Category: Blog-en

Setting up your business in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland – The canton of Neuchâtel offers a constellation of benefits when it comes to business domiciliation.

Moreover, the recent partnership between Coworking Neuchâtel and IFJ facilitates the creation of companies in the Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Click here to learn more!

4 good reasons to set up your business in the canton of Neuchâtel, in Switzerland.

Geographical location

The canton of Neuchâtel is located in the northwestern part of Switzerland. It thus offers an ideal geographical position in the center of Europe. It is also the meeting point of Basel, Geneva and Zurich. Indeed, all of them are located less than 2 hours by car from Neuchâtel; thanks to the fast and attractive highways and roads.

BONUS: the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds has an airport connecting hundreds of general aviation airports in Europe. 

Tax advantages

Of course, the geographical advantages are more than interesting. But the main advantage lies in the attractive tax system that the canton of Neuchâtel offers for companies and corporations. Indeed, Neuchâtel is thus the most interesting French-speaking canton in terms of corporate taxation, thanks to its tax rate of 13.57%.

Thanks to the 2019 tax reform, the cantonal and communal tax rate has been reduced from 10% to 7.2%; “which is equivalent to a net rate at all three institutional levels of 13.6%”. (ne.ch, Republic and Canton of Neuchâtel)

This ensures a stable tax system and security for companies, even international ones. A major advantage that will not be matched elsewhere… And also another good reason for setting up your business in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Ecosystem and wealth

The Canton of Neuchâtel is also an agile, diversified and dynamic ecosystem that combines with a stable and flourishing economic context; this to result in a wealth of varied industries offering specific know-how that can be transposed to your business. Isn’t this ideal? 

The field of high-level education is certainly very well represented in this canton, thanks in particular to its university ranked among the top 20 small universities in the world.  But what contributes to its wealth is especially the variety of industries residing in the canton. Indeed, luxury Maisons and manufactures, blockchain, industrial engineering, biopharmaceutical production, materials engineering, Medtech, photovoltaics and micromechanics are all found here, showing a small extract of the industries and skills that make the region live. 

In addition, there are numerous professional associations such as the FNSO, the Neuchâtel federation of professional associations of the Second Oeuvre, the FER Neuchâtel, the Federation of Romandie companies Neuchâtel, and the AIP, the Industrial and Employers’ Association. This varied offer allows everyone to find what they need or want. 

Moreover, the Canton’s location gives you access to a quality Swiss or European workforce. It will also allow you to evolve in a multilingual environment with more than 40 free trade agreements in the world. These dimensions are notably linked to the presence of numerous talents and a start-up incubator promoting innovation. Another tax bonus: the canton provides for an additional deduction of 150% of actual costs for R&D. Who can beat that?

The good life in the canton of Neuchâtel

In Neuchâtel

The cherry on top of the cake, Neuchâtel offers a qualitative and ideal living environment, located between lake and mountains. Spring and summer are warm and favorite periods for a picnic by the lake, with a breathtaking view of the sunset on the lake.

It is also the time of the festivals, and Festi’Neuch does not miss the boat by gathering every year international artists and music lovers. No less than 50,000 people fell in love with this lakeside setting during the 2019 edition.

And, of course, no one talks about Neuchâtel without mentioning its mythical Fête des Vendanges, which enlivens the city for an entire weekend at the end of September and brings together young and old during the festivities.

In La Chaux-de-Fonds

La Chaux-de-Fonds, on the other hand, relies on its watchmaking heritage; the latter is fueled by an extraordinary precision, growing complexity, rigor and meticulousness. Its international watchmaking museum witnesses the latter and traces the history of time measurement in the city that has been the birthplace of this activity.

To stay in the museums’ theme and to appeal to both young and old, the Muzoo, a fusion of the terms museum and zoo, is one of the favorite attractions for locals and tourists.

If summer is synonymous with the beach for you, the annual La plage des 6 pompes has become one of the city’s key international festivals, mixing a festive and cultural atmosphere, with shows and street arts as well as entertainment for all tastes. 

On the natural side, the mountainous region of La Chaux-de-Fonds offers a multitude of landscapes; ideal to discover these during the 4 seasons.

For ski lovers, the Chapeau-Râblé small ski station will fill your winter evenings with its romantic view of the illuminated city.

Whether by bike, running or snowshoeing, the country roads are the scene of unexpected rendez-vous with the local fauna and offer a simple getaway to clear your mind. 

