Checklist for Start-Ups

Checklist for Start-Ups

– Think through your business idea and formulate it
– Discuss your business idea with a trusted person
– If you want business partners, search for them
– Define goals
– Check and complete necessary knowledge (diplomas, etc.)
– Permission required? Obtaining necessary permits
– Check patents (if necessary call in a patent attorney)
– Possibly book business start-up seminar
– Perform market analysis and observation for the product
– Observe and assess the competition (service of competitors, prices of competitors, marketing of competitors, …)
– Define opportunities and risks
– Calculate prices
– Plan capital requirements: What costs will arise? Plan income. Plan a contingency reserve
– Calculate private financial requirements
– Create a business plan
– Create a cash flow plan
– Select a memorable company name
– Select memorable brand names
– Find out if the desired names are already registered as trademarks
– Secure company names and brand names as domains
– register trademarks
– Choose location
– Find rooms
– Buy business equipment
– Plan distribution channels if necessary
– Define further organisational structures (such as opening hours etc.)
– Set a time schedule
– Inform yourself about laws that you have to observe (e.g. Working Hours Act, requirements of occupational health and safety, Federal Leave Act, Crafts Code, Data Protection Acts, Tax Acts, …)
– Clarify requirements of professional associations, chambers etc.
– Research whether membership of associations is mandatory or useful
– Define need for advice and technical support
– If necessary, choose the company form (take the capital requirements into account)
– Draw up articles of association if necessary
– Select fiscal year if necessary (usually calendar year)
– Secure funding and look for funding programmes
– Registration of a trade (not for freelancers) at the trade office
– Possibly entry in the commercial register, for example for GmbH and individual businesses, not for small businesses and GbR
– Open a business account
– Possibly take out professional liability insurance
– Regulate your own health insurance
– If necessary, check compulsory pension insurance
– Check whether further insurance is necessary (product liability insurance, business interruption insurance, business content insurance, etc.)
– Select a lawyer if necessary
– Legal advice, if necessary
– Create / have created AGBs
– Check whether further contracts are necessary (supply contracts, order processing contracts, purchase contracts, …
– Select tax consultant
– Questionnaire / registration with the tax office (application for tax number and VAT identification number, use of various options)
– Tax planning (if necessary, by a tax consultant): When are advance payments of turnover tax to be made?
– Tax planning (if necessary, by a tax consultant): When and to what extent are advance payments for income taxes due (income tax, corporate income tax, trade tax)
– Tax planning (if necessary by a tax consultant): When can final payments for income taxes be expected?
– Clarify the risks of bogus self-employment
– Clarify the risks of bogus self-employment of subcontractors
– If necessary, clarify whether the founder(s) must be employed as managing director or is/are subject to social security contributions
– Organization of the bookkeeping
– Buy and set up an accounting program
– If necessary, apply for an EORI number (at the customs office)
– Which data protection rules must be observed?
– Set up a privacy page on the website
– Select data protection officer if necessary
– Create your website, including data protection page, imprint and all legally required information
– If necessary, have company first-aiders identified and trained
– Procedure documentation, if applicable
– Search for suppliers if necessary
– Search for sales partners, if applicable
– Search and hire employees if necessary
– Set up a plan: What should your employees do?
– Registration of the company with the relevant trade association
– Employees: Employment contracts, personnel questionnaire, confidentiality declaration
– Corporate Identity: design the external appearance (logo, stationery, advertising material, …)
– Plan marketing strategy
– Acquire customers
– Check whether you need a money laundering officer (depending on the number of employees)
– Make sure that you comply with all regulations concerning the various minimum wages
– Check whether you need a security officer (depending on the number of employees)
– If you have a large number of employees immediately, you may also need an Equal Opportunities Officer, a Representative for the Disabled, a Sabotage Protection Officer, an Explosives Officer, a Chief Officer, etc.
– Set up quality management
– Set up controlling
– Review: What needs to be changed?