We have no idea what we should do

Before you sell anything

Whichever route you take, the company needs to exist on paper before the first sale. Choose a company form and register the company at verksamt.se. There you apply for F tax with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) and state whether you will be VAT registered; a company that does not turn over more than 120,000 SEK per year can be exempt from VAT. A trading partnership (handelsbolag), a limited partnership (kommanditbolag) and a limited company (aktiebolag) are also registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket). Through the e-service it costs 1,800 SEK for a trading partnership or limited partnership and 2,400 SEK for a limited company, and a limited company needs at least 25,000 SEK in share capital. For a sole proprietorship (enskild firma), registration with Bolagsverket is voluntary. The differences between the forms are Legal checklist through.

For UF companies

A UF company is registered through Ung Företagsamhet, not with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) or the Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket). It does not get a company registration number and cannot be registered for VAT.

This is our reading of the rules, not legal advice or tax advice. We are not lawyers, so check with the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) and the Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket) before you register anything.

Path 1: You sell a physical product

You make or buy in something: candles, jewelry, posters, baked goods, printed shirts. The fun part is that you get to hold something in your hand. What takes time is production, pricing and finding a channel to sell through. For many, the Christmas season becomes the big sales period.

Tools to start with

• GIMP: edit the product images before you upload them.
• Penpot: design the label, packaging and price tag.
• LibreOffice: price list and quote template at no cost.
• Signal: fast communication in the company without anyone selling your data.

Do this, in this order

1. Legal checklist: make sure the product is allowed to be sold and that you know which rules apply.
2. WordPress and WooCommerce: build a simple store where you take orders.
3. Payment gateways: make it possible to pay, both at markets and online.

Path 2: You sell a service

You sell time and skill: a simple website for a local company, photography, homework help, babysitting, car detailing. A service requires no startup budget at all, but it requires that you dare to knock on doors and keep what you promise. A single job done well brings the next customer.

Tools to start with

• Jitsi Meet: customer meetings with video, without an account and at no cost.
• LibreOffice: write clear quotes that look professional.
• Cal.com: let customers book meetings directly in your calendars.
• Joplin: notes about customers, assignments and cancellations in one place.

Do this, in this order

1. Domain and email: get a real address, it builds trust with customers.
2. Legal checklist: agreements, responsibility and what you should say yes to.
3. Accounting: keep track of income and expenses from day one.

Path 3: You sell online

All sales take place online: digital products, print on demand or a web shop that handles everything. You reach customers far beyond your local area and never need to stand at a market in the November cold. The requirement is that the website works and that payment is easy.

Tools to start with

• WordPress: the foundation of your online store.
• WooCommerce: the store module that turns the page into a store.
• GIMP: images that sell, not just show.
• Actual Budget: keep track of whether the store is making a profit.

Do this, in this order

1. Install WordPress: get the page in place.
2. WordPress and WooCommerce: build the store and add the products.
3. Payment gateways: connect payment so customers can complete the purchase.

Unsure which path suits you? Take the one that feels least scary. You can switch tracks during the first months without anyone getting hurt.