destination services do.”

The Bienvenue! network currently serves 20 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, Africa and the Middle East.  Each location provides full relocation support, in French, for French-speaking families and individuals, regardless of their departure points or destinations in the world. Not only do the Bienvenue! people speak their own language, they also have a fundamental understanding of their specific culture.

Simply London, and the Bienvenue! Network, works with a mix of corporate and private clients.  Many of the private clients are relocating with their companies but on a lump sum basis.  Sylvie believes that there are very few agencies around the world that focus on a specific language.  “Our clientele is keen to see services delivered by independent agencies around the world in the language of the assignee,” she said.  “We want to help our clients by offering the same services in different territories.”

You can contact the network on info@bienvenuerelo.com