Should I become an entrepreneur?

Business Espoo offers personal advisory services and support free of charge for writing a business plan and starting a business. If you need information or want to discuss different options, you should contact us before you start as what is called a light entrepreneur, applying for a start-up grant or submitting a start-up notification.

Our advisory services are available in Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian and Chinese.

Book an appointment with a business advisor(external link, opens in a new window).

Choosing a form of enterprise is one of the first tasks when planning entrepreneurship. By comparing different forms of enterprise, you can select the one that best suits your company's needs. Our business advisors are here to help you choose the form of enterprise that is right for you.

• Private entrepreneurship is generally suitable for business operations with moderate turnover.
• A general partnership is ideal for a small business with a trusted partner.
• A limited partnership is well suited for business activities based on your personal work input and combined with an investor.
• A limited liability company is suitable for all kinds of entrepreneurial activities, although it is not the lightest company form.
• A cooperative is particularly suitable for collaborative entrepreneurship, regardless of the sector.
• In franchising networks, an individual entrepreneur manages and operates one or more units, such as a store, following the franchise's business model.
• A light entrepreneur is a person who works independently using an invoicing service. Light entrepreneurship is primarily suitable for selling services.

Compare the company forms thoroughly to find the best option for your business.(external link, opens in a new window)

Are you dreaming of entrepreneurship but not quite sure how to turn your dream into reality?

Welcome to the How to set up a company in Finland Webinar, where you will gain the essential basic knowledge on how to progress from an idea to becoming an entrepreneur. The training covers the fundamentals of starting a business and includes information about the startup grant.

You can find upcoming webinars in our event calendar.

The psychologists at the Employment and Economic Development Office offer confidential career choice guidance. The psychologists help to find solutions to issues related to career choice, work or education.

For more information, please visit the TE Office website(external link, opens in a new window). 

Entrepreneur tests allow you to test whether you would succeed as an entrepreneur. Based on the answers, you will receive an estimate of your entrepreneurial abilities and your own strengths and weaknesses. You will receive a summary of your answers, which you can use, for example, in your discussion with a business advisor.

Tests can be carried out on the websites of JobMarket Finland(external link, opens in a new window) and Suomen Yrittäjät(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish), for example.

At Espoo Adult Education Centre, you can gain valuable knowledge on topics such as managing business finances and explore whether entrepreneurship is the right path for you.

The latest course offerings can be found on Ilmonet.(external link, opens in a new window)