Frequently asked questions about starting a business in Germany

There's rarely a perfect time. What matters is that your idea meets a real need, that you can bridge the first few months financially and that your concept is costed out. People starting from unemployment in Germany may qualify for support such as the activation and placement voucher (AVGS) or the start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss), which can make the start easier. In an initial consultation we'll work out together whether you're ready to go or whether two or three building blocks are still missing.

For most funding and for any bank loan: yes. But the business plan isn't bureaucracy for its own sake, it's your roadmap for the first few years. It forces you to think through your market, your numbers and your strategy before you invest money. For the start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss) and many funding programmes, a viable concept is mandatory. I develop your business plan with you, not for you, so you can genuinely stand behind it.

Yes, it's a proven way to reduce risk. You test your idea, build up a client base and only move fully into self-employment once it's sustainable. Important: inform your employer if your employment contract requires it, and remember that a side business (Nebengewerbe) also has to be registered and taxed. For social insurance, what matters is whether the self-employment is your main or a secondary activity.

No. You don't have to be a tax expert, but you should understand your numbers: what your offer costs you, what's left at the end, from when your business sustains itself. I build exactly this basic commercial understanding with you in the coaching. For accounting and tax returns, you bring in a tax advisor (Steuerberater) later, that's money well spent.

It depends heavily on the legal form. A sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen) or a civil-law partnership (GbR) is registered in a single day. A UG or GmbH needs a notary appointment and an entry in the commercial register (Handelsregister), so depending on how busy the notary and the register court are, you should reckon on about two to six weeks. With good preparation, a lot runs in parallel. I coordinate the steps so you don't lose time.

It depends on whether you start alone or as a team, how much start-up capital you have and how important liability protection is to you. If you're starting solo and want to keep things simple, the sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen) is the fastest route. If you want to protect your personal assets, you go for a UG or GmbH. For a team, a civil-law partnership (GbR) or a GmbH makes sense. The legal form finder gives you a first orientation in 60 seconds; we check the final decision together.

The GmbH needs €25,000 in share capital (usually at least €12,500 paid in at registration), is seen as reputable and has good creditworthiness. The UG (haftungsbeschränkt) starts from as little as €1 but must retain 25% of its annual profit until €25,000 is reached. Both protect your personal assets. With little start-up capital, the UG is a good entry point that can later be converted into a GmbH. The legal form finder puts the two side by side.

The minimum share capital for a GmbH is €25,000. At registration, at least €12,500 of it generally has to be actually paid in; the rest can follow later. The share capital isn't money lost: it stays your business assets and may be used for the company. The UG (haftungsbeschränkt), by contrast, gets by with as little as €1.

No. A sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen), a liberal profession (Freiberufler) and a civil-law partnership (GbR) are set up without a notary. A UG, GmbH and GmbH & Co. KG must be notarised and entered in the commercial register (Handelsregister). The notary isn't an obstacle but both a requirement and a safeguard. I prepare all the documents so the appointment runs smoothly.

Liberal professionals (Freiberufler) practise a liberal profession under § 18 EStG, for example doctors, lawyers, designers or IT consultants: no trade registration, no trade tax, no mandatory IHK membership, and they can permanently use the simple cash-basis accounting (Einnahmen-Überschuss-Rechnung). All other activities count as commercial (gewerblich) and require a trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung). Whether your profession is recognised as a liberal profession is ultimately decided by the tax office (Finanzamt).

Yes. A change is possible, for example from a sole proprietorship to a GmbH, or from a UG to a GmbH once enough capital has built up. But it involves effort and cost. That's why it pays to choose the right form from the start. In the initial consultation, we think a few years ahead right away, so you don't have to restructure early.

It depends on the legal form. For a sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen) or a civil-law partnership (GbR), the main cost is the trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung), which in Bremen is currently €32. For a UG or GmbH, the notary, the commercial register and possibly a tax advisor are added, usually a few hundred euros in total, plus your share capital. The initial registration of a GmbH or UG in the commercial register has cost €225 since 1 June 2025. The formation cost calculator gives you a concrete estimate of your notary and authority fees.

The trade registration at the trade office (Gewerbeamt) in Bremen currently costs €32. It's mandatory for all commercial activities, that is, for a sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen), a GbR and also for a GmbH or UG, in addition to the entry in the commercial register. Liberal professionals (Freiberufler) don't need a trade registration; they only register with the tax office (Finanzamt).

The notary fees are set by law (GNotKG) and depend on the share capital as well as on whether you use the cheaper model protocol (Musterprotokoll) or individually drafted articles of association. For a standard GmbH, the notary fees usually fall in the low-to-mid three-figure range. The formation cost calculator works this out for your case, including the commercial register and the trade office.

