What kind of business can be opened in Italy. How to open a business in Italy? Documentation for starting a business

Opening a business in Italy is a reality today. The transparency of laws, the law-abidingness of citizens and the stability of the economy guarantee the profitability and reliability of such an investment. Business in Italy is a guaranteed and stable income, which means that its owner has confidence in the future.

There are several ways to create a business in Italy:

• Buy a ready-made business in Italy- for example, when the so-called attivita is sold, and you can acquire the right, for example, to rent a premises in which a cafe, restaurant, etc. operates. Sometimes such a business is sold together with the premises, or together with a legal entity.
• Buy a share in a ready-made (operating) enterpriseand in Italy(or all 100%). In both cases, it will be necessary to conduct a full audit of the enterprise for legal and financial cleanliness. Our qualified specialists (accountants and lawyers) who have the appropriate licenses and powers will be able to help you with this. Many of them already speak Russian.
• Register a new company in Italy (such as SRL, SpA...) and operate in Italy as a resident Italian entity. The foreigner has the right to be the sole founder of such an enterprise. For more details, see Registration of a company in Italy

Advantage of doing business abroad

Registration of a company in Italy for Russian entrepreneurs doing business with Italy and other countries of Europe and even other regions looks very attractive and creates a lot of advantages:

In Russia, it becomes possible to operate on behalf of your Italian company in the status of a representative of one type or another, using many significant benefits (tax, investment, etc.) provided for both by the legislation of Italy and Russia, and by interstate agreements;

In Italy, there is an opportunity to act on the territory and in the legal field of their counterparties;

The dispute resolution process is becoming clearer, and solutions on them are realizable;

Simplified control, both over the execution of contracts, and over the financial and legal condition of the partner;

Broad prospects are opening up for the use of tax incentives and other privileges for investors provided by the Italian state; There is an opportunity to avoid anti-dumping sanctions and other cross-border problems;

Direct operation in the market will allow you to better know and understand the specifics of the market, its price factors, the requirements of standards and technical regulations, as well as market participants abroad, which will help to eliminate risky business transactions and casual partners;

A resident Italian company created by a Russian citizen has the right to register branches in all countries of the United Europe on a declarative basis, with all the ensuing consequences for doing business;

There is an opportunity to use the Italian brand (…)

It is much easier for an Italian company to enter the markets of Europe, the USA, etc.;

Italian law does not establish any special requirements for companies created by citizens of other countries, including Russians. There are no requirements for the number of local employees hired, or for the minimum annual turnover, or for the amount of taxes paid per year, etc. There are also no mandatory employment requirements for secretaries, directors, accountants or other personnel.

The Italian tax system is quite complex and confusing, and is in the process of reform, but taxes on companies in Italy are much less than in countries such as Germany, France, Switzerland, not to mention the Scandinavian countries. In addition, with proper tax planning, they can be significantly minimized. Company maintenance costs in Italy are much lower than in other European countries.

The range of organizational and legal forms of commercial organizations in Italy is very wide: an individual enterprise, a simple partnership, a limited partnership, a limited liability company, a closed joint-stock company, etc.

The most common organizational and legal form of a company is "Sosieta" a responsabilita "limitata (S.r.l.)" - a limited liability company. Minimum authorized capital "S.r.l." is 10,000 EURO. The founders in such a company can be both individuals and legal entities.

Registration of a S.r.l. costs from 3000 EURO. In addition, it is necessary to pay notary services (from 2000 EURO) and fees.

The legislation of both Russia and Italy, as well as the norms of the conventions between them, allows the creation of enterprises in Italy by Russian entrepreneurs.

In particular, a citizen of Russia, a country not classified by Italy as undesirable, in accordance with Italian law, has the right to buy an Italian company or register a new one and own it as an investor or receive the status of an entrepreneur.

However, Russia is still not a member of the WTO, and in order to manage his own company, a Russian needs to become a resident of Italy.

The new law on foreigners makes it much easier for Russian businessmen to solve the problem of obtaining permanent residence in Italy and personally managing the company.

Tax consultant in Italy

commercial real estate

Opening a company in Italy

A distinctive feature of doing business in Italy is the well-established registration and tax procedures for those who wish to open company in Italy. It is no coincidence that most of the population of this country has, albeit very small, but their own business.

At first glance, it may seem that opening your own business abroad is inevitably associated with certain types of difficulties: lack of knowledge of the language, laws, economic, tax and even political systems. In fact, the variety of activities is so great that almost everyone can work in Italy for themselves. This also applies to foreigners. Hence the appeal of the idea open or buy a company in Italy for Russian citizens. A citizen of Russia, a country not classified by Italy as undesirable, in accordance with Italian law, has the right buy a company in Italy or open a new one and own it as an investor. It is worth emphasizing that when creating a small enterprise where production or retail is not provided, it is allowed to register the legal address of the company at the home address of its owner.

