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Number of Company Formations in Switzerland Below Average

Despite the improved overall conditions for company formation in Switzerland, only 8.5% of the Swiss have set up a company over recent years. As a result, this figure is lower than in comparable countries. It appears so from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), an international study into entrepreneurship.

The Conservative Swiss

According to the study, the 2015 number of Switzerland’s company founders has grown by 1.2% to today’s 8.5%. Yet, Switzerland remains below the average 9.1 % in comparable innovation-based national economies such as Germany, Canada or the USA. On a positive note, however, 67.6 % of companies are set up in our country due to good opportunities, and only 13.9 % out of necessity. In comparable countries these figures are 53.5 and 17.2 %, respectively.

However, if Swiss people decide to start their own business, they are ambitious: as many as 33.3% of Swiss founders are willing to employ six or more people within five years of the incorporation. It is the highest number amongst all European countries. Contrary to the average 3.3%, there are only 1.1% who give up their business in our country. With such a low rate, Switzerland’s number of established founders (with more than 3.5 years of doing business) is, with 10.5%, significantly higher than the average in comparable countries, where it is 6.8%. With 29.5%, the number of those who are afraid of failure is also low compared with 40.3% abroad.

Enthusiasm for Company Formation in Switzerland Within Reasonable Limits

Only 53% of the Swiss see setting up a company as a good career choice, whereas in the Netherlands, for instance, it is 81%. The number of the respondents who said that they were going to start their own business within the three subsequent years has grown from 7.9% in 2016 to today’s 10.5%. This is still below the average in comparable countries, however, where such intent was indicated by 15.2% of the respondents. With 3%, the proportion of the youth between 18 and 24 years who would like to launch or be in charge of a start-up is very low in our country. Here Switzerland ranks 23rd among 24 comparable national economies. With 1.6%, this rate is still lower only in France.

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitors (GEM) is the biggest international study into entrepreneurship. In Switzerland it has been conducted by the Fribourg School of Management with its partners: SUPSI, Swiss Startup Factory (SSUF) and Swiss Economic Forum (SEF). As part of the study, 2400 people have been interviewed.

Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor: Report for Switzerland 2017-2018

 

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