Shop in Zürich

Hello everybody

Does anyone have experience of starting a new shop (GmbH) without having enough money?

What would you recommend Pension paid out or help from bank or any other idea?

Thanks in advance

Regards

If you don't have proper funding, high chance you will go tits up.

Using your pension fund may be possible, you need to prepare a business plan with cash flow before they will make any decision.

You can only spend your pension fund once, once it's gone it's gone and if your shop is underfunded and goes tits up, what are you going to do when you come to pension age ?

I would be very very careful at spending your pension money on a new venture.

When you say without money is it that you are missing the initial 20k capital or else?

Thank you Biro for your reply

Yes its risky but i dont find a better way to do it

Thank you Kri for your reply

Yes its risky for sure

I have less that 10 000

Am also thinking of starting without GmbH at the beginning and start as (Einzelunternehmen) but in this case it will not be easy to find a shop.

Am still thinking of all options and till now i find the Pension is the easiest.

Looking for other options.

Regards

Hello, and welcome to the Forum.

Here are three other threads that discuss opening a business, one of which includes info about an organisation which helps small start-ups in raising credit,. Besides that, those threads contain a lot of general good advice about planning and getting started, including from several posters who run or have owned their own businesses, or done the accounting of businesses.

Please don’t be put off by the fact that these three threads all happen to be about shops selling food… if your idea happens to be non-food. Many of the principles still apply.
Help with starting a cafe/bakery in Zurich
https://www.englishforum.ch/business…ry-zurich.html

Requirements for opening a bar+gelato shop. Can you help?
https://www.englishforum.ch/business…-you-help.html

Making pancakes
https://www.englishforum.ch/business…-pancakes.html I’ll add my voice, here, to the caution already expressed by others, against using your pension money to start a business.

Exceptions perhaps if you have demonstrable evidence that you know how to run the kind of shop you have in mind long experience doing that same thing while employed by someone else the ability to speak, understand, read and write the official local language, in your case German (not only for the customers, but for all the administration and interaction with government and other officials for payments and contracts relating to tax, permits, licences, rental, suppliers, banks, delivery services, etc.) a solid business plan that has been checked and criticised by at least two separate experts who have already trodden that path themself or else done the accounting for someone who has.

Thank you doropfiz for your reply

So i think i will also look for other option and will not use my pension.

My plan is to open a souvenirs Shop.

I have an idea how much do those shops earn per day but i think i will look for help to do the plan and help with startup.

Regards

There are loads of souvenir shops all over Switzerland. Set up a business plan and check if it remotely makes sense at all.

Thank you biro and kri for your reply

I know its risky but i have about 8000 CHF and am also thinking of starting as Einzelfirma but then it will not be easy to get a shop if am not a gmbh.

Regards

Have a look at startup ch and be prepared to lose that 8k.

Thank you roegner for your reply

True but i think a shop in good traffic place would be good even if there are different shops

I can sell cheaper than others or make offers and same time make win

There are many ideas to compete.

Regards

But beware such shops are very seasonal and even a slight change in the weather can give you unexpected results.

Hi bowlie

Yes true, thats my biggest fear.

I had also an idea to start make my own souvenirs and sell them to shops as their supplier, but they have their own suppliers and if i start i will start with some products to sell to them.

But i also can make them best offers and give them same quality with cheaper prices, but also not easy that a shop trust me coz i dont have a company.

Regards

Chf 8k probably would cover the rent for 2-3 months (bus you still need rental guarantee) and you also needs to stock your shop....

In order for it to work, you need to be in an area with high tourist footfall which means very expensive rentals.......

The competition is feroce

Sounds like a winning plan

Hey Biro

Thanks for your reply

The insurance rent money i can have it beside the 8000 and the products i got a good offer to pay the bill in 30 days after receiving with 30%

Regards

1.Definitely, people like to have options when shopping, even if there are no real options because all stores sell the same things at the same prices. Especially if it comes to souvenirs, people generally like walking along long streets full of such shops, eventually buying at random place.

2. IMHO, doesn't sound feasible. Souvenirs costs what the costs because they have to generate enough of income to make the business profitable.

3. Great, keep thinking, write them down, don't stop on the first few, the re-think it over time. You don't have funds to start cold and keep trying the first few months.

I always thought that kiosks, souvenirs boutiques are only a small side businesses, where there's a main income in the family but the other half doesn't want to sit idle all day long. what's your life goal? Think about it in your business plan. Will the shop generate enough of income to have you settled or is it just a short term gig because any income is better than no income. If you're going to risk your pension fund make sure the risk is worth it, otherwise it's perhaps better to stick with a job, or look for a job if you're unemployed.

So you don't have a clue what you are doing, you have no location and no money - hence, you have no business.

Sounds harsh but could save you a lot of trouble.

Thank you Gravity for your reply

I do write everything down, thanks for your tips.

Souvenir shops work well all over Switzerland. Kiosks and all. You just need to have the shop in a good tourist area.

Regards

Chf8k is NOTHING, chicken feed