Let's dwell on other advantages for those who are thinking open a company in Italy. So, the entrepreneur does not depend on a fixed salary. That is, you yourself, relying on your own experience and skill, have the right to both increase your income and take a time out, in the form of a short vacation, without risking being fired. That is, the decision of questions when, how and how much you work depends on you and your natural rhythm.

However, do not forget that you, as an entrepreneur, are responsible for the obligations of the company to all of it and in some cases, depending on the chosen form when company registration in Italy, and your property, which is your property, and even those that were acquired before you became an entrepreneur. Therefore, it is necessary to adequately calculate your strength and not take on greater obligations than those that can be painlessly fulfilled.

The responsibility of the entrepreneur is directly dependent on the chosen form of enterprise. So, within a limited liability company, participants bear the risk of losses of the enterprise within the limits of their contribution to the authorized capital, and in a limited partnership, only a certain part of the participants (more often one participant) is liable for obligations with all their property. Therefore, if the company has a large annual turnover, then the entrepreneur will prefer to create a limited liability company, but it should be borne in mind that other companies do not trust large transactions with limited liability companies with a minimum declared authorized capital of 10,000 Euros. Decent companies in the form of LLC (S.R.L.) do not hesitate to indicate in their contact details, in addition to tax details and addresses, the declared and paid authorized capital, which guarantees the economic security of the counterparty. Any competent businessman would prefer to deal with a company where at least the person signing the contract bears one way or another secured responsibility for the obligations assumed.

Taxation also depends on the chosen form of the enterprise, its turnover. Thus, a capital society (SRL) is heavily taxed, its creation and maintenance is more expensive than the creation and maintenance of a society of persons (SAS).

As a rule, in Italy, all accounting is carried out by a specialist in commercial law, an auditor-accountant, called "commercialista (commercialista)", working autonomously as an individual entrepreneur or in his own accounting and auditing firm (studio commercialista). A service contract is concluded with him and he is responsible for all reporting of his client. Thus, the entrepreneur is exclusively busy running his own business and looking for new solutions for his company, without being distracted by paperwork. The choice of such a specialist should be approached in the same way as the choice of a lawyer.

opening or buying a company in Italy gives you the opportunity to earn decently and guarantee yourself a certain social status. And the stability of the political and economic system in Italy allows you to plan your own business for the future.

So if you decide open a company in Italy you have the following perspectives:

- in Russia, it becomes possible to operate on behalf of your Italian company in the status of a representative of one type or another, using many significant benefits (tax, investment, etc.) provided both by the legislation of Italy and Russia, and by interstate agreements, in particular, on the avoidance of double taxation;

- there is an opportunity to act on the territory of Italy and in the legal field of their counterparties;

- the process of out-of-court and judicial settlement of disputes is simplified and becomes clearer, and decisions on these disputes become realizable;

- simplifies control over the execution of contracts, as well as over the financial and legal condition of the partner;

- the Italian state opens up broad prospects for the use of tax incentives and other privileges for investors;

- Access to low-cost loans is opened;

- it becomes possible to avoid anti-dumping sanctions and other cross-border problems;

- direct operation in the market will allow you to better know and understand its specifics, its various factors, the requirements of business standards and rules, as well as market participants, which reduces the risk of random partners and risky operations;

- an Italian company established by a Russian citizen has the right to register, on a declarative basis, branches of a company established in Italy in all EU countries, with all the ensuing consequences for doing business;

- it becomes possible to register and use the Italian brand and logo “made in Italy”;

How to register a company in Italy

A citizen of Russia, a country not classified by Italy as undesirable, in accordance with Italian law, has the right to buy an Italian company or register a new one and own it as an investor. But, in view of the fact that Russia is still not a member of a number of international organizations, in order to manage their own company, a Russian needs to become a resident of Italy. The most common legal form of a company is “Sosieta" a responsabilita "limitata (S.r.l.)” - a limited liability company.

Minimum authorized capital“S.r.l.” is 20 million Italian lire (about 10.000 USD).

Founders can be both individuals and legal entities.

Legal address - must be mandatory, and actually functioning.

The possibilities of using the authorized capital of Italian companies are the same as in other European countries, i.e. can be used for business purposes.

