Help for starting a business

Advice and information on entrepreneurship

The national Enterprise Finland Telephone Service will advise you on matters related to setting up a business. You will get advice in a quick and easy manner; a business advisor can advise you, map out your situation, and guide you with the next steps.

If you want to familiarise yourself with topics related to entrepreneurship, check out the Suomi.fi Web Service where you can find a lot of information about entrepreneurship.

In the free My Enterprise Finland online service, you can draw up a business plan and test your business idea and suitability to become an entrepreneur.

Financial support for starting a business from TE Services

Once you have decided to start a business, you should contact the TE Office or local government pilot as soon as possible. As a beginner entrepreneur you may receive a start-up grant or be entitled to unemployment security.

With the help of the start-up grant, you will be able to cope better in the early stages of business operations when your company's income is still low.

If you are an unemployed job seeker and start a business, you can choose whether you apply for an unemployment benefit or a start-up grant for the first four months of entrepreneurship. This is because the TE Office will not assess whether you are a full-time or part-time entrepreneur during this time. The assessment will be made once four months have passed.

Please note that you can only receive an unemployment benefit if the labour policy requirements for receiving unemployment benefits are met. This means that you must apply for and be prepared to accept full-time work and keep the job search valid as agreed with the TE Office. Unemployment security may be reconciled, if necessary, with the income you receive from your business.

Light entrepreneurship

If you have a business idea but are concerned about administrative matters related to entrepreneurship, light entrepreneurship may be a suitable option for you. As a light entrepreneur, you invoice your work through a separate billing service, and you do not need to obtain your own business ID. There are different types of billing services, and some of them take care of not only invoicing but also of the entrepreneur's statutory obligations.

From entrepreneur to employer

If there is much work to do in your company and you need help, you will find information and advice on hiring your first employee in the "Being an employer” section.