The initial registration of a GmbH or UG in the commercial register has cost €225 since 1 June 2025. This fee is exempt from VAT and is charged on top of the notary fees. A sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen) and a GbR are generally not entered in the commercial register, so this item doesn't apply to them.

I clarify that transparently in the free initial consultation. The good news: start-up consulting is eligible for funding in many cases. Through the Starthaus Bremen / Bremer Aufbau-Bank, start-up consulting is subsidised by up to 80%, capped at €2,800 per applicant. People who are jobseekers can even have the coaching funded at 100% via the activation and placement voucher (AVGS), once it's approved. The funding check shows you which support applies to you.

Besides the formation costs and the share capital, you should plan a reserve for the first few months: rent, materials, marketing, insurance and your own living costs until the first income comes in. How large that reserve needs to be follows from your financial plan. That's exactly what I work out with you, so you don't start with too thin a cushion.

Several pots are open to you in Germany: start-up consulting subsidised through the Starthaus / Bremer Aufbau-Bank (up to 80%, capped at €2,800), the nationwide BAFA funding, micro-loans and development loans, and, for jobseekers in Germany, the start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss) from unemployment benefit I as well as AVGS start-up coaching through the Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or the Jobcenter. The funding check works out which programmes fit your situation in just a few clicks.

For the start-up grant (Gründungszuschuss) from unemployment benefit I, you generally need a business plan, a financing plan, a profitability forecast and an expert opinion (fachkundige Stellungnahme) certifying that your venture is viable. On top of that, you usually need at least 150 days of remaining ALG I entitlement. The Gründungszuschuss, too, is a discretionary benefit. I prepare the documents with you so your application is convincing.

BAFA funds consulting for existing small and medium-sized enterprises and covers part of the consulting cost. The order is important: the application and its review must happen before the consulting begins. Even signing the contract can count as the start of consulting, so under no circumstances should you start beforehand. We make sure together that eligibility isn't lost for formal reasons.

Yes. Through the Starthaus Bremen / Bremer Aufbau-Bank, start-up consulting is subsidised by up to 80%, capped at €2,800 per applicant. That makes a thorough preparation of your business plan and concept much cheaper. Which funding applies in your case is something we clarify in the initial consultation, and the funding check gives you a first orientation in advance.

In the initial consultation we get to know each other, you tell me about your idea and your situation, and we map out where you stand. You get an honest assessment: what's already solid, what's still missing, which funding might apply and what your roadmap could look like. The call is free and with no obligation. You simply book an appointment online, by phone or in person in Bremen's Überseestadt.

I guide your start from idea to launch: sharpening your business idea, developing your business plan and numbers, finding the right legal form, applying for funding, coordinating the notary, the trade registration and other registrations, and preparing your business account. You keep the decisions; I hold the order, documents and appointments together. Since 2019 I've guided 97+ business starts across 9 industries this way.

For anyone who wants to start a business in Bremen and the surrounding region: solo founders, teams, and people starting out of unemployment. I guide start-ups across the most varied industries, from skilled trades (Handwerk) to services to retail. What matters to me isn't the industry, but that you're serious and your venture is commercially sound.

FOUNDARA is me: Masieyar Ahmadi-Pour. I founded it in 2019. From Bremen, for Bremen: I'm based in the Überseestadt and guide founders in person. My work shows in 5.0 stars from 9 Google reviews. With me you don't get an anonymous call centre, but one person you can always talk to, who knows you from the first call to the launch.

Not necessarily. You're welcome to visit me in the Überseestadt, but many appointments also run by phone or video. That keeps you flexible, whether you're in the middle of Bremen or further afield. We'll agree on what works best for you in the initial consultation.

You register your business at the trade office (Gewerbeamt) of the City of Bremen, in many cases this can also be done online. The fee is currently €32. After registration, the tax office (Finanzamt), the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or the Chamber of Skilled Crafts (Handwerkskammer) are usually notified automatically. We go through which registrations your legal form needs together, step by step.

Bremen has a dense network: the Starthaus Bremen and the Bremer Aufbau-Bank (BAB) for advice and financing, the Bremen Chamber of Commerce (Handelskammer Bremen) for commercial matters, the Chamber of Skilled Crafts (Handwerkskammer) for the skilled trades, and the trade office (Gewerbeamt) for registration. I know these bodies from my daily work and guide you straight to where you'll actually get further.

I'm at home in Bremen, in the Überseestadt, but I also guide start-ups in the surrounding area and the wider region, for example towards Oldenburg and Lower Saxony. Many appointments can be held remotely by phone or video. Whether on your doorstep or with me down by the harbour, we'll find the way that works.

Bremen combines short distances with a strong funding network: with the Starthaus and the Bremer Aufbau-Bank there are dedicated regional (state-level) programmes, plus micro-loans, consulting subsidies and coaching. The city is manageable, the points of contact are close together, and the Überseestadt in particular is a lively location for young companies. A good place to get going.