Business Start-up

Business Start-up and Support

You’d like to set up a company? Need money to set up or expand your company? You need information about the industry or legal requirements? We advise and support founders digitally via our business workshop and personally on the path to their start-up. We are also happy to support you in the areas of financing and funding, succession, growth and security.

Basic Information

Start-ups and businesses in Hamburg

Services for start-ups and businesses

In the following, we highlight what our Chamber of Commerce can do for you if you plan to set-up a business in Hamburg. The guideline of our services is "help founders to help themselves".

Make use of our expertise

Personalised advice for company founders

Are you looking for individual support and tips for general steps into your self-employment, or on your industry or business plan? We advise Hamburg-based start-ups, entrepreneurs and young entrepreneurs in all matters relating to founding companies.

Start-up Businesses

Business plan

A carefully developed business plan is the foundation for a successful start to independent entrepreneurship. The more well-thought-out and detailed a plan for founding a company, the higher the chance that the project will result in the hoped-for success.

Structure and content

The pitch deck

A pitch deck is a presentation which puts forward only the key features of a business proposal such as a start-up, and which can be concisely delivered in a short time. Pitch decks have proven their value in initial contact again and again, because they serve to succinctly and precisely highlight a company’s benchmark data.

Tip

Delivering successful bank pitches

Your main bank is one of your most important business partners, as it plays a key role in providing cash to your company. However, the relationship between a bank and its corporate clients has changed in recent years. In this context, it is important that you adjust to today’s requirements and take care of your relationship with your main bank. Our tips will offer you a good foundation for doing this.

Business Funding

TOP funding programmes

Looking for a quick summary of the major sources of financial assistance? Our overview includes a brief description and easy-to-use instructions for the various financial instruments in the form of loans, grants, guarantees and investments.

Law and Taxes

Foundation

Which legal form is most appropriate for you?

There are a number of legal forms that can be chosen for a company. Before deciding which is right for you, the associated business, tax, and above all legal implications must be considered. We recommend that you seek the advice of a lawyer and tax advisor. Commercial and company law sets forth the legally available company types (legal forms).

COMPANY FOUNDING AND MANAGEMENT

Basic rules of company law

Do you want to give your company a name? Then you need to ensure that the company name is sufficiently distinctive. You should also review whether there is any risk of it being confused with other companies already registered in the Commercial Register of Hamburg or in another registration region. Moreover, your selected company name should not be misleading.

Demarcation criteria

Commercial operation or freelancer?

It is not always easy for entrepreneurs to determine whether they are a commercial operation or an independent professional. This is ultimately decided by the relevant tax office. This factsheet is intended to provide information on the criteria for classifying independent activities that are decisive in particular when it comes to the trade tax obligation.

Entrepreneurs

Get your taxes right!

Complaints about the complexity of German tax legislation are just the first verse of the lament about Germany's industrial policy for small and medium-sized enterprises. Very few entrepreneurs and founders are in a position to do without the support of a tax adviser.

Commercial Founder of a new Company

Form for tax assessment

In order to be able to invoice your services to the client, you need a tax number, which is issued by the tax office. What is the application procedure, which forms are required and which contact points can be contacted?

Expansion

Setting up branches and business premises

A branch is an independent subsidiary of a company; it requires a business registration and must be entered in the commercial register. Business premises are a dependent subsidiary of a company; they only require registration with the relevant consumer protection office.

Sector Information

Retail

Checklist for founding a company in the retail sector

If you wish to become independent in the bricks-and-mortar or online retail sectors, there are a large number of requirements and regulations to observe.

Foundation

Important legal specifications in the hotel and hospitality business

Anyone who wishes to serve alcohol in their hotel or hospitality business requires a hospitality licence (with the exception of hotel businesses in which alcohol is only served to residential guests) The hospitality licence is issued by the responsible consumer protection office.

Working with food

Infection protection law, bans on activity and employment

Everyone working with foodstuffs of animal origin and in facilities for mass catering is obliged to undertake initial instruction on illnesses, their appearance and symptoms, contagion risks and personal hygiene. This applies for both employees and employers.

General and expert knowledge tests

Instruction in the hospitality industry

If you would like to register for an appointment, you can do so under the “Grundsätzliche Informationen zur Gaststättenunterrichtung im Gastgewerbe” (Basic information on hospitality business instruction in the hospitality industry).

Legal Requirements

Mobile kiosks

Whether a sausage stand at a Hamburg weekly market or a food truck in a supermarket car park, there are many requirements, laws and regulations you must comply with as a founder of a new company. Often, people founding businesses are faced with the question: What approval do I need?

Start-up businesses

Operating independently in the hospitality industry

Five-star cuisine or a food stand, hotel or hostel, serving alcohol or just meals and alcohol-free drinks? What do you need to keep in mind when founding a new business in the restaurant trade? Here is a checklist.

Start-up Business

Taxi and rental car transport

If you want to become self-employed in the passenger transport industry with a taxi or rental car, you need detailed knowledge about access to the profession. We provide information on industry-specific requirements for founders in this sector.

Company Succession

Company succession

Handing over a company

If you would like to sell your company or even hand it over within your family, there are many questions. How can your company’s value be determined? Where can I offer the company? What advisory services are there? You can find tips and help here.

Company succession

Taking over a company – offers

If you take over a company rather than founding a new one, as an entrepreneur you face particular challenges and immediately bear responsibility for the company’s employees. There are also extensive legal, tax-law-related and economic considerations. So that you are well-prepared for this process, we offer comprehensive help during the takeover.

Further Information

Business Support

Migrant businesses

We and other experts from our Chamber of Commerce provide migrant entrepreneurs with linguistic and cultural advice and support to enable them to integrate smoothly and easily in the organisational structure of our city. Feel free to communicate with us in Turkish, Dari and Farsi.

Starting a business in Hamburg

The Point of Single Contact

Be it a business registration, a permit for running a restaurant or a special allowance for using public space - The Point of Single Contact in Hamburg can advise you on these and many other administrative procedures. At your request, these procedures can also be handled by our one-stop-shop.

Contact

Team Gründung und Förderung