The right preparation for youngpreneurs
We will show you how to best prepare for setting up a company and for everyday life as a youngpreneur. The right preparation for youngpreneurs.
Checklist – Prepare properly!
Formulating a business idea
Your business idea is the heart of your company and forms the basis. Ideally, it should have a unique selling point, be innovative and be compatible with your interests, hobbies or, if need be, your studies, so that you can combine various activities.
Self-analysis
To prepare yourself optimally for self-employment, you should conduct a self-analysis and ask yourself and your friends and family where your strengths and weaknesses lie. What can you already do? What do you still need to learn? Where do you need external support?
Market segmentation
In order to address your customers directly and to design the product or service as well as its placement and marketing correctly, you should consider who your customer is. To do this, divide society into smaller homogeneous groups and decide on a few segments that you want to address with your product or service.
Create a business plan
Summarize the most important information about your company in a business plan to get an overview. This will help you to bring structure into the uncertain future and to deal with problems at an early stage.
Acquire know-how
In the self-analysis you have already done, you got to know yourself better. We now recommend that you look into the topics in which you would like to further educate yourself. For example, you can attend our free seminar on how to set up a company smartly.
Trust the experts
Wherever you need support, trust experts. For example, get advice from specialists and hand over your accounting or tax returns to them. We recommend Startups.ch.
Choose a legal form
Now it is time for you to decide on the legal form of your company. Below, we present the three most popular forms in more detail: sole proprietorship, limited liability company (GmbH) and joint-stock company.
Determine the people involved
If you have decided to incorporate as a GmbH or an AG, you need to be clear about which other people, such as partners, shareholders and board members, should have a stake in your company.
hold minimum capital
When choosing a limited liability company or a joint-stock company, a minimum capital of CHF 20,000 or CHF 100,000 is required.
Finding the right business idea as a student
Ideas for becoming independent in Switzerland
When you start a business, it is very important that you have a unique, well-thought-out and suitable business idea that you, as a youngpreneur, stand behind and are enthusiastic about. Below, we will show you how you can find such a business idea.
Start by thinking about problems that arise repeatedly in everyday life or in your environment, or that are ubiquitous. Then look for solutions or business models on the market that are already addressing this problem.
- Which solutions/business models already exist?
- Are these solutions/business models useful?
- How can I solve the problem better?
- How can I take advantage of opportunities and avoid risks?
Make a list and find out how these solutions make sense. Now think about what you would do differently or how the problem could be solved more effectively or efficiently. You should now analyze the opportunities and risks and how you can take advantage of opportunities and avoid risks.
Decide on a legal form
The three legal forms of sole proprietorship, limited liability company and joint-stock company are particularly suitable for entering into self-employment. The choice should always be tailored to your personal youngpreneur business. That's why you can get individual advice from us.
The sole proprietorship simply explained
Do you want to work independently in a commercial capacity and pursue your idea without restrictions? Then the most popular legal form for founders in Switzerland is the right choice. Setting up a sole proprietorship is straightforward, requires no minimum capital and does not have its own legal personality. Many youngpreneurs who start a business choose this legal form to begin with.
Minimum capital
No minimum capital is required to set up a sole proprietorship.
Intended use
A sole proprietorship is suitable for businesses run by one person.
Number of people
There can only be one owner.
Company name
If you set up a sole proprietorship, the only requirement for the name is that it must include your family name. You are free to use your first name or other imaginative or factual designations.
Advantages of a sole proprietorship
- A sole proprietorship allows for uncomplicated and informal activity.
- There is no need to comply with corporate law provisions.
- No minimum capital is required.
- There is no double taxation of income and assets, since no distinction is made between business and private assets.
Disadvantages of a sole proprietorship
- As the owner, you have unlimited liability with your personal assets.
- You cannot bring in partners to share in the company.
- There is no unemployment benefit.
- Depending on the canton, you may not receive child or education allowances.
The LLC simply explained
A limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, GmbH) is a legal entity in which you can join together with other persons to form a company. The respective liability of the shareholders is limited to the amount of their registered share capital.
Minimum capital
The minimum capital of a GmbH is CHF 20,000.
Utilization purpose
The LLC is suitable for small and medium-sized companies.
Number of people
At least one shareholder and one managing director are required, although you can hold both positions at the same time. A managing director with signatory authority must be resident in Switzerland.
Company name
You are free to choose the name of your company. The only requirement is that you must add the suffix GmbH to the company name.
Advantages of a LLC
- At CHF 20,000, the minimum capital is comparatively low.
- You are only liable with the company's assets and not with your personal assets.
- It is possible for other shareholders to participate.
Disadvantages of an LLC
- There is an obligation to publish the distribution of the capital shares. The shareholders are therefore not anonymous.
- You have more regulations with this legal form than with the sole proprietorship, because you have to comply with the corporate law provisions.
- You will be taxed twice, at the level of the GmbH and as a shareholder.
The public limited company simply explained
The public limited company (PLC) enjoys a good reputation among the general public. It can be used to exclude personal liability, since only the company's assets can be held liable for its debts. The joint-stock company has a legal personality.
Minimum capital
The minimum capital for a joint-stock company is CHF 100,000, of which at least CHF 50,000 must be paid up in cash.
Intended use
The joint-stock company is suitable for all profit-oriented companies.
Number of people
There must be at least one shareholder and one member of the board of directors, whereby one person can hold both positions simultaneously. One member of the board of directors must be resident in Switzerland and be authorized to sign.
Company name
When setting up a stock corporation, you can define a freely chosen company name with the addition AG.
The advantages of a public limited company
- The anonymity of investors and shareholders can be guaranteed.
- You and all other shareholders are liable only for the business assets and thus for the portion of the share capital.
- Transferring shares is easy.
Disadvantages of a public limited company
- The formation of a joint-stock company is associated with high costs and complex formalities.
- The minimum capital available to you is comparatively high at CHF 100,000.
- You have a double tax burden on income and assets.