Swisspreneur Show

Timestamps 1:53 - What mistakes do Swiss Startups make repeatedly regarding their finances?  4:11 - When should you decide to hand your accounting to someone else?  16:05 - Insurances, deductions and fees to take into account  34:06- What to do when a customer doesn't pay the invoice  44:05 - Where to find the right financial partners The Episode In 60 Seconds When it comes to finances, the mantra is “never procrastinate”. Here are the most important points to start off on the right foot: VAT (Value added tax) VAT is a self-declaration tax, meaning you will not get a declaration form but have to submit it yourself on a quarterly basis. You have to pay VAT if your business generates more than 100k in revenue for the entire year. If you import software from abroad, you have to declare VAT as if you imported goods. Payroll Be aware of mandatory fees and deductions Mandatory fees: old-age pension (first pillar/ AHV), accident insurance (UVG), family allocation (EO), 2nd pillar (BVG) if you earn above 20k, unemployment insurance (ALV). Non-mandatory but recommendable: insurance for salary payments in case of sickness (Krankentaggeld-Versicherung). The insurance covers the employees salary after a certain time on sick leave (usually 60 days). Invoicing Always invoice as fast as possible. 30 days payment period is customary but not mandatory. Try to inquire with the customer about the problem first before you consider debt collection in case of an outstanding payment. Pay your own bills at the end of the payment period. Accounting costs and tools Try to do as much as possible by yourself and then get feedback from an accountant. Use a good software tool and choose a bank that integrates with it (for software tools you can check this list). A year-end review of your work by an accountant should cost something in the range of 1.5 to 4k. If you employ more than 10 people, you have to undergo an external audit which will cost you another 1.5 – 2k. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 1:50 - What mistakes do Swiss startups make repeatedly when it comes to the legal aspect? 10:54 - How to get out of a tricky contract 26:30 - How to handle investors 40:00 - HR: attracting and retaining talent 48:50 - Should you have a strong legal partner on your side? The Episode In 60 Seconds There are 5 legal areas every startup should have covered: Corporate law Have a clear agreement in place of how the departure of a co-founder would be handled. Critically look at shareholders agreements and make sure you understand the implications in case of an exit. Contract law Make sure that any IP produced for you by a third party will also belong to you. Always read contracts before signing. In the B2B business, there is no 30 day return policy. Ensure liability caps on sales contracts in case your product causes unintentional harm to your client. Regulations Be aware of how tougher privacy and data protection laws affect you and your business model. Know which sectors you need special licenses for. HR law Make sure your employee contracts contain a provision for IP created by employees. Sign any employee contract by hand. Consider employee stock option plans. Intellectual property Software is usually protected by copyright rather than patent law. The only way to effectively protect your code is by not disclosing it. For hardware, be aware of existing patents and consider patenting yourself. Consider protecting your company name if it is crucial for your business. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 2:10 - Mistakes Swiss founders make repeatedly when it comes to B2B Sales 12:37 - How to determine your target clients 22:22 - Where to look for leads 36:20 - How to close a deal faster  42:43 - What KPIs to focus on About Iman Nahvi: Iman Nahvi is the co-founder and CEO of Advertima, a company which uses AI for consumer engagement on physical channels. At Advertima, Iman implemented a holocratic organisational structure, meaning (among other things) equal pay for all employees and a broad distribution of decision-making power. In 2017, Advertima won the “Coolest Startup Award” at the WorldWeb Forum. Before starting his latest venture, Iman had founded various other companies, such as Digital Delight and Taxi Frosch. Iman holds a BA in Banking & Finance from the University of Zurich and an MA in Entrepreneurship from the University of St. Gallen. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 2:26 - Should you start a business with a family member? 4:33 - Why Iman went from banking to entrepreneurship 20:50 - How Iman chooses his employees 28:40 - Paying every employee the same salary 33:11- Employee stock option pools About Iman Nahvi: Iman Nahvi is the co-founder and CEO of Advertima, a company which uses AI for consumer engagement on physical channels. At Advertima, Iman implemented a holocratic organisational structure, meaning (among other things) equal pay for all employees and a broad distribution of decision-making power. In 2017, Advertima won the “Coolest Startup Award” at the WorldWeb Forum. Before starting his latest venture, Iman had founded various other companies, such as Digital Delight and Taxi Frosch. Iman holds a BA in Banking & Finance from the University of Zurich and an MA in Entrepreneurship from the University of St. Gallen. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps   1:23 - What mistakes do Swiss founders repeatedly make when it comes to B2C marketing? 