Record number of companies founded in Switzerland
In 2017, more new companies were founded than ever before. With 43,453 new entries in the Swiss commercial register, this represents an increase of five percent compared to the previous year.
Never before have so many new companies been founded in Switzerland as in 2017, namely five percent more than in the previous year. This is good news for the economy as a whole, as the IFJ Institute for Young Entrepreneurs reported in a press release distributed on January 3.
In the major German-speaking and French-speaking regions of Switzerland, company formations increased significantly. In Eastern Switzerland, new registrations increased by two percent, in Zurich by five percent, in Espace Mittelland by six percent, and in Northwestern Switzerland and Central Switzerland the increase was eight percent each. In French-speaking Switzerland, seven percent more new companies were founded. The cantons of Zug (+20%), Schaffhausen (+14%), Baselland (+13%), Uri (+12%), Valais (+11%) and Fribourg (+10%) registered the highest growth. In absolute terms, the cantons of Zurich (7,775), Vaud (4,393), Geneva (3,717) and Bern (3,536) saw the highest number of companies founded.
The analysis of the IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen shows that the limited liability company (GmbH) remains the most popular legal form with a share of 38%, followed by the sole proprietorship (32%), the stock corporation (AG) with 21% and the general partnership (3%). With the revision of the law on limited liability companies in 2008, as part of a revision of the Code of Obligations, their prevalence increased abruptly. Previously, the legal form, which has existed since 1936, was somewhat disdained as a "limited company". The most fundamental changes were the admission of the GmbH as a single-member company, the abolition of the capital limitation of CHF 2 million and the abolition of the subsidiary joint and several liability of the partners in the amount of the share capital. In general, the GmbH has two significant advantages: Compared to the sole proprietorship and the general partnership, the entrepreneur is liable only with the business assets. Private assets are therefore spared. And with the lower capital investment of CHF 20,000 compared to CHF 100,000, the GmbH also stands out from the AG.
The highest number of new firms is created in the business consulting, skilled trades, retail trade, business services and hospitality industries.
More information: IFJ Institute for Young Enterprises AG. Image: Fotolia.com
