Open business database is a mine of free information
Opening up public information databases means professional details for any business, no matter the sector, are available for free online – which could save heartache for anyone planning a building or other project or even anyone thinking of buying a pet dog.
More than just a way to avoid cowboy builders, the government sees it as a way to make it easier for job-hunters to find work and for start-ups to find opportunities and contacts.
Created under last year’s digital republic law, the new open data service – called Sirène – is based on regularly updated information held by national statistics agency Insee and contains nine million businesses across France and its overseas departments.
Containing details of industrial producers, shopkeepers, artisans, liberal professionals, farmers, local authorities, banks, insurers, associations, the Sirène site gives the Siren identifier for each person’s business plus their address, the date of creation of the business, the activity registered and the number of employees, if any.
It is the biggest open business database in France and is now free after being previously only available for a fee. Insee updates the information each day with 10,000 updates done.
The data is not just free to consult it is also free to use and Insee allows users to download the complete database and the associated documentation for re-use – which could allow someone to set up their own website highlighting the data that is important to them, for people keen to access it easily.
It is a mine of information and has already allowed some journalists to find out the number of burger bars in Paris and suggest why prices have risen with the increase in large chains in the market.
A recent law change which forces anyone selling pets regularly to be registered as a business (or face fines ranging from €750-€7,500), will allow people to check they are not buying a cute puppy from a not-so-cute puppy farm.