You are a young entrepreneur, commuter, self-employed, looking for new challenges and wanted to get started but were still hesitating? This article has undoubtedly eased your fears.

It’s the right time for setting up your business in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

Contact us!

Every company must have an administrative and fiscal address in order to officially exist. However, many reasons may force the company not to have one or to have to change it.

 Domiciliation is the ideal alternative to remedy this administrative obligation.

This article aims to show you in which cases a company can be suitable for domiciliation.

Start up companies

What do we mean by a start-up company? These are simply companies that are just starting up and are still in the early stages of their activity.

The advantage of domiciliation for this type of start-up is that it is not necessary for them to commit to a long-term lease contract, nor to have to provide a rental guarantee that reduces their cash flow. This is one less constraint to start a business in good conditions! 

It is also a good compromise to delimit one’s private and professional life by separating the company’s mail from that of the home.

In this case, we also find the entrepreneurs who launch themselves in dropshipping, activity which knew a consequent boom these last years. 

Having an address for your brand will considerably facilitate exchanges with suppliers, service providers, etc. Especially in view of a consequent evolution of your e-commerce in the future.

Transitioning companies

At the moment, there is no lack of companies in transition. Indeed, the crisis has had an impact on a good number of SMEs, forcing them to restructure.

As a result of budget cuts, they have been forced to lay off a good number of their employees or to relocate following the closure of their site.

Here again, domiciliation is an interesting solution for companies in this situation.

Those originally located in industrial areas will have the advantage of being able to locate in the city and those whose premises represented a large burden in their budget will be able to reduce it.

Moreover, being domiciled with a company such as Coworking Neuchâtel sàrl, also offers the possibility of providing its employees with a workplace for a lower cost.

In addition, the domiciliation has the advantage of reducing the charges initially for the companies in phase of launching, but also for those which are collateral damages of the pandemic.

 

Article by Mélanie Mutombo

Imagine being unable to work in your current office due to a disaster, pandemic or other incident that prevents you from accessing your workspace. 

You’ll need to quickly come up with a plan B if you want to continue your business.

Fortunately, there is a backup plan to get you out of this situation, which can last for some time depending on the problem.

In this article, we’ll introduce you to another aspect of using coworking spaces.

Backup office

Coworking is an option that we don’t instantly think about, yet it is a non-negligible alternative in emergency situations, for the following reasons:

-Time saving: Avoid the whole process of looking for a new office and all the paperwork that comes with it 

-Flexibility: Your status within the office colocation evolves according to your needs. If at first you only want office space for a few employees but later your entire team is in need, no worries ! 

-Furnished offices : An adapted equipment to allow you to work in the best conditions

-Services: A professional team dedicated to providing a warm welcome to your clients and partners

Everything is put in place to facilitate the resumption of your professional activity in the best conditions and especially in the shortest time.

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In a completely different context, a coworking space has the advantage of being able to act as a showroom.

Showroom office

To pass an interview or to welcome a potential customer in another framework than the professional office can facilitate the contact and bring a certain proximity with its interlocutor.

If you want to recruit a new employee and your company is located in an industrial zone, the possibility of conducting your interview in a more accessible area should be taken into consideration.

Coworking Neuchâtel has the advantage of being located in the heart of the city in a historical building.

Moreover, in collaboration with the company Kinnarps, our premises have been arranged to be as pleasant as possible with ergonomic and design furniture.

In addition, coworking allows you to remedy situations that handicap your activity, to benefit from another setting for your interviews or simply to have alternative offices for your employees who are teleworking.

 

Article by Mélanie Mutombo

Sedat Adiyaman and Manuel Schmalstieg, two young entrepreneurs, founded Coworking Neuchâtel in spring 2014. We have, therefore, been offering a company domiciliation service here in Neuchâtel for six years.

We do it for three main reasons: to enable entrepreneurs to professionalize their activity, to make their lives easier, and above all, to provide them with our support.

Professionalization of the activity

Our two founders, who are themselves entrepreneurs, know how difficult it is to professionalize an activity without a lot of financial means. This is the reason why we offer you a professional address in the city center of Neuchâtel at a low cost. In addition to the financial aspect, this also contributes to the positive reputation of your company.

Facilitation

Beyond a simple business address, our team takes care of the reception, distribution, and digitization of your mail. Furthermore, we put at your disposal our meeting rooms to allow you to have an appropriate place to welcome your customers and partners. Our goal is to allow you to focus on the development of your business.

