Switzerland is one of the popular locations for business. The reasons for this are the liberal tax and economic system, close cooperation with foreign countries, stability in politics and currency, a high standard of living. Giants of the global business industry are based here, such as Roche, Novartis, Disney, Google, eBay, Unilever. More than 200 start-ups appear in Switzerland every year.
Anastasia Postnikova, senior consultant at Grayling agency, talks about the main points of the launch in Switzerland.
What Russian startups are needed
Before you open your business in Switzerland and invest in a project, you need to understand whether it will be useful in this country and why Switzerland should become a springboard for development.
Switzerland is one of the leaders in the field of new . This allows local companies to successfully develop their business on a global level. Priority in this country is given to innovative projects.
Switzerland is home to a huge number of technology companies. They are supported by the country's cantons and cooperate with research institutes. The advantage for them is the many technology parks and business incubators throughout Switzerland. Particular attention is paid to companies wishing to open their head office or sales office in Switzerland. This is easy to do regardless of specialization.
What conditions does Switzerland give to technology companies
Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons: each of them has its own laws, different taxes are charged, people speak different languages. However, each canton has established economic development agencies that engage in direct dialogue with enterprises to provide financial and tax support for deployment or production in the canton.
The company can receive benefits and grants at the state level or look for business angels. The Business Angels Switzerland (BAS) website allows you to learn more about Swiss business angels and find those who might be interested in your project.
If we talk about state support, a positive decision from the cantonal authorities to provide tax incentives or other financial and administrative support can be expected if the company produces innovative products and these products are in demand on the European market. The product must already be produced or at least be at the stage of a ready technical solution.
Environmentally friendly industries and those that create new jobs for local residents are valued.
Companies that have received approval from the authorities can receive many privileges. For example, Streamer International, a manufacturer of lightning protection devices, launched a joint two-year research project with the ETH Rapperswil in 2013 and received a grant from the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation covering 50% of its cost. In addition, the company was awarded a municipal grant as innovative company Graubünden: she received part of the money as a gratuitous subsidy, and part - in the form of an interest-free loan for five years.
Another example: Fly&Film, a startup with Russian roots that develops drones, received subsidies from the Swiss authorities for a significant part of the salary of one employee of the company. Given the high cost of labor, this is a tangible benefit for a young company.
Technology clusters, accelerators, incubators
In Switzerland, the cluster approach is a fundamental principle of the economy. More than 20 clusters have been formed here in various areas: machine-building, metalworking, electrical industry, information technology, biotechnology industry, .
When you hear about the variety of technology clusters, business accelerators, incubators, you can get confused and not understand why all this is necessary for business.
Switzerland is rich in such institutions, and choosing the right one can take a long time. First you need to figure out what each of them is, and then choose the one that suits your field of activity and location.
Business incubators support startups at all stages of development, provide projects with an office for rent. The main difference of the incubator is that here you can start a project from scratch: if you have an idea, here it can become a reality. There are no restrictions on the time a startup can spend there in an incubator.
The most popular business incubators in Switzerland are BlueLion (for green technology start-ups). Its main advantage is that the entire infrastructure for projects is gathered here “under one roof”. Fongit is the first business incubator in the country (for start-ups in the field of medical technology, biotechnology and IT).
In accelerators, on the contrary, a temporary development program is usually provided, which does not exceed 3-6 months. Accelerators are waiting for "independent" businesses, which, nevertheless, require financial or intellectual investments. The world-famous Mass Challenge accelerators operate in Switzerland (also popular in the USA); Venturekick (since 2007 has issued 220 grants of 130 thousand francs each).
For technology companies, cooperation with research centers and universities is important. Switzerland has very good universities, according to some rankings (the same Times Higher Education World University Rankings). According to Marianna Astakhova, CEO cosmetics company Suisselle, in Swiss universities, entrepreneurs are surrounded by ambitious, inventive people who are eager to start their own business.
You can also get a grant to launch a high-tech enterprise here.
Russian companies doing business in Switzerland
Russian entrepreneurs are ready to share their success stories.
