Starting a business without money

Starting a business without money

Starting a business without money

Cover image: Layla Abbas Lefta started the salon Guldsaxen with her friends. Read more about her on page 56.

? Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillv?xtverket) Print run: 500 copies, then print on demand. Text: Fredrik Bergman Photos: Stefan Nilsson Layout and design: Ordf?rr?det Stockholm, September 2016 Printer: Danag?rdLiTHO AB 978-91-87903-69-4 pdf 978-91-87903-70-0 tryck Info 0654 If you have any questions about this publication, please contact: Eva Carlsson, Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillv?xtverket) Phone: +46(0)8-681 91 00

Foreword

Starting a business that has the potential to grow and thrive demands a good idea, knowledge and often, but not always, a sum of money to get started. The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth works to make it easier for more people to start businesses, and for more business ideas to become a reality. Publishing this book is part of that work.

Anyone who wants to start a business, regardless of their sex, age, country of birth or choice of business form should have the opportunity to get development information, advice and support ? on equal terms. The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth works to increase opportunities for people with different backgrounds and experience to turn their business ideas into a reality. This book Starting a business without money provides many examples of inspiring solutions for getting an enterprise up and running with not much money but a strong drive to succeed. That we take advantage of this drive to succeed is beneficial to all of us and the society as a whole.

It is our hope and belief that this book can be a source of inspiration. Inspiration for more people to make the leap and start an enterprise, but also to encourage more people to see the potential to become entrepreneurs in the people they meet.

The author, Fredrik Bergman, is responsible for the content of this book.

Anna B?nger

Head of Trade and Industry Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth

Introduction

You might be unemployed, living off income support from social services, but with dreams of becoming selfsupporting. Starting a business without money is written for those who have the drive and the ideas, but perhaps not the big funds, to start their own business.

This book is also addressed to business advisers, social workers, Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsf?rmed lingen) officers, and others whose work includes meeting people who need to find a way to support themselves. It provides inspiration and information about starting a livelihood business with only a small financial investment at the outset.

This book takes a positive approach. It aims to show the possibilities that exist. It might seem that there are a lot of rules and regulations in a country like Sweden: occupational health and safety rules, tax rules, cash register regulations, work environment requirements, and much more. Sometimes you might hear people say that you just can't make a living as a market trader in a country as complicated as Sweden. And on first sight, this might appear to be true. This book tries to look at what can actually be done, without breaking the rules.

Being an entrepreneur is not an easy life. The working hours are long and there are often a number of years of struggle before achieving break-even. It might not be a life that suits everyone. But for some, it comes entirely naturally.

For many refugees who come to Sweden, the traditional Swedish road to working life ? study, becoming employable, and getting a secure job ? feels foreign. They are more used to producing and selling things. The tradition for them is to be entrepreneurs. It's not uncommon for us to encounter people who also feel that they get better at speaking Swedish by standing in a market stall selling flowers then by studying Swedish in a classroom with maybe more than 30 students.

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Starting a business without money is based on seven years of experience from Macken's business centre in V?xj?. The business centre was established in close cooperation with the municipality of V?xj?. It's about helping people to start their own businesses ? people who often lack money, contacts and adequate language skills, but have trade or professional skills, drive and ideas.

It is immensely fulfilling to be able to live off your own idea, to be able to support yourself. The model we have worked with has always been the long road to entrepreneurship: starting out with a market stall and slowly growing from almost nothing. It's a life that requires a lot of patience, but it also entails far fewer risks. In our world, starting a business without money is both a reality and a recommendation.

Warm thanks to all of you who made this book possible; first and foremost, to Christina Behrenz of V?xj? City Library who was the initiator this book, and then to all of those who willingly shared their knowledge: Thomas Andersson, AnnKristin Mansfeldt, Lennart Olsson, Staffan H?kansson, Peter Johansen, Magnus Andersson, Stefan Carlsson, Bertil N?renb?ck and many more. And warm thanks also to Tina Hedeg?rd for her excellent help with proofreading, and to Eva Carlsson and Eva Johansson at the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth for their commitment to the project, and for their many constructive comments. Warm thanks also to all the entrepreneurs described in this book. You are its true heroes. This book is about you.

macken, v?xj?, sweden october 2015

Fredrik Bergman

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Contents

Foreword.........................................................................3

Introduction................................................................... 4

Tip's market stall is her livelihood.............................10 Making a living as a market trader in Sweden....................12

Nouzad became a used car dealer........................... 20 Start now but start right............................................................ 23

Ali operates a falafel wagon..................................... 36 The art of building and fitting out your own fast food wagon or mobile canteen............................ 39 How to get a good location for a fast food wagon.........40

Mohsen runs his own plumbing business................44 Do you have to complete a course to work as a tradesperson in Sweden?................................ 47

In Berhane's bicycle repair shop.............................. 50 Finding premises.......................................................................... 53

Maria, Layla and Nasim started a salon together............................................ 56

How a self-employment company works........................... 59 Fitting out your own hairdressing salon............................... 61 You are responsible for the work environment................ 65 A hairdressing salon in your home........................................ 66

Wichain opened her own cleaning business............................................... 70

RUT (Cleaning, Maintenance, Laundry) and ROT (Repairs, Conversion, Extension).........................73

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