11:00 - Investing in auto-marketing activities 14:04 - Improving conversion rate 21:02 - Best tools for marketing 29:18 - The marketing channel of the future About Alan Frei: Alan Frei is the co-founder of amorana.ch, an e-commerce platform for sex toys and lingerie. Before starting Amorana, he experimented with a variety of other projects such as nachhilfeportal.de and LooksOfLove, from which he learned what it takes to make a company successful. Alan is a University of Zurich alumni and headed the University’s startup center. He lives a minimalist lifestyle, counting less than 120 items in his personal possession. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps   1:32 - What can the Swiss startup ecosystem learn from the Chinese one? 12:10 - The importance of having the right focus 16:20 - How Alan's father being an entrepreneur influenced him 20:57 - Does minimalism bring happiness? 26:34 - The role of the social circle when it comes to personal growth and support About Alan Frei: Alan Frei is the co-founder of amorana.ch, an e-commerce platform for sex toys and lingerie. Before starting Amorana, he experimented with a variety of other projects such as nachhilfeportal.de and LooksOfLove, from which he learned what it takes to make a company successful. Alan is a University of Zurich alumni and headed the University’s startup center. He lives a minimalist lifestyle, counting less than 120 items in his personal possession. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 1:15 - Mistakes Swiss founders make repeatedly. 4:20 - How to find the right evaluation. 09:58 - How much money should an early-stage company raise? 21:47 - How should a startup team deal with an investor? 29:12 - How often does Daniel check-in with his investments? About Daniel Gutenberg: Finding unicorns before they have 10 employees is his ambition. Daniel Gutenberg is one of Switzerland’s most active Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors. During his career he’s collected a total of 12 unicorns in his portfolio, so far. Daniel started his first company – Gutenberg Communication Systems – in 1991 and sold it in 2000 as part of a deal to become the CEO of the acquiring company. During this time, Daniel was a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), through which he met people like Jeff Bezos and Marc Andreessen. Since 2003 he has been active as an investor and advisor to startups through the Swiss venture capital firm Venture Incubator Partners. Daniel was awarded business angel of the year in 2011 (SECA). Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps 2:55 - How he started his first company 14:28 - His first successful exit 19:00 - Being a Venture Capitalist and an Angel Investor at the same time 27:40 - What are the characteristics of a Unicorn CEO? 39:33 - The future of blockchain technology and crypto assets in general About Daniel Gutenberg: Finding unicorns before they have 10 employees is his ambition. Daniel Gutenberg is one of Switzerland’s most active Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors. During his career he’s collected a total of 12 unicorns in his portfolio, so far. Daniel started his first company – Gutenberg Communication Systems – in 1991 and sold it in 2000 as part of a deal to become the CEO of the acquiring company. During this time, Daniel was a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), through which he met people like Jeff Bezos and Marc Andreessen. Since 2003 he has been active as an investor and advisor to startups through the Swiss venture capital firm Venture Incubator Partners. Daniel was awarded business angel of the year in 2011 (SECA). Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps  1:19 - Mistakes Swiss startups repeatedly make when creating a product  10:03 - How long does it take to build a great tech product? 12:44 - How to acquire customers 17:46 - Bringing new technology to Switzerland 26:22 - What makes a great product? About Herbert Bay: Herbert is the co-founder of Kooaba, an image recognition program which he successfully sold to Qualcomm in 2014. Following his successful exit, he embarked on a sailing trip from France to New Zealand together with his wife and two young sons. While at sea, he managed his second venture, Shortcut, remotely. After a 4-year journey, Herbert returned to Switzerland, where he took the position as Principal Software Engineer, Digital Health & User Perception at Magic Leap, a US company specializes in “mixed-reality” applications. Herbert holds a PhD from ETH Zurich and is a published researcher. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!

Timestamps: 1:20 - What made Herbert Bay become an entrepreneur. 5:40 - Having two technical founders; dealing with lack of business knowledge. 7:30 - Raising 10 million dollars. 12:25 - How Herbert dealt with a difficult time in his life; what he learnt. 24:57 - Managing a company from a distance. About Herbert Bay: Herbert is the co-founder of Kooaba, an image recognition program which he successfully sold to Qualcomm in 2014. Following his successful exit, he embarked on a sailing trip from France to New Zealand together with his wife and two young sons. While at sea, he managed his second venture, Shortcut, remotely. After a 4-year journey, Herbert returned to Switzerland, where he took the position as Principal Software Engineer, Digital Health & User Perception at Magic Leap, a US company specializes in “mixed-reality” applications. Herbert holds a PhD from ETH Zurich and is a published researcher. Don’t forget to give us a follow on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, so you can always stay up to date with our latest  initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows,  weekly give-aways or founders dinners!