Streamer International has grown from a small NGO to a major manufacturer of lightning protection devices. The director of the department for foreign direct investment of the canton of Graubünden became interested in the organization at one of the conferences, he also arranged a series of meetings in Switzerland with employees of the tax and migration inspectorates and helped establish the office of Streamer International in the country.
The Swiss office has become for Streamer a kind of pass to the global market. Today Streamer International AG supplies equipment to 20 countries. In Switzerland, the company has begun equipping lines of small power systems - they are now carrying out pilot operation Streamer equipment. The company's production is located in St. Petersburg. There are plans to open a production site in Switzerland, but such a step will only be logically justified with a strong increase in sales volumes.
Many companies are completely relocating to Switzerland. So, for example, did the already mentioned Fly&Film. This project is developing drones in various areas: at first, Fly&Film planned to focus on rentals with a follow-me function for tourists and extreme athletes. Then she moved to a more promising segment - the use of drones in. The startup is located in the Technopol technopark - in the city of Sierre, canton of Valais. The authorities of the canton help Fly&Film: they subsidize the payment for the work of one of the company's employees, and the technopark provides preferential office rent, services of mentors and coaches, consultations on organizing and running a business, and assistance in solving technical issues.
The startup’s immediate plans include the creation of anti-avalanche drones, as well as devices that can assess the technical condition solar panels and buildings for heat leakage.
Summing up...
What should a Russian company do to enter the international level?
1. Create a business plan
In order to enlist the support of the cantonal authorities, it is not enough to open a bank account (more on this in paragraph 3) - you need to create a clear business plan that will spell out all aspects of the future business. Among other things, the plan will help the entrepreneur to build further steps for development.
2. Starting capital
Registration fees are around CHF 6,000-8,000 (for a traditional institution). For the smallest enterprises, the founding costs may not exceed 2,000 francs.
3. Bank account
Opening a bank account is one of the most difficult procedures when registering a company in Switzerland. To open an account, you will have to explain the origin of the company's funds and enlist the support of cantonal officials so that they explain to the bank the significance of your project for the country.
4. Company registration, work permit
To obtain a work permit in Switzerland, an application is required. Russian entrepreneur who plans to work here will have to justify his importance in the development of the company and explain the importance of his presence in the country.
5. Employees
Switzerland is rich in highly qualified employees. The country is primarily interested in the fact that local residents work in companies. To hire a foreign employee, you will have to go through a whole procedure - first to prove to the authorities that there are no local workers with suitable qualifications, then to explain why the company needs a foreign employee, and then to prove his qualifications. Special quotas have been created for foreign employees in Switzerland, and their allowable amount differs in different cantons.
6. Last step
When all the initial steps have been completed, you can think about benefits and provide Required documents to the relevant authorities.
Full advice on doing business in Switzerland can be obtained from the Swiss Business Assistance Center in Russia.
One of the most unique European states is Switzerland: there are practically no natural resources here, but the country is considered one of the richest and most prosperous. Two world wars passed the country, and only in 2002 Switzerland became a member of NATO. But the main thing is cooperation in the trade sphere with other countries.
Thanks to this, business in Switzerland is distinguished by efficiency, competitiveness and stability: almost all enterprises are constantly working, which eliminates the appearance of inflation and unemployment. In addition, graduates of local universities, having received a prestigious and high-quality education, join the ranks of specialists who are considered the most highly qualified on earth.
Improve the position of businessmen and indicators such as:
- Ideal infrastructure.
- The hardness of the country's currency.
- No corruption.
- Low corporate tax.
- Transparent legal system.
- Reliable cooperation with banks and others.
There are many such advantages, so many business people seek to open a company in Switzerland or acquire an already operating company.
Sample residence permit card in Switzerland
Business Application
The most difficult, and in some cases the only way to buy a business or establish your own company in this country, is to submit an application to the canton. This is the name of the administrative-territorial units - districts. For an application to be successfully considered, several conditions must be met. The applicant must:
- Possess entrepreneurial experience and professional qualities.
- To provide local residents with a certain number (depending on the size of the future company) of jobs.
