Starting your own business in Finland

by **BAT** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:36 pm

This information comes from one of our members who is an entrepreneur in Finland. If any other entrepreneurs on the board have something to add, please let me know and I'll put the info here.

USEFUL RESOURCES FOR STARTING A BUSINESS

There is an excellent book "Establishing a business in Finland" (In English) aimed at advising foreigners, and has a good basic guide, that everyone thinking of starting a business here should read. You can try getting the book from your local TeKeskus but if you want to check elsewhere, the ISBN is 951-37-3504-4 and the publisher is Edit Oyj tel: 020 45005

Also check these websites:
The info is in English, unless otherwise stated:

Lots of useful advice and info:
http://www.enterprisefinland.fi/liston/ ... =3707&l=en

Tax advice
http://www.vero.fi/default.asp?language ... RO_ENGLISH

SME business advice
http://www.te-keskus.fi/web/ktmyht.nsf/ ... enFrameSet

Ministry of Trade and Industry
http://rhino.digia.com/ktm/bulletin.nsf/KTMeng?openform

Where and how to legally register your business
http://www.prh.fi/en.html

Business Information System
http://www.ytj.fi/english/Yrit_sel2.asp ... 3&path=605

Compulsory Pensions for self-employed
http://www.etk.fi/page.asp?Section=12824
http://www.vakes.fi/svk/english/
http://www.varma-sampo.fi/engl/default.htm

Do check these resources, and if you have some specific questions you can post to the board and hopefully someone can help.

Good luck starting your new business!

**Sponsor:**

by **Tom and Jerry** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:49 pm

Hi, you could mention the uusyrityskeskukset also.

http://www.uusyrityskeskus.fi ?

http://www.vantaa.fi/uusyrityskeskus

Those are the guys that can help you.

by **BAT** » Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:54 pm

Also, (thank you Michael)

Doing Business in Finland (pdf)
http://www.pwcglobal.com/fi/fin/ins-sol ... x_eng.html

by **Paul** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 6:20 am

I'm laughing so hard here after seeing uusyrityskeskukset for the first time and trying to pronounce it. Lord if it is going to be this hard I think I have bitten off more then I can chew with my attraction to Suomi. ::shaking my head:: Ok, off to look in the mirror and figure out how to untwist my tongue.

Bat and Tom thanks for the links they look great. :lol:

by **Paul** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 6:45 am

Bat Wrote:
There is an excellent book "Establishing a business in Finland" (In English) aimed at advising foreigners, and has a good basic guide, that everyone thinking of starting a business here should read. You can try getting the book from your local TeKeskus but if you want to check elsewhere, the ISBN is 951-37-3504-4 and the publisher is Edit Oyj tel: 020 45005

I just did a search on Amazon and this book isn't listed. I also did a Google search with various versions of "Finnish publishing Edit Oyj" and got zip. Any suggestions on finding it? Do you have a www for Edit Oyj?

by **Hank W.** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 7:59 am

edit_a_

They don't sell them necessarily via internet.

Do you want me to go get you that one? I think its in PDF here though:
http://www.investinfinland.fi/estbusine ... 120303.pdf

by **Paul** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 9:02 am

Thanks for the offer Hank. I was able to DL the link and think it will be all I need..... for now. Maybe at a later date I might ask if you can pick it up.

I see I need to go for the trade permit. And what does "Tmi" stand for in a private entrepreneur name?

But most important how the hell do I attack this word? uusyrityskeskukset
It isn't in any of my dictionaries. My brain has short circuited and the closest I come with dictionary page thumbing is uuslukutaidottomuus, the new illiteracy <G>

by **luddite** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 10:17 am

Paul wrote:I'm laughing so hard here after seeing uusyrityskeskukset for the first time and trying to pronounce it.

Oose ooreetus keskuk set :lol:

Am I close :?:

by **PeterF** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 10:23 am

luddite wrote:
Paul wrote:I'm laughing so hard here after seeing uusyrityskeskukset for the first time and trying to pronounce it.

Oose ooreetus keskuk set

Am I close

Non Niin...Perhaps.. Oose uu-reat-us keskukset.

by **Paul** » Tue Jun 08, 2004 8:18 pm

::Putting on my mind expanding helment::

uusyrityskeskukset

Luddite wrote:
Oose ooreetus keskuk set

Peter F wrote:
Oose uu-reat-us keskukset

This word has done such a trip on my head that looking at both your pronunciations I then called a friend in Kälviä to have her say the word. With lots of laughter from Anne wanting me to try the word before she corrected me, I think that Peter's way is closer to what Anne was saying. She was laughing so hard at my attempts she had to wipe the tears from her eyes. :lol:

Then she put her 3 yr old duaghter on the phone to talk with me. When she got back on the phone anne said, "See, Finnish isn't so hard, even a 3 yr old can speak it."

::crawling off to my dunce corner::

by **Hank W.** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 9:20 pm

TMI= toiminimi = operating name

uusyrityskeskus = new-enterprise-centre

by **Paul** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:59 am

thanks for the info Hank. I have been thinking TMI stood for:
Feyerabend Design TMI (taxed masochistic idiot) <G>

Am working my way thru the link for starting up a business in Suomi. THANKS again <G>

by **Hank W.** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 9:04 am

Paul wrote: TMI (taxed masochistic idiot)

I think we need to include that into the FAQ.

by **Caroline** » Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:00 pm

Paul wrote:I'm laughing so hard here after seeing uusyrityskeskukset for the first time and trying to pronounce it. Lord if it is going to be this hard I think I have bitten off more then I can chew with my attraction to Suomi. ::shaking my head:: Ok, off to look in the mirror and figure out how to untwist my tongue.

Bat and Tom thanks for the links they look great.

It's a compound word, so it helps to learn each part separately, and then learn it as a whole

uusi- new

yritys- business/enterprise

keskus- center...keskukset- centers

uusiyrityskeskus

by **gaborien** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 10:50 am

Hi, I checked this sites and they have useful info but my case is quite different.

I'm living in Estonia and I want to start an importing business of alpaca knitwear in Finland. I'm trying to find potential customers in Estonia but market here is too reduced.

I'm already registered in my home country (Bolivia) so I need some help to find potential customers for luxury knitwear and introduce myself properly to them. Also I would need some help with import requirements and related info.

I'll really appreciate your advice! Thanks in advance

Gabriel