How to prepare as a mompreneur
We will show you how you can best prepare for setting up your company and for everyday life as a mompreneur, and how you should organize the preparation phase.
Checklist – Prepare properly!
Formulating a business idea
A good business idea is the basis of your company. Ideally, this should be innovative, have a unique selling point and, if you are a mompreneur, be compatible with your interests, hobbies or profession so that you can combine various activities.
Self-analysis
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
Think about who your customer should be. Divide society into smaller homogeneous groups and decide on a few segments that you would like to address with your product or service.
Create a business plan
Create a business plan that contains the most essential information about your company in order to have a complete overview. In this way, you can bring structure to an uncertain future and deal with problems at an early stage.
Acquire know-how
You got to know yourself better during the self-analysis. Now get to grips with the topics in which you would like to further your education. For example, attend our free webinar.
Trust the experts
You should trust experts for the points where you want to get support. Seek advice from specialists and submit your bookkeeping and tax return. We recommend Startups.ch.
Choose legal form
The next step is to decide on the legal form your company should take. Below we present the three most popular forms of sole proprietorship, limited liability company and public limited company in more detail.
Determine persons involved
Depending on the legal form you choose, you must decide which other persons - such as partners, shareholders and board members - should be involved in your company.
Have minimum capital ready
A minimum capital of CHF 20,000 and CHF 100,000 respectively is required when choosing a limited liability company and a public limited company.
Ideas for becoming self-employed in Switzerland
You don't yet know which business idea you would like to start your own business with? We can help you find out what suits you best. First find out what type of entrepreneur you are.
Parttimepreneur
As a part-timepreneur, you are employed and self-employed at the same time.
- Music / cooking teacher
- Sell home-made products online or stationary
- Rent out rooms
Hipsterpreneur
Are you a hipster and becoming an entrepreneur? Then you are a hipsterpreneur.
- Open a record store
- Become a dogwalker
- Open a bar / art café
Superpreneur
Your product solves a problem and creates added value for the future.
- Energy consultant
- Open an unpackaged store
- Produce and/or sell sustainable fashion
Geek- / Techiepreneur
As a geek / techiepreneur, you are an absolute genius when it comes to technology, software and algorithms.
- Web developer or designer
- Software company
- Repair service
Serialpreneur
You want to realize several business ideas and have already founded a company.
- Found a cab company
- Do affiliate marketing
- Car rental
Friendchisepreneur
You have the perfect business idea and would like to realize it together with a partner.
- Open a cooking school
- Run a campsite
- Become a removal man
Lifestylepreneur
Your passion drives you, but your business idea is not groundbreaking.
- Run a food truck
- Become a fitness coach
- Open a ski school
Necessitypreneur
You feel an inner compulsion to set up your own business or are starting up in an emergency situation.
- Become a nutritionist
- Open a hairdressing salon
- Run a catering company
Social- / Greenpreneur
As a social/greenpreneur, you try to have a positive impact on social or ecological problems.
- Fair Open a fair trade store
- Found an upcycling company
- Run a second hand store
Based on Grichnik's "Entrepreneurial Living - Unternimm dein Leben"
Choose the appropriate legal form
In principle, you should choose the legal form of your business based on your individual circumstances. We recommend these three business forms for those starting out in self-employment: sole proprietorship, limited liability company or joint-stock company.
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 for you. Setting up a sole proprietorship is straightforward, requires no minimum capital and does not have its own legal personality. Many mompreneurs 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 persons
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 names.
Advantages of a sole proprietorship
- A sole proprietorship allows you to operate in an uncomplicated and informal way.
- There is no need to comply with company 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 private assets.
- You cannot take on partners who have a share in the company.
- There is no unemployment benefit.
- Depending on the canton, you may not receive child or education allowances.
The limited liability company 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.
Intended use
The GmbH 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 powers must be resident in Switzerland.
Company name
You can choose the name of your company freely. The only requirement is that you must add GmbH to the company name.
Advantages of a limited liability company
- At CHF 20,000, the minimum capital is comparatively low.
- You are only liable with the business assets and not with your private assets.
- Participation by other shareholders is possible.
Disadvantages of a limited liability company
- There is a publication requirement for the distribution of the original shares. The shareholders are therefore not anonymous.
- You have more regulations with this legal form than with a sole proprietorship, as you have to comply with company law.
- You will be taxed twice, at the level of the limited liability company and as a shareholder.
A simple explanation of the public limited company
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
A public limited 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, although one person can hold both positions at the same time. One member of the board of directors must be resident in Switzerland and have signatory powers.
Company name
When setting up a stock corporation, you can define a freely chosen company name with the addition AG.
Advantages of a PLC
- 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 share of the share capital.
- Transferring shares is easy.
Disadvantages of a PLC
- Establishing a joint-stock company is associated with high costs and extensive formalities.
- The minimum capital that must be available to you is comparatively high at CHF 100,000.
- You have a double tax burden on income and assets.