- Consider whether the region needs to open a business in this area.
- Make a significant investment.
- Prove that the work of the company will for a long time positively and effectively influence the country's economy.
- Draw up a cooperation agreement with local companies.
If the application is approved, the foreigner will need a business visa to Switzerland. A residence permit (category L or B) will also be issued for one year. In the future, he will be able to extend the validity of the document, already bypassing the listed steps.
Procedure for registering your company
Zurich is not only European center banking system. He is also an economic shopping center countries: one of the largest cities in Switzerland is home to the vast majority cultural centers, trading firms and industrial enterprises. Each foreigner who decides to register a company must go through several main stages:
- Decide what type of activity the opening company will be engaged in.
- Choose a unique name.
- Open a bank account and deposit authorized capital into it.
- Register by notary the charter of the company and its public act.
- Select the company's management and board of directors.
- Certify the notary's signature of the owner/owners and shareholders.
- Determine the size of the charter Ford.
- Specify the distribution of shares.
- Register the company in the Commercial Register.
- Register with the tax administration.
- Submit to authorities social security personal data of employees for registration.
In addition, each foreigner will need to fill out the Lex Friedrich declaration, allowing the purchase of real estate in Switzerland, and Stampa (on investment). It will take from several days to a month to complete all the documents.
Learn more about doing business in Switzerland in the video below.
What form of ownership is acceptable
Registration of a company in Switzerland begins with the choice of the form of ownership, which is directly affected by the scale of the future activities of the entrepreneur. At the same time, it must be remembered that only medium and small businesses in Switzerland enjoy the support of the government, since it is these companies that provide jobs for 75% of the population.
Company types
The most popular types of companies:
- Individual entrepreneur. This is ideal for artists, doctors, lawyers, freelancers, etc. The main advantages of small companies are simple registration and minimal requirements for authorized capital. In addition, the need to register in the Commercial Register will only appear when the annual turnover exceeds 100,000 francs. Cons - the entrepreneur himself is responsible for everything related to the company and its activities.
- Limited Liability Company (LLC). Such a company has low requirements regarding the authorized capital (20,000 francs), therefore this species property is the most popular in Switzerland. Both local citizens and representatives of Russian companies must indicate one managing director and two shareholders for registration. Moreover, they must be residents of Switzerland.
- Joint stock companies (JSC) represent the most common form of ownership. Any commercial enterprise can register as joint-stock company, providing for this three shareholders and a resident to manage the company. The authorized capital for this must be at least 100,000 francs. All information about shareholders is not made public.
Today pharmaceutical industry Switzerland is the backbone of the country's economy: it accounts for 35% of all exports
What exactly to pay attention to depends on the financial capabilities of a particular businessman, place of residence and other factors, so there is no single and correct advice.
Find out how here.
Own business in Switzerland is guaranteed to provide a foreigner with a residence permit. But registration of a company, selection and payment of a Swiss manager, authorized capital and related costs will require big investments because Switzerland is a country of very wealthy people.
Having your own company in Switzerland is good for two reasons. Firstly, this is the most reliable way to obtain a residence permit in a country that many call an alpine paradise. Secondly, such an investment of own funds, with the skillful management of the company, will provide the applicant stable income and a secure future – but only a few are really capable of such an undertaking and, above all, for financial reasons.
In accordance with the law, any foreigner can open his own business in Switzerland. The nuance is whether he has a work permit and permanent resident status, or not. If so, then such an entrepreneur has practically the same rights as the Swiss - he can open enterprises, create joint-stock companies, establish branches and be the manager of his own business.
If the company is opened with the expectation of further obtaining a residence permit, and the foreigner does not yet have a work permit, you will have to hire a Swiss as a manager - it can be either your familiar Swiss citizen, or you can use the services of agencies for the selection of relevant specialists. If the Swiss authorities later decide to grant you a work permit, you will be able to manage the company yourself.
The procedure for selecting a manager and registering a company in Switzerland takes about two weeks. Some intermediary firms offer a more simplified scheme: the purchase ready business, with a bank account and paid-in authorized capital. The cost of such firms starts from 10 thousand Swiss francs.