If "S.r.l." one participant, then the authorized capital must be paid 100% by the time of registration. If there are more participants, then it is possible to initially pay only three tenths of the authorized capital, however, in any case, by the time the company is activated, it is necessary to have full payment of the declared authorized capital. The company is entered into the Register of Enterprises of the province where it is officially located.

balance sheet is submitted once a year, but reports on certain types of taxes are submitted to tax offices, depending on turnover, quarterly or even monthly. In Italy, doing business, you need to have the appropriate specialized education, work experience in this area. And only a number of exceptions to these rules, which have appeared quite recently, make it possible for Russians to independently manage their own company, without the need to resort to the services of not always conscientious, “nominee directors”.

A unique feature of Italy is that more than 80% of Italian enterprises are family enterprises, i.e. belonging to the same family. This feature gives a special stability to the Italian economy, but at the same time, it gives it a certain “patriarchy”. In particular, the Italian business market is very different from the American-English version.

Public sales of operating businesses in Italy are not actually practiced. In Italian newspapers, catalogs and the Internet, it is almost impossible to find offers like the American “business for sale”.

Selling a business in Italy is a very private procedure, one might say intimate. However, with the help of professional consultants, everything can be settled quickly, legally and quite cheaply and beneficially for the applicant. As for public sales, they took root on Italian soil, with the exception of real estate, in fact, only for franchising, also brought from the USA, England ... And this sector of the market is still not very significant in Italy.

Unlike other European countries, you do not have to prove every year that your company benefits the country. Those. Italian law does not establish any requirements for the taxes paid by the company, its annual turnover, the number of employees employed, etc. Success in business is a personal matter of a businessman, and taxes and so on are the subject of his relations with the tax authorities, but not with the “immigration” services.

Information about a law-abiding resident of Italy (his income, assets ... both in Italy and in other countries of the United Europe), without his written consent, cannot be transferred to a third party, neither by the Italian authorities, nor by the authorities of other countries of the United Europe.

It is important that a resident Italian company created by a Russian has the right to register branches in all countries of the United Europe, with all the ensuing consequences for doing business, on a declarative basis,
stay, etc.

overseas income. International and national laws in the field of taxation clearly divide persons not into citizens, but into residents. This means that the main thing is the place of permanent residence. A Russian person who has received an Italian residence, as well as an Italian company created by this person, are definitely residents of Italy, and therefore have the status of “non residente” in relation to all other countries. The residence is always one and there cannot be two residences. According to the convention between Russia and Italy (Rome, February 26, 1985), income received abroad is freely transferred to Italy and is not taxed again (Italy has convention agreements on the exclusion of double taxation with most countries of the world, including Russia).

currency restrictions. In Italy, as in any other developed European country, there is a currency regulation. All payments within Italy are made only: in cash - in Italian lira, non-cash - in EURO. Acquisition of real estate, as well as a number of other large values, is only possible one hundred accounts in an Italian bank. Foreign banks on the financial market of Italy admitted quite recently and are unpopular among citizens and companies. Settlements between Russia and Italy are possible only in currencies quoted by the Bank of Italy, which do not include rubles.

Company maintenance costs

Company maintenance costs in Italy are much lower than in other European countries.

Italian the law does not establish any special requirements for companies created by citizens of other countries, including Russians. There are no requirements for the number of local employees hired, or for the minimum annual turnover, or for the amount of taxes paid per year, etc.

There are also no requirements regarding the mandatory employment of secretaries, directors, accountants or other personnel.

In fact, a company can only have a Single Administrator (aka a member) and that's it.

Compulsory is having a legal address companies, and actually functioning, and performance of taxpayer obligations. There are options here.

• The first option, common in Italy, is when a company enters into an agreement with "Dottore Commercialista" for regular and permanent accounting services. Such services include registration of invoices, current maintenance and accounting of commercial, financial and other business documents of the company, preparation and submission of current and annual tax forms and declarations, as well as balance sheets; representation in tax authorities. With this service, a fixed amount is paid monthly, regardless of whether there was real activity in that month. For small businesses, this amount ranges from 650.000 to 1.200.000 Italian lire per month.
• The second option is the case when the company itself conducts current work and turns to the "dottore commercialista" for help, only for compiling the annual balance sheet and annual declarations. In this case, an agreed amount is paid, which can be in the region of 3.5 million lira if there were few transactions. However, in this case, the enterprise itself is also responsible for the current account and current declarations and is itself in contact with the tax authorities (for Italy, a practically unused scheme).

Taxation of companies in Italy

Let us dwell only on the main taxes.