Support

Finally, an aspect that we particularly care about: peer and entrepreneurial support. From the very beginning, our goal has been to create a network of professionals in Neuchâtel. Therefore, you will not only benefit from the services mentioned above but also from access to our network of members. It offers you the opportunity to meet and exchange with professionals from various fields. You can also take part in events that we organize to allow you to create your own network.

So, have you decided to get started and set up your business in Neuchâtel?

To go further:

Domiciliation in Neuchâtel: what kind of companies?
Neuchâtel and domiciliation: did you know?

Are you in the process of creating your own company in Switzerland? Your company is already recognized abroad, and you aim at creating a new branch in Switzerland? Keep reading this article will be useful for you!

Establishing your headquarters in Switzerland

Setting up a company in Switzerland is a relatively quick process that may explain the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of the country. However, it is necessary to think carefully about where to set up the headquarters. Via the rental of a commercial office? At home, for the entrepreneurs living in Switzerland? Or by using a domiciliation company?
This last option can be offered by various companies. Coworking Neuchâtel is one of them. By making this choice, you not only benefit from a professional address, but you also have access to a network of entrepreneurs, meeting rooms, and even offices.

Find the answers to all these questions thanks to our previous article: where to domicile your company?

The advantages of Switzerland

Regardless of the type of headquarters you choose, establishing your company in Switzerland offers many advantages:

Economic climate
Switzerland enjoys a favorable economic climate with many opportunities and low unemployment. Although, of course, we are all currently experiencing the impact of the pandemic, it remains relatively stable.

Geographical location
At the center of Europe, at the crossroads of trade, Switzerland is a strategic place for any international development.

Political environment
Renowned for its neutrality, Switzerland enjoys a stable political climate. Also, its liberal nature encourages and promotes free trade and investment.

Taxation
A well-known advantage, which is especially true for companies that benefit from favorable tax conditions. However, note that these may vary from one canton to another. If Neuchâtel arouses your curiosity, you will not be disappointed. The canton offers many advantages in this respect, but that is by no means all. Find out more in our article: Neuchâtel and domiciliation: Did you know?

Reputation

Finally, Switzerland’s serious and reliable reputation can work in your favor in establishing your company in this country.

So when are you going to set up your headquarters in Switzerland?

To go further:

Setting up a business in Switzerland
Starting your own business in Switzerland
The pros and cons of starting a business in Switzerland

In the past, you have had the opportunity to discover the advantages of domiciliation in Neuchâtel. Today, we want to share with you the type of companies choosing our beautiful region as their headquarters. Small or large, every company is welcomed in Neuchâtel.

The Neuchâtel coastline is mainly known for being the cradle of Swiss watchmaking, or for its collaboration with the CSEM, ensuring the good development of the Swiss industry. However, many other companies have their virtual offices in Neuchâtel. These, on their own scale, also play an important role in the local economy. A number of them have their headquarters at Coworking Neuchâtel. We can even confirm that their areas of expertise are varied. Proof that the coastline has nothing to envy.

But who are they?

Enough talking! Here are a few organizations that have chosen Neuchâtel and our shared space as their headquarters:

• Fondation Bioniria: this organization works to promote sustainable development, the knowledge economy, and bio-inspiration. Very interesting and enriching projects that you will discover on their web page.
• Wikimedia Association: this one, as you may already know, aims to give access to knowledge for free. To do so, Wikimedia collaborates with many public organizations, such as schools, museums, or cultural institutions.
• Legalista: since 2018, and with more than 20 years of experience in the field, Legalista has been supporting business leaders, managers, and team leaders, taking care of their legal issues.
• G+U IT Solutions Provider: certified Apple, Microsoft Cloud, and 3CX VoIP telephony, this company provides consulting services as well as support and IT management solutions for all VSEs and SMEs. The goal: to create a partner relationship with customers in order to simplify and optimize their IT life.
• DerDieDas Design: specialized in 3D design, this company works with customers from various fields, such as watchmaking, advertising, or R&D. Discover the history of DerDieDas and its projects on the official web page of the company.

What a wealth!

As you can see, Neuchâtel is rich in diversity (and this is only an extract!). Many professionals who are good in their field have chosen the coastal region as their headquarters. So we ask ourselves, what are you waiting for to move here?