If you decide to register own enterprise, then the main organizational and legal forms in Switzerland are as follows:
- joint-stock company - Aktiengesellschaft (AG, SA). The minimum number of shareholders is one, the minimum authorized capital is 100 thousand Swiss francs, at the time of registration, at least 20%, but not less than 50 thousand must be paid.
- society with Limited Liability- Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung (GmbH, Srl). The minimum number of founders is one, the minimum authorized capital is 20 thousand Swiss francs. The liability of the founders is limited to their contribution to the authorized capital.
Registration of a company, notarial and consulting services in Switzerland will cost around 8-10 thousand Swiss francs. In the future, you will have to pay for the work of the manager - at least 7-8 thousand Swiss francs per year, administrative expenses - 5-7 thousand, as well as legal address- from 2 thousand Swiss francs.
For registration own business In Switzerland, you will need the following set of documents:
- a photocopy of all pages of the passport;
— summary (in English);
— transmittal letter(motivational - in English);
– copies of the founder’s diplomas of education (notarized translation and apostille);
– certificate of no criminal record (notarized translation and apostille);
- last names, first names, patronymics, addresses (in Latin letters), passport numbers, profession, all founders and the manager, the size of the authorized capital and the distribution of shares between the founders;
— list of planned activities;
- Proposed company name.
It should be noted separately that the most important thing for the subsequent obtaining of a residence permit and a work permit in Switzerland is a successful business plan that will be of interest to the authorities of the canton in which your business will be registered.
A residence permit in Switzerland on the basis of a business is issued for a period of 1 year with a subsequent annual renewal. After 10 years, a foreigner can count on the status of a permanent resident, after 12 years, you can try to apply for citizenship. However, in order to successfully extend the residence permit, you will need to submit annually a certificate confirming that you have at least 300,000 Swiss francs on your account, as well as confirmation of the activities of your company.
Expansion of business to European and other international markets begins with the choice of a country for registration, the transfer of part of the operating activity or the full relocation of the team. Many Russian companies and entrepreneurs have already chosen Switzerland - it is located in the heart of Europe, has a strong brand, offers incentives for entrepreneurs and encourages the development of foreign business.
We tell you which Russian companies and startups from various industries are already developing in the Swiss market and why they have chosen this particular country.
The material is published with the support international organization to promote trade and investment Switzerland Global Enterprise and its Russian representative office - the Swiss Center for Business Promotion in Russia.
Internet and advertising tools: Yandex
Yandex's Swiss team helps European clients choose and use advertising tools and other services to work on the Russian market. The company opened an office in the Swiss city of Lucerne in 2012, following offices in Turkey and the United States.
The place for the office was chosen in such a way that it would be convenient for the team to interact with clients from any European country - to organize meetings, hold events and seminars. Switzerland, due to its location and infrastructure, turned out to be the best option.
Now the Swiss team of "Yandex" employs about ten people. The management of the representative office plans to expand the activities of the office and increase the staff. "Huge and unsaturated Russian market Internet commerce attracts an increasing number of foreign businesses that need advertising and tools to promote their products. This means that there will always be work for Yandex,” says the head of the office, Bernard Luke.
Many foreign projects seek to sell their products on the growing Russian Internet market, but often do not know how to promote products in Russia and how to approach users. The Swiss representative office of Yandex helps them to solve these problems. The company's employees note that they are most often approached by small and medium-sized organizations that do not have much experience in developing new markets.
For its clients, the Swiss representative office of Yandex organizes seminars where it teaches companies how to use the available tools: Yandex.Direct, contextual and banner advertising, business intelligence services and trading platform"Yandex Market". The company also talks about its products at specialized conferences, exhibitions, B2B events.
The team now works with several hundred European clients, including UBS, Rolex, Swiss International Airlines, Booking.com, SIXT, Trivago, Lufthansa and Blablacar. The most popular tools in Europe, according to a Yandex representative, are Direct and Market.
Yandex has also established an international exchange program with the Swiss Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL). Students of the educational institution come to Russia for an internship at the School of Data Analysis (SDA) of Yandex, and Russian students of the School participate in scientific programs of Swiss universities.
