How well does Germany recieve business from a foreigner?

Question

The government. Do they make it easy for a foreigner to do business in germany? Do they set-up alot of regulations to protect their people. Or are they welcome to foreigners setting up a business there.

How about the German citizens themselves? Are they open to doing business with a foreigner? Or they view them as an outsider?

thanks

Answer 1

You basically would not have any problems being a foreigner, especially if you are British or American.  If you do plan on doing business here, then learn the language.  That is the best way to be taken seriously in business.  Not only that, but the regulations are generally complicated.  This is where language knowledge is basically a "must".

Cafes/Bistros are everywhere.  It's Europe, so the Coffee Culture started here.  Forget starting a franchise - we also have Starbucks here and they only work in the large cities/airports/tourist areas anyway.

The regulations for gastronomie are well inforced.  There are many laws which tell you how many toilets, how many parking spaces you will need, where your employees must eat/rest, how your kitchen is to be set up, etc.  If your into bueracracy, this is heaven.

But, not to dissuade you - the location is key and it can be done.

Answer 2

Very good. In Germany living so many people from another countries. Some of them have their own businesses. They are good and paying lot of taxes and have employees. In the beginning 1960's they start to get people from foreign countries, because they need them. So in the mean time they grow and open their own businesses. Restaurants, clothes stores, groceries, all kind a business. Paperwork is hard, also you need to have some cash money start up your business. The banks give you some money, but you need to show some security and all the paperwork. German citizens got their own businesses too. For them is I think more easy, than for the foreign citizens.

With a good idea starting business and showing it's working I guess this is welcome everywhere.

Answer 3

Setting up a business is never easy.

That said, Germany encourages foreigners to set up their own business. It is often the only way for a non-EU citizen to get a residency permit.

This is one of the main reasons why there are so many Doner stalls in Germany - it is relatively easy for a Turkish, Pakistani or Afghani immigrant to open one.

Yet on the other hand regulations are very strict - there have been instances when a potential foreign investor decided against setting up shop after having been faced with the process of applying for a residency permit, registering their business at Ordnungsamt, getting the tax documents in order and a thousand things else.