For a company like "S.r.l." The main taxes are:

• Value Added Tax (I.V.A.) - has three rates, 4%, 10% and 20%, depending on the product or service. All goods and services for enterprises are accounted without VAT and enterprises only perform the function of operating the movement of VAT settlements.
• Corporate tax "IRPEG" - it is subject to the net profit of the company minus all eligible costs and it is a flat rate of 37%. The tax is not really significant, since, as a rule, enterprises do not have such amounts in common practice. Usually income is spent on the development of the company, on wages, on rewards, etc., and the system of formation of the cost in Italy is quite reasonable.
• Special tax “IRAP” at a rate of 4.25%, which is calculated from net income, but not reduced by the amount of paid wages, remuneration and other payments that increase the income of individuals who are employees or independent professionals or members of the company. This tax is already visible and almost resembles the income tax used in other countries.
• Taxes on dividends - their calculation currently does not have a fixed rate due to changes in legislation. Now a complex formula is used, in a simplified way, we can proceed from a rate of 15% (for example, Norway - 20%, Spain - 18%, Denmark - 15%).
• Taxes on interest and royalties - 0% (for example, for Canada it is 15% and 10%).
• Personal income tax - it is calculated on a scale and depends on the type of declaration, individual or family; the amount of total income and other various conditions and benefits. Rate - from 5% to 35%. To simplify, we can say that with average incomes, taking into account all kinds of benefits, the rate will be 5-7%.

On this, taxes can be completed, although, of course, not everything is so simple and the Italian tax system is very complex and confusing. We only note that one should not trust "specialists" who claim that Italy has huge taxes on firms. In fact, they are less than in neighboring Germany, France, Switzerland, not to mention the Scandinavian countries. With proper tax planning, they can be significantly minimized.

Legal aspects

Italian legislation allows foreigners who are citizens of countries that Italy does not classify as undesirable (Russia is not one of them) to make investments and capital investments in business, real estate, securities related to the jurisdiction of Italy, just like Italian citizens.

However, there are certain requirements, in particular:

• payment for acquisitions must be made in a strictly defined way;
• the acquirer must be identified, i.e. an anonymous person is not possible, he must be legally located in Italy;
• the purchaser must have an Italian tax code;
• the acquirer, as a rule, must be a representative person, i.e. have guarantors from among the residents of Italy;
• transactions must be registered in special state registers and only from the moment of their registration acquire legal force, as well as notarized;
• and much more

For doing business, it is extremely important that the state is also interested in this and helps the businessman. Unfortunately, doing business in Russia or in Ukraine and in Italy means completely different perspectives and opportunities. Therefore, many people want to develop their company abroad.

It's no secret that doing private business in Europe is easier than in Ukraine, Russia or Belarus. National laws are really observed, the businessman will not face the arbitrariness of officials, extortion of a large sum or unfair competition. Anyone who wants to open a business can do it without bureaucratic delays.

But the country's legislation changes frequently. Without knowledge of the language and professional lawyers, it will not be easy for a novice entrepreneur. If a businessman does not pay taxes in the required amount or calculates them incorrectly, he will be fined. There will be no tax incentives.

The advantages of business immigration are:

• it is not necessary to know Italian (although it is not difficult to learn it);
• the immigrant's family is automatically and can move with him. This applies not only to the spouse and children, but also to dependent parents;
• maybe in 10 years.

One of the major disadvantages is the level of taxes. 33% of earnings will have to be deducted to the state treasury, this is a very impressive amount. In addition, an additional 4.25% of income should be paid to local municipalities.

For Russians, the problems may lie in another feature of this country: most of the enterprises here are family-owned, that is, they are transferred from father to son. Partners have known each other since childhood, leading businessmen - this is a closed community, where it is difficult for a foreigner to get into. This is especially pronounced in medium and large businesses, so it is best for an immigrant to focus on organizing small businesses.

The most promising niches

It is primarily a tourist country. But travelers come here not only to admire the architecture and sunbathe on the Mediterranean coast. Milan is the shopping center of the world, Italian cuisine and fine wines attract gourmets from all corners of the globe. That is why the most popular destinations for commerce are clothing stores, restaurants and cafes, private boarding houses and small hotels. But you need to understand that the competition will be very high. Italians themselves do not trust foreigners much, especially as chefs, so tourists are more likely to be customers.

Another niche is agriculture. Thanks to the warm climate and fertile land, this is a very profitable occupation. Growing grapes will be quite expensive, because it must be looked after by specialists. But citrus and olive plantations are less demanding in care.

Various forms of organization of the institution

The first thing an immigrant must decide is to choose the form of organization of the company. It depends on the initial capital of the investor, as well as on the number of founders.