To go further:

How to create your company in the Neuchâtel canton

This week, we decided to talk to you about virtual offices and their risks. Of course, this is not the only option, there are many ways to choose your company’s registered office. However, these are important aspects to be aware of if you wish to establish a virtual office or, in other words, to use a domiciliation service.

Domiciliation in short

A domiciliation service allows you to create the legal existence of your company by benefiting from a dedicated business address. However, you do not need any kind of premises and you are not obliged to operate in the same region. Depending on the type of company, for example, shared spaces, additional services may be offered. These include mail management and forwarding, access to meeting rooms, provision of a local telephone number, or even a call answering service. This is why it is sometimes called in different ways. If you hear about virtual offices or addresses, you will now know what this refers to.

What do you have to watch out for?

The reliability of the service provider

If you would like a virtual address in a specific region, start by searching for the various providers offering this service. Take the time to compare them, meet them, and ask for advice from other companies working with them. It is also important to check the financial health of the provider to ensure that the service can still be offered in the medium term. If this is not the case, it could lead to a lot of administrative work, and even costs if you market products for example, and the address has to be changed on each one.

Your company’s image

Choosing a virtual office or address can greatly affect the credibility of your business. Take the time to consider different options in order to find the one that best represents the image you wish to communicate. A well-known address, central or in an area perceived as attractive by your customers, gives a positive and serious image to your business.

The confidentiality

As with any service, it is important to establish a contract specifying each modality, particularly concerning confidentiality. Indeed, if you have a virtual address with mail management and your mail is sometimes scanned, make sure that confidentiality is guaranteed. Moreover, this aspect also depends on your level of confidence in the service provider, hence the importance of knowing him/her well.

And for the service provider?

The risks for the provider are almost the same. Indeed, offering a domiciliation service to a company at risk could greatly damage his/her image. To preserve the credibility, the service provider needs to know each company domiciled in order to ensure its reliability. The financial aspect must also be taken into account so that the solvency of the company benefiting from the service is guaranteed.

Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages. However, at Coworking Neuchâtel, we offer companies that choose us the opportunity to benefit from a central and well-known address in Neuchâtel within the emblematic Hôtel des Postes. Our team informs you as soon as a letter arrives, scans it, or sends it to another address according to your wishes, all this while respecting a confidentiality agreement. We can also provide you with a local telephone number as well as an administrative and call management service.

Would you like to know more? Come and meet us in Neuchâtel!

As we know, the health crisis… enough about that! While the subject remains important. Today, we want to share something more positive with you. We are going to talk about the city of Neuchâtel, its opportunities and economic structure.

Innovation centre

Did you know that Neuchâtel is an innovative canton? And it is doing its utmost to continue in this direction! This beautiful city and its surroundings encourage all SMEs, start-ups, and entrepreneurs to develop in the region. To do so, they have created an ecosystem supporting businesses of all sizes to help them develop and build a promising future. In other words, a large number of companies in the canton are collaborating on a variety of projects, helping the most motivated ones to create the future of Neuchâtel. If you are looking for help to get your projects off the ground somewhere, the city will surely have the infrastructure to help you.

But which economic sectors are the most represented? 

It is one thing to find a canton that promotes innovation, the other is to know whether the benefits are applicable to your company. Although all sectors of activity find a place in Neuchâtel, the support structure for some sectors is more advanced than for others. In other words, any business is welcomed with open arms by the canton, but for some, it will still be easier to access an ideal structure to prosper. If you belong to a sector such as the watchmaking industry, renewable energy, blockchain (or others), Neuchâtel will provide you with plenty of opportunities to move forward. From coaching to networking, there are many support services.

What about the financial side?

Let’s face it, tax changes can sometimes play an important role in a company’s location decision. The canton of Neuchâtel is doing pretty well in this respect. Indeed, the reforms introduced in 2019 by the state are rather attractive, since the cantonal and municipal tax rate has changed from 10% to 7.2%. We are not going to get into a detailed analysis and proceed on a case-by-case basis, but if you are interested in making some useful calculations, the canton’s website provides you with the information you need.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Well yes, otherwise our article would stop there 😊. As any advice is good to take, here is ours: Consider the domiciliation in Neuchâtel! In addition to all the other advantages, you can enjoy a beautiful region full of natural spots to discover. Remember also that domiciliation does not mean that your company has to be in this area permanently, only the head office will be located here. You can, therefore, have all the advantages at your disposal, while continuing your activities in another region. For more information on this subject, do not hesitate to contact our team!

