More and more people aspire to a future as an entrepreneur. Doing business, however, is anything but a simple choice. It takes a planning period, a budget sufficient to cover the starting costs, and ideas and strategies to achieve the set goals to start a business in 10 steps. In short, it is necessary to think of everything!
Today’s article will show you how to start a business from a bureaucratic and fiscal point of view. Therefore, we will see how to take the first steps in Italian entrepreneurship and the requisites required to open a company: starting from the development of an effective business plan up to the actual establishment of the business.
1. The business plan
The fundamental tool for those who want to start a successful business is called a business plan.
The business plan is a detailed plan containing information, forecasts, strategies, and objectives of the business you intend to set up. It is, therefore, an actual general project, necessary to be clear about the various steps to follow: from administrative, fiscal, and bureaucratic requirements to marketing techniques, and so on. To make your marketing efforts a success, you should use marketing attribution software.
Writing an effective business plan is not easy, especially if you have no experience of entrepreneurship.
Therefore, it is good to be supported by one or more professional figures in this first phase, depending on the type of company you have in mind. Starting a small restaurant – so to speak – is very different from opening an industrial plant!
2. The budget
The business plan of the first point is fundamental, among other things, to clarify economic issues. Not all aspiring entrepreneurs have enough money to put their ideas into practice and, consequently, have to think of a different strategy to scrape together a reasonable budget to start with.
Fortunately, there are various incentives for entrepreneurship nowadays, with subsidized, zero-interest, or even non-repayable loans. Alternatively, it is possible to look for lenders or “sponsors” who believe in the project and therefore choose to finance it. However, if your budget is not large enough to cover the initial expenses, don’t despair: rather, always keep up to date on available public funds, bonuses, and incentives.
A few examples? The site of Invitalia, an agency that deals with financing new businesses, especially among young people.
3. The VAT number
Once you have clarified the ideas regarding the type of business you intend to start, we move on to the bureaucratic part.
To start any economic activity (from the shop to the professional studio, from the maxi company to the small individual business), the first step is opening the VAT number. The VAT number is the essential tool to issue an invoice and legally have regular collections. It consists of 11 digits, which uniquely identify the owner of the activity, and is associated with an ATECO Code, as we will see in the next point.
There are no costs to open the VAT number, nor do you have to wait for a long time. The operation is carried out, in fact, digitally, through the website of the Revenue Agency and takes only a few hours. In any case, during the opening phase, it is recommended to have an accountant or an expert in the tax field by your side.
The reason? Some critical decisions must be made during this operation, such as the ATECO above Code and the tax regime to which you are subject. For sole proprietorships, the best solution is the flat-rate scheme which, as we will see, entitles you to several concessions, as well as an apparent reduction in taxes.
If you need assistance opening your VAT number and completing all the steps correctly, please fill out the form below. A Fiscozen employee will contact you as soon as possible to support you in this delicate phase.
4. The ATECO Code to start a business in 10 steps
The ATECO code is a code that identifies the type of economic activity you are going to carry out. Each VAT number, as we have anticipated, is associated with a specific ATECO Code. Here are some examples to better explain:
- 69.10.10 – Activities of law firms, valid for the lawyer.
- 71.12.10 – Activities of engineering studies, valid for the Engineer, and so on.
In addition to freelancers, businesses must also be associated with an ATECO Code, such as:
- 47.71.10 – Retail sale of adult clothing, valid for clothing stores;
- 47.73.10 – Pharmacies ;
- 10.89.09 – Production of food products NCA, valid for some types of food industries;
- 49.41.00 – Transport of goods by road, etc.
Choosing the correct ATECO Code is fundamental. It depends on aspects (from the profitability coefficient to the level of risk at work) that will influence the development and management of your company.
5. The tax regime to start a business in 10 steps
When opening the VAT number and the ATECO Code, choosing the tax regime of reference is also necessary. Currently, the most convenient option for new businesses is the so-called flat rate scheme.
However, not all taxpayers can be subject to it: the flat-rate regime is open only to natural persons. Therefore, you will be able to choose this option only if yours is a sole proprietorship.
Most companies formed by two or more partners (Snc and Sas for partnerships / Srl and SpA for joint-stock companies) can only opt for the ordinary regime. We also remind you that some economic sectors (agriculture, fishing, publishing, door-to-door sales, travel agencies, etc.) follow so-called special tax regimes regarding the determination of VAT and the calculation of taxes. And contributions.
Third, but not least, there is the maximum income threshold. The flat-rate scheme is, in fact, accessible only to those VAT numbers whose annual turnover does not exceed the limit of 65,000 euros.
In summary, the choice of the tax regime – ordinary or flat rate – depends on the following factors:
- type of business (individual / with one or more partners);
- sector to which it belongs;
- turnover (lower or higher than 65,000 euros).
If your business qualifies for the flat-rate scheme, you will be entitled to:
- subsidized taxation, with a fixed rate of 5% for the first five years from the start date of the VAT number (from the sixth to 15%), which replaces the ordinary taxes (IRPEF, IRAP, additional taxes, etc.);
- simplified accounting, with no obligation to register invoices (you will only have to keep and number them);
- exemption from the use of electronic invoicing;
- exemption from numerous duties: esterometer, sector studies, etc .;
- operate outside the VAT field, that is to say, without calculating and applying VAT on the rates (and, obviously, without periodic payment), which will therefore be lower and more competitive than the competition.
6. The legal form
As we have seen, not all businesses are identical to start a business in 10 steps. Depending on the type of business you intend to start, it is vital to choose an appropriate legal form, considering the specific requirements to be followed.
The primary legal forms for a small-medium enterprise during this operation are:
- sole proprietorship, where the sole responsible is the holder of the VAT number ;
- Snc (general partnership), if you make use of one or more partners;
- Sas (limited cooperation), if some partners have limited liability;
- Srl (limited liability company), where the responsibilities of the shareholders depend on the invested capital.
We remind you that, based on the legal form chosen, the process necessary to start the business is more or less complex.
7. The Single Communication
Single Communication constitutes a necessary simplification. Thanks to it, it is possible to carry out, with a net saving of time and money, all the obligations required to start a new business :
- declaration of commencement of activity to the Municipality or the Chamber of Commerce;
- opening of INPS and INAIL positions;
- registration in the Business Register.
Today, Single Communication must carry out and forwarded electronically. It contains all the information relating to the new company, sent to the various tax, social security, and insurance bodies.
However, we remind you that – unlike the VAT number, whose opening is free – for the Single Communication, you have to incur some costs (variable, depending on the legal form), which range between 400-600 euros.
8. The constitution of the company to start a business in 10 steps
This point foresaw only for companies made up of two or more partners. The partnerships or corporations, to start, require a further action: the writing of the deed of incorporation and the statute, to be carried out at the office of a notary. This adds other costs (such as the professional’s fee) to those already mentioned.
9. The social security position
The penultimate point concerns the opening of the social security position with INPS or at a specific Bank.
Professionals who belong to a Professional Order (doctors, architects, psychologists, nurses, to name a few.), By registering with it, choose to pay pension contributions to the reference fund.
For businesses, artisans, and professionals without cash, on the other hand, there is the INPS Separate Management.
10. Permits and authorizations to start a business in 10 steps
With the approval of the Bersani Decree in 2006, a license no longer required to start a business.
However, to operate in some categories (for example, the sale of food and drinks. IADs, hotels, tattoo studios, etc.). It is necessary to obtain permits and authorizations (from ASL, Municipality, etc.). And comply with specific hygiene and safety requirements. Finally, public establishments (from bars to discos) must comply with architectural constraints and regulations. Which usually vary according to the sector and location.
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