Most often, small businesses in Italy are organized in accordance with the following forms:

1. LLC - the main founder can be one person or several. Profits are distributed between them according to the size of their contributions. The main feature is that the capital must not be less than 200,000 euros. At the time of registration, only 25% of this amount is paid, the balance must be paid into the account within a year. It can be difficult to find such an amount even in 12 months.
2. Opening a joint-stock company is much easier. The minimum starting capital is only 10,000 euros, but you will need to deposit them all at once. In addition, only one founder is allowed, and the company must have an accountant-auditor on its staff.
3. Private enterprise or self-employment (Lavoro Autonomo). This is a convenient option for hairdressers, lawyers, makeup artists and other professionals who do not need a large company with many employees to carry out their activities.

How to open your business?

1. Buy a company in Italy. There is a risk that the enterprise will turn out to be unprofitable or unpromising, because no one will sell a profitable business. On the other hand, if the buyer is an expert in the industry and has a clear plan for how to develop the company, then buying an existing company will save a lot of time and headaches. Be sure to contact lawyers and accountants for help. It is necessary to make sure that the company has no tax debts or debt obligations in relation to contractors, check the validity of the license.
2. Invest in an enterprise at the stage of organizing a company and simply enter into a share with the Italians. Another option is to buy part of the shares of an enterprise that has been on the market for a long time.
3. Open firmus zero. This is quite risky, but on the other hand, a businessman does not depend on anyone and can choose a convenient form of organization, direction, and make any decisions independently.

How to get a residence permit?

Only residents can register a business in Italy. This means that the founder must have a temporary or permanent residence permit in the country. When planning to open a company, you can come to the country on the basis of a tourist visa, and already on the spot deal with all the paperwork and get a residence permit. This option is easier than trying to get a business visa right away.

The main thing that the migration service will pay attention to is the professionalism of a businessman, his professional and personal reputation, and financial solvency.

To confirm this, you must provide the following documents:

• international passport;
• photos;
• an invitation from an Italian partner, if any;
• certificate of registration and license of the inviting party;
• a diploma confirming the qualification of a businessman;
• certificate of good conduct;
• medical insurance;
• a bank statement showing sufficient funds in the account.

Information about the activities of other companies owned by the applicant, letters of recommendation will not be superfluous.

Company registration: what is important to know?

The registration procedure itself will be costly. To form an LLC, you will have to pay for the services of a notary, a translator, an accountant, get a corporate seal and the “Made in Italy” sign, which will also require additional investments. Be sure to open an account with an Italian bank.

The applicant collects the following documents:

• original name, logo;
• a lease agreement for premises;
• business plan;
• receipts for payment of initial capital;
• articles of association.

In this country, the main thing is to pay taxes on time. The enterprise may not bring profit at all, this will not worry the officials. Therefore, if there is money and patience, a foreigner can do his business in Italy, as long as it brings him pleasure.

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How ex-Siberian Anton Kuzmin found a way to legally deliver sanctioned cheeses and sausages

IT tools used by Anton Kuzmin

• PayPal
• ecwid
• Stripes
• Tilda

Cheeses and sausages are the products that Russian tourists most often bring home from trips to Italy. After the imposition of sanctions, the value of such delicacies has become even higher due to their unavailability at home. Ex-Siberian Anton Kuzmin, who now lives near Verona, has made it his business to send parcels of Italian cheeses and salami to private individuals in Russia. About how to legally deliver Italian delicacies to Russian buyers, the founder of the Parmesan for Friends project, Anton Kuzmin, told the website to the portal.

39 years old, founder of the project "Parmesan for Friends" . Born in Novosibirsk, after graduating from school he entered the Siberian Construction Institute, but did not graduate from it. As a student, in 1999 he opened his first business - a point of sale of popcorn and cotton candy. After moving to Moscow, he created a company associated with cargo transportation. In 2008 he moved to Italy with his family. There, in 2017, he launched a project for the delivery of Italian products to Russia to private individuals.

work for yourself

I have not been a hired employee for a single day, I have always worked only for myself. In 1998 I entered the construction institute in Novosibirsk. It seemed that it didn't matter where you studied, but it was important what you would do next. At that time, everyone was trying to do some kind of business. In 1999, I sat in the kitchen and thought about what I should do. I settled on popcorn because its cost is low and the markup is high.

My parents loaned me $2,000 to buy equipment. For equipment, I went with my mother to Moscow. Then it was difficult to look for information about its sellers: there was no ubiquitous Internet, there were some directories and newspapers with advertisements. We found a popcorn supplier from whom we took the necessary equipment. And he also advised me to buy an apparatus for the production of cotton candy. Cotton candy is also a high-margin product, making and selling it is very profitable.