So, when do you plan to move here?

To go further:

Creating your own company in the canton of Neuchâtel
Becoming your own boss in the canton of Neuchâtel

Have you ever thought of using a call management service?

Nowadays, we are somehow constantly interconnected with the rest of the world. Although we have developed various ways to communicate, one of the long-established options remains the telephone. In other words, this method is still widely used, in spite of our increasing exposure to social networks and applications. This is particularly evident during this pandemic, as many companies have had to change their structure and set up a teleworking system. In this context, it is indeed necessary to have a telephone as a means of communication. In other words, it allows us to exchange certain information in a clear, precise, and fast way.

Call center services

During a day at work, a telephone interruption can be disturbing. Not only does it force you to deviate from the task at hand, but it will surely affect your concentration on other projects. This means that you will spend valuable time setting up other tasks, which are not a priority at the time. But how do you avoid this kind of situation?

There are services that will provide you with many advantages, such as the delegation of your daily tasks, allowing you to concentrate on the essential ones. In other words, we are talking about Call Centers. This type of service is offered by a variety of companies, typically by some coworking spaces. To put it simply, we take here the example of Coworking Neuchâtel.

Among a variety of services, such as domiciliation, administrative management, or event organization, our shared space offers call management services. This means that in addition to having a local telephone number, the calls you receive are managed by our team of professionals. To ensure optimal service, we keep track of all incoming calls and forward them to you regularly. This will provide you with an organized and easy-to-understand record so that you can contact the relevant people by order of urgency. You may be wondering, but where is the confidentiality in all this? Do not worry, confidentiality is guaranteed by contractual agreement, to avoid any inconveniences.

As you have understood, a call center will allow you to reduce the administrative burden. However, if you would like to know more about this (or other services we offer), do not hesitate to contact us! We are just an email or a phone call away from you!

Choosing where to locate the head office is an easy thing to do in theory, but in practice it is far from easy to decide. However when you have a business, you have a legal obligation to have an official address.

Do not worry, you can have your legal address in one place, but do business somewhere else. In this case, the head office is your primary address, but that does not mean you have to work from there, which gives you a lot of flexibility.

So, where?

Remember one thing: location makes all the difference. Although this phrase seems extreme, it is very often used (typically in marketing) and very relevant in the context of the domiciliation. In other words, if your legal address is based in a key location, you will find many advantages. To make it simple, let’s list together various types of domiciliation that you can use:

1. Home address: sometimes used by self-employed and small businesses, your private address can be used as a place of domiciliation. As with all options, there are advantages to using this service: less expensive than renting commercial space or using the services of a domiciliation company. However, every advantage has its drawbacks. In other words, it will be very difficult for you to separate your private life from your work, and sometimes even to stay organized. For example, managing your mails can become an unbearable task, or you become reachable 24/7 for work and do not have a single moment to yourself (in this case it is often difficult to see your own home as a place to rest). As you can imagine, there are many other reasons why your professional life takes priority over your private life.
2. Legal address: In this case, it is much easier to distinguish your business address from your home. In addition, many large companies have their own facilities. This, of course, has benefits, such as better administrative management and far more flexible and manageable coordination of the company. However, the flip side of the coin is that your costs are much higher. This means that you will have to pay significant fixed costs each month, which you can probably avoid by choosing a more suitable option. In addition, it is even less obvious to be located in a prestigious area for an affordable price.
3. Domiciliation company: this option is typically the right compromise for many companies, regardless of their size. There are many types of domiciliation companies, but here we focus on coworking spaces. The advantages are very varied, e.g. your head office is located in an attractive area for your customers, or you may even find tax advantages there. In particular, you have the privilege of being able to network easily and free of charge, as the premises are occupied by companies from a variety of sectors. The coworking team is always there to share the contacts you are looking for. Moreover, the services offered by coworking spaces very often free you from essential but not very profitable tasks, such as mail management. And what are the disadvantages of using a domiciliation company? It will depend from one coworking space to another and on the services they will be ready to offer you.

The decision

Choosing your corporate address requires a great deal of attention in order to maximize your company’s profitability and opportunities. As you have read earlier, there are several criteria to take into account when making the right choice. Which ones have priority for you?

To go further:

How does the trade register work?
Starting your own business: preliminary advice and agencies providing assistance
Starting a business in Switzerland