Does entrepreneurship suit me?

For young people interested in
entrepreneurship

When a child or young person wants to start a business, the considerations vary by age group.
Basic information on starting a company is available from our Entrepreneur Guide, and contact information for the nearest Enterprise Agency is available here. If you want to start a pop-up restaurant, visit the Finnish Food Authority’s website.

Entrepreneurship programmes by age group

  • There are almost 200 4H associations in Finland.
  • Many provide entrepreneur vouchers, and you should check if your town provides summer enterprise support, and your region NuorisoLeader support.

4H Enterprises

For the student, the program is a fun and practical tool for learning entrepreneurship and workplace skills. During the program, students will, individually or in a group, establish a JA company using real money, in accordance with their own interests and skills. If they want, students can also participate in national competitions and events.

The JA Company Program is available for lower secondary schools, upper secondary educational institutions and higher education institutions.

JA Company Program

For your consideration

  • When a child or young person wants to start a business, the considerations vary by age group. Someone under 18 needs the consent and signature of their guardian in all the founding documents. Read more about guardianship on the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s website.
  • Minors also require a personal identity card or passport for identification. All guardians’ consent is required for a minor’s passport application.
  • Sole entrepreneurship is the most suitable type of company; a 15-year-old may also choose to use a billing service. Learn about company types on our website.
  • Selling products and goods is possible as another income-generating activity. Learn more on the Tax Authority’s website in Finnish.
  • Find out what kinds of permission and notification are required for your operation.
  • Check your municipality’s opportunities for supporting young people’s work/business. Generally, business operations are started with self-financing. Entrepreneurship programmes have opportunities for entrepreneurship vouchers, summer support and summer entrepreneur vouchers. Check the forms of support and their conditions in the chosen programme.

Age limits

  • Can open a bank account for their own income.
  • Can reserve a domain name.
  • Has control over any assets gained through their own work.
  • Can work through a billing service with their guardian’s consent.
  • Can issue shares in a stock company.
  • Can be issued a notice of default. More information on notices of default is available on the Taloustaito website (in Finnish).
  • Can open an account with MobilePay or similar (in Finnish).

  • Entitled to education grant from the beginning of the month following their 17th birthday unless child benefits are active. If the child/young person lives at home, their parents’ income may influence the amount of the grant or block it entirely. Read more (kela.fi).  You can calculate the amount of the grant with KELA’s calculator (in Finnish).

Information on banking, taxation, pension and insurance

Banking

A minor can be given an online banking account, which requires a bank account.

Read more

Taxation

A minor’s income is subject to the same kinds of taxes as everyone else.

Read more

Pension

Young people should also be aware of how and why pensions are accumulated.

Pension

Useful links

This section was prepared in cooperation with Business Äänekoski, Pietarsaari region development company Concordia, KS-Yritysidea, the Bisnes Lande project and Tax Administration experts.