I decided to sell my popcorn and cotton candy on the street - in the central park of Novosibirsk. For the year I earned more than 2 thousand dollars, I spent this money on myself. I paid my parents for the equipment, but not in the first year.

The disadvantage of this business is that it is seasonal. However, my point in the park has existed for almost 15 years. At some point, my mother and other relatives were engaged in this business. It closed very recently.

In the 2000s, I moved to Moscow, which is a huge transshipment center. A lot of goods come here from Europe. They are brought on European trucks, and then reloaded onto trucks of domestic companies and transported throughout the country. This gave me the idea to create a company that will deal with the transshipment of goods from European trucks to Russian ones and their distribution throughout our country.

In parallel, my wife opened a yarn store in 2005. We went to fairs in Europe, bought yarn that was not available in Russia, and sold it here. First they made retail purchases, then wholesale. Most of our suppliers were located in Italy. We often visited this country, and in 2008 we wanted to move there.

Emigration not on the first try

Italy seemed to us a very comfortable country for life (having lived here for 9 years, I state that it is). The weather is always good there, the sun is shining.

In 2008 there was little information on how to obtain a residence permit. Many tried to get a business visa, and we went the same way. We started registering a company selling yarn in Italy.

In this we were helped by the so-called Russian-speaking "helpers". They took triple the fees compared to the Italian ones, as we later found out. They did some things very quickly, which inspired confidence. For example, they quickly drew up a lease agreement for an apartment. But the result of their "help" was disappointing: the Italian consulate said that our type of business was not of interest to the country's economy. And we were in limbo for a long time, not understanding whether we could emigrate or not.

Now we already know that in Europe there is no need to turn to any “helpers”. You can translate various sites related to emigration through Google, look at the laws of the country and be guided by common sense. Here the dialogue with the authorities is built differently than in Russia.

Then we met guys who said they would go to Italy on a long tourist visa. They had already rented an apartment there. They decided that they would live like this for 3 years (validity of the visa), and then they would somehow be legalized. My wife suggested doing the same. We had tourist visas for 3 years, and we lived on them for the first couple of years.

In Italy, there is such a thing as a migrant amnesty: after 3 years they give a residence permit. To do this, you need to go to the immigration department, say that you live here - and provide a certificate of employment. After that, a residence permit is issued.

In the first years after the move, we continued to do the same business as at home. My wife remotely sold textiles and yarn to Russia, I was engaged in the delivery of groupage cargo from Europe to Russia and their customs clearance. We did not have our own companies registered in Italy, so we "got a job" in the company of our friends in order to get a certificate of employment. We received a residence permit without any problems.

Now we live near Verona, and before that we lived in San Remo. We did not have any difficulties with the registration of children in the kindergarten - we were not even asked for a single document for this. We are very comfortable here.

Starting a new project

Since 2012, our business of selling yarn in bulk to Russia has begun to decline - residents of Russian regions simply have less money. We began to think that it would be easier not to import goods in bulk, but to send them to private individuals by parcels. I began to study this issue.

It turned out that none of the world's largest operators carry parcels to Russia for private individuals. They carry only for large stores, but there must be gigantic volumes. All over the world there are points of international mail exchange, where the mail of one country physically transfers parcels to the mail of another and vice versa. One of these points is located in Germany, it cooperates with Russian Post. It is possible to deliver parcels from Italy to Berlin, and from there they will be taken by the Russian Post. I signed a cooperation agreement with Russian Post.

In 2014, Russia imposed a food embargo against Europe. And this coincided with what I discovered - you can send food parcels to Russia, weighing no more than 5 kilograms, but only to private individuals.

In Italy, the cult of food, for Italians, every meal is a small holiday. Almost all products are made very well here.

In my opinion, Italy is the number 1 country in terms of taste and quality of products.

I started sending parcels with Italian cheeses and sausages to my friends in Russia. And I realized that it could become a business.

I launched my Parmesan for Friends project in the spring of 2017. There are many different forms for registering a business in Italy, but the two main ones are analogues of the Russian IP and LLC. It is very profitable to issue an IP, because it is easier to book there, it is not necessary to open a bank account - you can use a personal one. But it is impossible to open an IP without a residence permit. An LLC can be opened by contacting a notary. The total estimate for his services and state fees will be in the region of 3-5 thousand euros, and this is without taking into account the authorized capital.

There is a simplified system for registering an LLC, the cost of registering it with a notary is 800 euros. There is only one difference: the authorized capital for a simplified LLC cannot be more than 10 thousand euros. All accounting, reporting, rights and opportunities are absolutely the same as with a regular LLC.

