Stages of starting a business
You have many choices to make when starting a new business. These tips help you get your business started easily and smoothly.
Choosing a form of business organisation
Choosing the form of business organisation is an essential part of starting a business and many factors influence it. Some of the key questions to beginner entrepreneurs include, for example, how many founders your company has and what its targeted net sales are.
Comparing different forms of business organisations – read more
What constitutes a good business idea?
It is hard to become an entrepreneur without a great business idea and start a business. A great business idea enables business for which there is demand and it has something that other companies don’t yet have. Before starting a new business, it is a good idea to gather enough information about the new company’s future target market and also test how potential customers feel about the idea.
What constitutes a good business idea? Read our tips (in Finnish)
A carefully drafted business plan sums up your company’s goal
A good business plan describes the following: 1. What do the company do, for whom, why and how? 2. What is the company’s goal and how does it plan to get through difficult situations? You should draw up your business plan as soon as you have a clear business idea because you’ll need it when dealing with the authorities and applying for financing.
Read more about drawing up a business plan (in Finnish)
Business plan template (in Finnish)
What grants are available for starting a business?
There are different grants available to beginner entrepreneurs that will help your business to get financially started. Just remember that it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions of the available grants well before starting your business. For example, you can’t receive a startup grant after starting your business.
Corporate financing for farmers
Banking and insurance services for beginner entrepreneurs
You managing a new company should sort out your banking and insurance services as early as possible to enable your daily business to run smoothly. You only need to fill in a single application to have access to the banking services you need: corporate account, OP-Visa Business Card as well as OP eServices and OP-mobile. We also offer all relevant types of insurance, both mandatory and voluntary policies for a new entrepreneur.
Self-employed persons’ pension insurance (YEL)
Accounting for new entrepreneurs
The mandatory tasks of new entrepreneurs include accounting, which is why hiring an accountant may be topical already at the early stages of starting a business. Accounting also makes it easier to financially monitor the start of business operations and it forms the basis on which the company is taxed.