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Melissa Sant'Anna
August 28, 2025

Starting a Business in Germany: Why It Feels So Hard (and How to Survive It)

If you’ve ever tried to start a company in Germany, you know it’s not just about building your product or finding your first customers. It’s about letters from the Finanzamt you don’t understand, endless forms, and hidden costs that eat into your budget before you even hire your first intern.

Founders often underestimate how much time and energy German bureaucracy demands. From health insurance contributions that suddenly double to unexpected tax prepayments, the reality is that even the most motivated entrepreneurs can feel overwhelmed (and broke) before their business has a chance to grow.

But here’s the good news: there are ways to make the journey smoother.

Two tips that can actually help you right now:

1. Don’t overpay your Steuerberater (tax advisor) too soon

Many first-time founders rush into expensive long-term contracts with tax advisors before they really need them. In the early days, you can often handle bookkeeping with affordable digital tools and only consult a professional when it truly matters. This can save you thousands of euros in your first year.

2. Build a founder peer network early

Navigating German bureaucracy gets 10x easier when you have other founders to share experiences with. Whether it’s figuring out how to fill in a VAT form or knowing which health insurance to pick, the fastest way to avoid mistakes is to learn from someone who just went through it.

Want more founder-proof strategies like these? Join us at betabreakfast on 11.09 where Agnieszka M. Walorska, founder of Mika, will share their non-obvious guide to starting a company in Germany. You’ll learn about:

  • The bureaucratic blind spots you actually need to know
  • Legal traps & paperwork decoded
  • How to save €5K on a tax advisor at first
  • Real founder stories—not just theory

☕ As always, we’ll kick off with breakfast & networking, followed by the talk + Q&A.

🎟️ Get your ticket here and save yourself time, money, and frustration.