The best would be to check with OCAS, bureau des indépendents.

Hi,

There used not to be any coordinated office which could help you set up a business and inform you of the law and it apparently hasn't changed much, according to your request.

If you are opening a food/drink outlet, I would check out this article of law concerning food and drink:

https://www.ge.ch/legislation/rsg/f/s/rsg_i2_22.html

It used to be that in order to have any place for food and drink, you needed to have the "patente" but I don't know if it's still the case. This involves untaking a course where you learn different aspects of service - hygiene laws etc. You can either sign up to a course or study by yourself but it does involve an exam. You could also "rent" a "patente" but not sure if it's still possible either.

You also needed to have permission from the police to open an establishment. The different types of establishments are in the legal reference above. It  also means sth concerning the different taxes applied which are at the bottom of the document. Check with the Dept de la police also for that.

There is the association "Société des Cafetiers, Restaurateurs et Hôteliers de Genève" who would know all this and inform you of your obligations vis-à-vis social charges and legal requirements.

There are also other taxes like tax for exterior signage and terrasse if you do have one. My experience was you just did it and then one day, a state representative of some form turned up to inform you you were breaking the law and needed to pay the tax.

The Tribune de Genève had this article two years ago too on the subject:

https://www.tdg.ch/geneve/Un-etablissement-sur-trois-n-a-pas-respecte-le-delai/story/28602074

Good luck!

i forgot to add, for the legal status of the business, speak to a Fiduciaire, sho will advise you on the various legal statutes. If you start small, the "raison individuelle" is good but it might evolve to a SARL which is a more stable entity to run. Not necessary in the beginning if you are on your own but if you partner with someone, create Sàrl.

I also want to open a small beauty salon in Geneva and it is very difficult to find a flat, someone knows what more are the costs of renting and maintaining. because when I ask, the answers with prices are very high.

Obtaining an authoriization to rent an apartment for a commercial activity, such as a beauty salon, is very difficult in Switzerland and subject to many rules and regulations .

but it is not impossible

While it is of course possible to hide one’s intention to use an apartment for a commercial activity, the chances of being found out are pretty high.  For example, neighbours (and especially the resident concièrge if there is one) won’t fail to notice that when you move in your possessions include such items as a treatment couch or a relaxation chair.  And what if you put the name of your business on your letter-box?

Signing a rental agreement under false pretenses can also have long-lasting consequences for any future business endeavour.

That said, the surfeit of beauty treatment and allied “salons” is such that they now also belong to the “pop up” category.

I would like to open a language school in Geneva. Are there any difficulties in having such business? What orgainisation/association would be the best on advising on such business? Your advise and tips are much appriciated. Thank you.

Hi Nasti,

By the way, wouldn't it be easier to open it in neighbouring France ? I noticed many similar services are not readily available in the Ferney Voltaire side. Given the future refurbishment planned for this area, it may be interesting in the long term. Even if the fees would not be as high as in Geneva, you could actually still charge people enough given the overheads would be much less. Anyway, just saying...

There is a free 3h class about how to create a business in switzerland, advertised on Meetup.

("comment créer son entreprise en suisse"). They also do it in English. Might be very useful to attend. Here their website: https://www.ifj.ch/en

I liked it.

https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/creationentrepriseIFJ/events/256711537/

Hi there

Choosing the right form of a new business – Sole Proprietorship, Limited Liability Company or Stock Corporation – depends very much on your personal situation and longer term intentions.

I can gladly assist you in evaluating the legal, financial and fiscal aspects of the different legal structures.

Best regards,

Andre