Starting a business

Practical articles for starting and running your business in Switzerland.

• After setting up a company in Switzerland: 10 next steps

  What to do after forming a Swiss company: banking, VAT, insurance, accounting and transparency register reporting, with a practical action tracker.

• Articles of association for a Swiss SA/AG: contents and key clauses

  Understand Swiss SA/AG articles of association: required contents, share capital, transfers and key clauses. Clear examples to prepare your company formation.

• Becoming self-employed in Switzerland

  Learn how to become self-employed in Switzerland: OASI recognition, registration, social contributions, VAT, accounting and the costs of getting started.

• Business bank account in Switzerland: opening steps and costs

  Opening a business bank account in Switzerland: documents, capital deposits, fees and access rights for sole proprietors, LLCs and SA/AG companies.

• Business loans in Switzerland: prepare your funding application

  Prepare a Swiss business loan application with a funding plan, repayment forecast and supporting documents. Understand bank guarantees and financing options.

• Choosing a company name in Switzerland: rules and checks

  Choose and check a Swiss company name. Learn the rules for sole proprietorships, LLCs and SA/AGs, and how Zefix, trademarks and domain searches fit together.

• Choosing a legal structure for your business in Switzerland

  Compare sole proprietorships, LLCs and limited companies in Switzerland: capital, liability, tax, social insurance and six criteria for choosing your structure.

• Closing a company in Switzerland: steps, costs and tax

  How to close a Swiss LLC or limited company: liquidation steps, creditor notice, costs, tax and a worked example of the shareholder’s final payment.

• Contributions in kind in Switzerland: forming an LLC or SA

  Use equipment, receivables or property to form a Swiss LLC or SA. Understand eligible assets, valuation, audit requirements and the cash you still need.

• Forming a Swiss limited company (SA/AG)

  Explore the Swiss limited company: share capital, shareholders, board, registration, costs and tax. Understand the SA / AG before starting your company.

• General partnership or LLC in Switzerland: which to choose?

  General partnership or LLC in Switzerland? Compare capital, personal liability, accounting and tax, with practical examples and co-founder decisions.

• How much does it cost to form a Swiss LLC?

  Understand Swiss LLC formation costs: share capital, notary, Commercial Register fees and formation packages from CHF 490 excl. VAT.

• How to form a Swiss LLC (Sàrl/GmbH)

  Understand Swiss LLC formation: CHF 20,000 share capital, founders, residence requirements, notary, registration costs and the steps to get started.

• How to set up a holding company in Switzerland

  Understand Swiss holding company formation, legal structures, capital requirements, costs and key tax considerations.

• How to start a business in Switzerland

  Learn how to start a Swiss business: choose a legal structure, plan your budget, register your company and understand tax and social insurance obligations.

• Opening a hair salon or beauty salon in Switzerland

  Plan your Swiss hair or beauty salon: qualifications, premises, setup costs, VAT and cash flow, with a worked example of appointment capacity and margins.

• Opening a medical practice in Switzerland: permits, costs and planning

  Open or take over a medical practice in Switzerland: legal structure, cantonal authorisations, an example budget and practical steps before your first patients.

• Own a Swiss company while living in France

  Set up and own a Swiss LLC or corporation from France. Understand Swiss representation, management location, work permits, tax and remote working.

• Register a business in Switzerland: administrative checklist

  Register a Swiss business with a clear checklist for OASI/AHV, the commercial register, VAT, insurance and company formation documents.

• Registered office in Switzerland: address options and costs

  Choose a Swiss registered office: compare cantons, home addresses and Geneva address services, with costs, documents and rules for moving your company.

• Self-employed status in Switzerland: preparing your AHV application

  Prepare your Swiss AHV application: clients, invoices, income estimates and supporting documents. Understand the criteria for self-employed status.

• Share capital in Switzerland: minimums, payment and use

  Understand Swiss LLC and SA/AG share capital: CHF 20,000 and CHF 100,000 minimums, paid-in amounts, use of funds and the difference between capital and cash.

• Signing authority in Switzerland: individual or joint signature?

  Who can bind your Swiss company? Understand individual and joint signing authority, powers of attorney and internal limits for an LLC or SA/AG.

• Single-member LLC in Switzerland: how to set one up

  Can you set up a Swiss LLC alone? Learn the capital, residence, registration and cost requirements for a single-member Sàrl or GmbH.

• Sole proprietorship in Switzerland: costs, tax and obligations

  Understand Swiss sole proprietorships: registration, OASI status, liability, tax, VAT and accounting requirements. Compare the structure with an LLC.

• Sole proprietorship or LLC in Switzerland: how to choose

  Compare Swiss sole proprietorships and LLCs: liability, capital, taxes, social insurance and costs. Choose the structure that suits your business.

• Start a Swiss business as a cross-border commuter

  Live in France and work in your Swiss business: G permits, sole trader or LLC options, business premises, social insurance, tax and formation steps.

• Starting a business in Switzerland: your pre-launch checklist

  Prepare your Swiss business launch: legal structure, funding, permits, co-founders and administration. A practical checklist with a cash flow example.

• Swiss capital payment account: bank fees and opening steps

  Compare Swiss capital deposit account fees for an LLC or SA/AG. Learn which documents to prepare, how the certificate works and when funds are released.

• Swiss company managers, shareholders and signing authority

  Understand the roles of managers and shareholders in a Swiss LLC or SA, individual and joint signing authority, and how to update the commercial register.

• Swiss company purpose: how to write it, with examples

  Write a clear purpose clause for your Swiss LLC or SA/AG. Understand the rules, see examples by industry and learn how to amend your company’s activities.

• Swiss LLC articles of association: free template and rules

  Understand the articles of a Swiss LLC (Sàrl/GmbH). Read a 38-clause English model covering capital, members, management, voting, audit and withdrawal.

• Swiss LLC or limited company: how to choose

  Compare a Swiss LLC (Sàrl/GmbH) and limited company (SA/AG): share capital, ownership, governance and formation costs.

• Swiss UID number: how to find, obtain and use it

  Find a Swiss UID or CHE number in the official register. Understand how it is issued, its link to VAT and the checks to make before using it on invoices.