Why Switzerland
- Geographical position. According to the head of the Swiss office of Yandex, Bernard Luke, when the question arose of finding a country for a team that would communicate with all European clients and fly a lot to meetings, the decision came almost immediately: the office had to be located in the central part of the region. Switzerland is located in the heart of Europe and is a major transport hub.
- Legal and financial stability. A large IT company needs a place where management can plan their activities and investments for many years to come. Switzerland is a country with high purchasing power, prices in it change only slightly from year to year, and its currency is one of the most attractive in Europe for creating reserves.
Tools for architecture and construction: Revizto
In addition, all milestones production must take place in Switzerland. For food products one more requirement is added: at least 80% of raw materials in kind must be obtained in the country.
- Highly developed medicine. Switzerland is among the top 15 countries with the most efficient medical systems in the world according to Bloomberg. The country was ranked first in the world in life expectancy at birth among men and sixth among women in 2016 by the World Health Organization. Switzerland is home to the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, such as Roche and Novartis. In 2014, the pharmaceutical industry generated more than a third of Swiss exports.
Newcomers to the industry receive support from established giants, advice and expert opinions. Many cantons have technology parks and incubators dedicated exclusively to biomedicine. For example, Suisselle operates in Y-Parc, Switzerland's largest technology park, in Yverdon Les Bains, Canton of Vaud.
- Developed practice of patenting and intellectual property. It took Suisselle almost three years to develop its own drug and test it - it would be a shame to lose so much work without obtaining a patent for it. The country's legislation protects intellectual property, and the country's companies actively register their own inventions. So, in 2015, 7088 patent applications were registered in Switzerland - this is the sixth result among the countries of the world in the same year.
- Opportunities for networking. It is very easy to build business ties in Switzerland - and the state and the leadership of the cantons actively contribute to this by attracting qualified consultants, experts and scientists to work with start-ups, helping to establish international exchange of specialists and organizing various events, creating industry associations and organizations.
Among them are the organizations ICT Switzerland, Swiss ICT, Swiss Made Software, Alp ICT, Asut, government initiatives for the development of the economy and business
Features of doing business in Switzerland
Swiss citizens choose their path based on personal preferences - it can be private business, wage labor in a large company or public service.
If a person has the desire to start something new and promote his unique product, he starts with his offer in the chosen niche. Starting a business in Switzerland from scratch is quite simple, but it is necessary to take into account a number of peculiarities of the legislation of this country.
Wage labor and public service provide stable work without risks: every month the employee receives a salary and guaranteed vacation, sick leave. In Switzerland, the conditions allow you to start with new innovative ideas, the business environment is very favorable for those who aspire to become independent and start a business from scratch with minimal or large capital investments. Industry, computer science, telecommunications are just a few of the niches that young people occupy with their projects.
The Swiss economy is held in high positions mainly due to small and medium-sized businesses. About 99 percent of all companies in Switzerland have 250 or fewer employees. At the same time, small business in Switzerland is represented not only by the service sector, but also quite big companies who are leaders in their industry.
Switzerland is a small country, so companies that are just entering the market try to focus on exports right away, since the domestic market does not satisfy the volume of their supply. Most often, large players are involved in Switzerland in financial sector, medicine, biotechnology, engineering and security. The state owns the postal sectors, utilities, railway transport, connections and communications, but the last 2 are gradually starting the process of privatization. Electricity is supplied by private companies.
On the video: Business immigration to Switzerland
Schoolchildren and students are faced with a choice: business or continuation of the family business, while parents respect the choice of young people. The most important thing is the skills and abilities of a person, that is, what he can rely on when choosing a life path. Both hired labor and self-realization of a citizen in a startup are equally valued. In Switzerland, such a training system is available, in which a person is trained and gains practical skills in a chosen enterprise. At the same time, start-up private enterprises do not take students as students. Young people get practical skills at work, and they immediately understand how interested they are in this or that activity. After secondary vocational education it is easier to get a special higher education - at a technical school or university.
