Where do I get advice?

The decision to establish a business is the first and most important one. However, it requires careful preparation to carry out a business from the idea phase to the market place.
The first necessary step when establishing a venture in the region of Saarland is to visit the IHK “start-up-business-centre” (Existenzgründerzentrum). Every year our consultants at the start-up-business-centre acquire lots of new business applications and offer different kinds of support to start-up entrepreneurs. First of all, every applicant – potential entrepreneur will receive the “starter information package” (Starter- Informationspaket für Unternehmensgründer), which provides the applicants with guidelines on how to create and fund their businesses. Furthermore, there are the “IHK start-up entrepreneur days” (Infotage für Existenzgründer), that take place twelve times a year. During these seminars start-up entrepreneurs receive basic information about market assessments, finance and legal issues. In addition to that, the start-up business centre offers intensive start-up seminars five times a year with experienced business experts for entrepreneurs. Aside to these seminars, there is also a free of charge course “Fit für…”, which teaches the fundamental necessary skills and knowledge needed in order to run a business. These courses take place eleven times a year.
Businesses in Germany must be either registered in the commercial register (Handelsregister) or in the local trade office (Gewerbeamt) depending on the legal form of the business. The IHK is considered to be an advisory body and does not affect the legal situation of the company founded.
Contact persons/institutions for establishing a new business:

Due to the Service Directive " points of single contact " have been set up in every member state of the European Union. It allows service providers to deal with and to complete their administrative formalities electronically when intended to offer their services across Europe. Through this web tool you are able access the points of single contact in each member state and:

• obtain all the information about the procedures you need to complete for your specific services activity
• deal with all formalities needed to carry out your activities
• complete the necessary steps by electronic means.

Shortlist with useful points of contact:

• Your corporate bank (Financing and public funding applications)
• Tax consultant
• Management consultant
• Governmental business promotion agencies