I registered an IP, because it’s easier to do business this way - the money received on the account is immediately mine, and in the LLC you need to write some papers to the bank in order to withdraw them.

Delicious parcels

In my Parmesan for Friends project, you can order Italian hard cheeses, salami and prosciutto, artichokes and dried tomatoes. We thought about olive oil, but it is allowed to be imported into Russia in commercial quantities, therefore it is presented in the stores of the country. Plus, the glass bottles it comes in are heavy to ship in parcels.

We select products that we like ourselves. We try to offer the most famous Italian products. We proceed from the fact that a person has been to Italy, tried something tasty and popular here, and understands what taste he can get from us.

We find product suppliers at exhibitions-fairs, of which there are a large number. We try what we like, then we go and see how it is made. Here people are passionate about production. And this sometimes becomes a problem for us. For example, I have been asking a cheese maker for several days to send me a price list. He says: “Yes, you come to me. I'll show you everything, I'll give you a try, you'll take a picture of everything. Why send any papers?

Now I have eight suppliers with whom I cooperate regularly. There was practically no investment in the business, because I do not need to invest in goods. As soon as an order is placed on the site, I buy products from manufacturers and ship them.

Logistics across north to east

Our parmesan supplier has a large warehouse. We agreed with him that all deliveries of products for our project come to him. And on Monday-Tuesday we collect parcels and send them to Germany. We are doing it in such a way that the Russian Post will receive our parcels at the international postal exchange point in Berlin on Wednesday-Thursday, and everything will go immediately to the addressees. If the parcel arrives on Thursday-Friday, then the warehouses do not work on weekends: and the parcel will lie there just like that, idle, until Monday.

When my parcel is ready, I leave a request on the Italian postal website, and the courier calls for it. The next day she will be in any city in Europe. Delivery is inexpensive (1 kg costs 15 euros, 5 kg - 25 euros), quickly, with a minimum of formalities - no one even asks the recipients for documents.

The cost of sending a parcel from Italy to Russia is 12 euros

In Russia, all our parcels are delivered by Russian Post. It is now working well - you can track the path of movement on the website, order a courier delivery of a parcel from the office, receive an SMS that it has arrived. I have no complaints so far. Once only the parcel went for a long time - 4 weeks to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (but none of the products deteriorated).

Myths and reality

The main difficulties of my business are related to the doubts of potential buyers. Here are three things that make it harder for my site visitors to convert into buyers.

Doubt number 1: products from Italy are a prohibited product. In fact, the laws of the Russian Federation allow non-commercial deliveries of products from Europe - you can buy any products for personal use. This equates to the fact that a person can bring up to 5 kg of food with him when flying from Italy. For all parcels, an international CN23 declaration is filled out, it takes two minutes to go through customs, because this is a non-commercial shipment. Conclusion - everything is legal.

Doubt #2: Will the food go bad? All the products that we sell were created several centuries ago in such a way that they could be stored for a long time. Because refrigerators didn't exist back then. Our cheeses, prosciutto and salami have a minimum shelf life of 3 months. We use thermal boxes and cold accumulators so that everything reaches our customers in the best possible way. And, for example, we do not ship soft cheeses, because they have a very short shelf life.

Doubt number 3. We will now make the payment, and you will disappear and not send us a package. My company is Italian, it accepts payment via cards or PayPal (this system will transfer the money to us only if we indicate the tracking of the shipment). It is necessary to receive money from the client and not send the order, our account will be blocked. And this money will be withdrawn unilaterally from my bank account. Therefore, I have no interest in deceiving customers.

In Russia, a huge number of online purchases are paid upon receipt by the courier. And people are used to it: they bring goods, they give money. And abroad everything is different. Here, at first they pay for everything, but if they sent something wrong, then you can return your money by pressing one button. And then the seller's task is to prove that he sent everything.

How clients are attracted

Another difficult issue for me is attracting customers. I have never done this, I had to figure out how to drive traffic to our landing page, and how social networks work.

The cost of attracting a client, especially for the first time, is very high. I spend money on advertising, I often give a discount on the first order. If the income is 20% of the turnover, that's good. If I lower prices even by 10%, then I will earn half as much.

A set of "14 cheeses from Italy" costs 126 euros, a set of "Parmesan for friends" - 129 euros, a set of "Jamon and Parmesan" - 135 euros (all 4 kg)

After experimenting with social media, I realized that Facebook and Instagram can be used to collect leads. My opinion - Instagram does not sell anything. I'll give you an example. We recently did an Instagram contest on a popular account. As prizes, they offered big discounts on their sets - 50, 30 and 40%. We have three winners, none of them placed an order. One winner said she thought she was getting everything for free, another didn't even respond, and the winner didn't order. I believe that people do not come to Instagram because they want to make a purchase here. They come to see other people's photos and post their own.