This model has proven itself very well in the sense that it is easier for young people to choose a career and a way to advance in career ladder. Students' preferences are taken into account when choosing future profession. Gymnasium or higher educational institution- at the choice of the future student, while professionals - psychologists and network agencies can come to his aid. Education in Switzerland is free - secondary and primary. Secondary vocational education from enterprises is paid with a symbolic reward from the enterprise itself, this motivates young people. A student leaves university at an average age of 23.
A system is being built under which a person has the right to study all his life, and this is supported by the state and everyone understands that this is important. Practical professions are highly valued in Swiss society, people after a gymnasium or university consciously learn some practical things that will be useful to them in their future work.
In Russia, earlier, after receiving a specialized education, it was necessary to work in a specialty for several years, today the situation has changed. In Switzerland today there is a practice of training at enterprises with simultaneous acquisition of theoretical knowledge.
A person learns to receive information and develop the skills and abilities to analyze, think, search for the necessary data.
- 1. State of small business in Switzerland
- 2. Judicial system
There has been a tendency in the country for the disappearance of small family shops, coffee houses due to an increase in rent and a number of unfavorable conditions for the existence of such a small business. Switzerland has 4 official languages. The currency is the Swiss franc. In different cantons, the conditions for doing business are quite different.
Differences manifest themselves at two levels - at the state level (regulations, laws, rules, taxation systems) and at the level of mentality (people differ in character in different cantons and speak - respectively, and do business - in different languages). It is impossible to ignore different language groups due to the small size of the country.
On the video: Earnings in Switzerland on bitcoin, Internet business abroad
The general system is the same for the whole country, there are some nuances for individual cantons. The different cantons have different conditions for business, and are established mainly by local authorities. Moreover, if several cantons compete with each other in a certain industry, the authorities optimize the work and conditions as much as possible, which ultimately helps everyone. With regard to foreigners working in Switzerland, the country has been successful in attracting businesses from abroad.
There are several reasons for this:
On the video: How to make money in Switzerland
The Swiss Business Center supports both Swiss companies at home and abroad, as well as foreign entrepreneurs who decide to set up a business in Switzerland. Thus, Swiss entrepreneurs and authorities are ready to invest in international Business. Convenient geographical location and agreements with the EU provide companies operating in Switzerland with access to the European market, resources and labor force allowing you to do business throughout Europe.
Switzerland is a small country and does not provide as much support for entrepreneurs as in other countries, but there you can expect an individual approach to each business. Russians in Switzerland often open an internationally oriented business. Get state support its opening is quite realistic - it is enough to interest state investors and let them understand how the business will be useful to Switzerland or a single canton.
Entrepreneurship in Switzerland is developed, but foreigners seeking to occupy a niche in the country's economy are treated favorably, because the largest Swiss companies, such as Nestle (founded, by the way, by foreigners who came to Switzerland), are also international enterprises. However, in recent years, the population growth has increased significantly in the country, including due to visitors. Therefore, at the state level, the issue of restricting entry into the country has been repeatedly discussed.
Buy a business in Switzerland or start from scratch
When concluding a deal with Swiss partners, it is worth remembering that the procedure for signing and certifying an agreement is much simpler there than in Russia. There is also a concept of an oral contract common to many European countries. However, it is still better to conclude an agreement on paper. The state seeks to regulate business as little as possible and restrict it as little as possible. The attitude towards entrepreneurs who have declared bankruptcy has changed in Switzerland over the past decades. Formerly the road to big business bankrupt businessman was closed. Now every entrepreneur can lose business several times and achieve success again.
Switzerland's main export is innovation. And if you want to be competitive in the domestic market, you need to offer something better or more innovative than what local producers can offer. Or cheaper, which is problematic - the Swiss are not used to saving, in view of high level life. In recent years, the state has actively promoted the commercialization scientific research and their introduction into the production process. It is also worth noting that the Swiss take formalities and officialdom much less seriously than residents of some neighboring countries. In the first place for them is pragmatism.
The expert is Julie Bechtold, Deputy Director of the Swiss Center for Business Assistance in Russia.