There are no tools for sellers on Instagram - it is impossible to systematize communication: if there are 30 messages or more in a direct message, then you are already confused in them. There are no opportunities for promotion in WhatsApp, in messengers it is easy to get lost with your offer. We come to the good old email newsletter to tell people about our promotions and products. And if people open my letter, then most likely they do it consciously. They are already somehow interested in our message.

At first I had sales and sending packages only to friends. When I said that I wanted to turn it into a business, they said: “Do you think this will work? But who needs it? I gave advertising posts in groups about Italy. Their visitors, unlike their friends, did not ask any questions - they went to my site and paid for the order. Therefore, my advice is that friends should not always be listened to.

About 95% of our buyers are in Russia, but we also send parcels to Spain, UK, Czech Republic. Orders are made mainly by Russian-speaking users. But we want to make our website in English as well, because many Italian products are not delivered to other European countries.

Now we send from 100 to 200 parcels per month. During the existence of the Parmesan for Friends project, I have not had any negative reviews. It happened that the parmesan supplier ran out of packaging, and we had to wait for the delivery of a new batch of packaging for 2 weeks. Because of this, we delayed everyone sending parcels. But I apologized to everyone and promised that when they receive the package, they will understand that it is pleasant to work with us. And put them in a parcel of tasty gifts more.

I want to reach a new audience. Now a large number of Russian guys live and work in America. Many of them are related to the IT industry. Their parents live in Russia. It seems to me that for each such young person to spend 100-150 dollars a month so that I send high-quality and healthy Italian products to their parents, the best care for them. If they send money to them, parents will buy the same things as before, only in larger quantities, in Russian stores. And so they can get delicious products of excellent quality.

On Facebook, you can target ads to US residents who speak Russian. This will be a point hit in the audience that I need. I am also thinking of launching an affiliate program with people who are popular there in the Russian-speaking community.

I also want to contact the largest American companies and offer them a corporate discount. This is not my unique idea, I read about it from the guys from a marketing agency from Moscow. They gave advice: if you don't have huge advertising money, offer corporate discounts to huge companies. America is a very expensive country, I think there will be a demand for Italian products there.

I want to make a trigger mailing 3-4 times a week, but on different topics. For example, once a week to write about a promotion, once a week about a product, its history and how to use it, and so on. If you have content that is not only about sales, you should use it to attract attention.

I would like to try crowdfunding, it immediately allows you to understand the level of demand. The thermal boxes we use for shipping can be of different thicknesses. In summer, it is better to have boxes with a wall thickness of 5 cm. To produce such boxes, we need to order the production of a mold. It costs about 3-4 thousand euros. I would announce the collection of half of this amount and see what happens.

If suddenly Russia lifts sanctions, it will be even better for me. Because buyers from Russia will no longer doubt whether it is possible or not to place orders with me. When basic Italian products are in stores, I can switch to rarer cheeses.

Features of doing business in Italy

There are still no online accounting and reporting services in Italy. There is a strong lobby of professional accountants, none of them, together with programmers, made a system where you simply enter numbers, and the service will calculate taxes and expenses for you, and submit reports. Therefore, here almost all entrepreneurs need to hire an accountant.

There is no paperwork here, this "I'll bill you". To pay for a purchase or service, you only need to know the company name and account number, no BICs, TINs, and so on. It is very comfortable. But Internet banking is underdeveloped here..

They also love faxes.. It happens that the Internet provider asks to send a payment receipt - not to send a photo to the messenger, not by mail, but by fax. And so it is everywhere.

It's great to do business here, because you can plan a lot. For example, a commercial lease agreement is concluded for a period of 12 years. You cannot be kicked out of there if you pay on time. You can make repairs, promote this place and not be afraid that tomorrow you will be asked to move out. When you rent an office, you send a piece of paper to the municipality that you will work here and what your company will do. No more documents are required.

Taxes in Italy are normal. If you earn less than 6 thousand euros per year, you can not register an individual entrepreneur. For individual entrepreneurs, the main tax is pension, for a year the minimum amount is 4 thousand euros. For beginners, there may be a tax of 2.5 thousand euros in the first 5 years (that's how it is for me so far). If you earn more than 30 thousand euros per year, then the tax will begin to grow. The good part about paying taxes in Italy is that if you pay pension tax, then your whole family gets health insurance. There is also income tax, but a lot can be deducted from it - for example, paid mugs for children. Still, there's a lot of common sense here.