11.03.2026
Many startups fail not because of the idea, but because of the money. Not when actually setting up the company, but in the months afterwards. How much money do you really need to get through this initial phase? This article shows you which costs are often underestimated and how you can realistically estimate your capital requirements.
The choice of legal form affects not only liability and taxes, but also capital requirements. There are a number of misunderstandings doing the rounds.
For a limited liability company, a minimum of 20,000 francs must be provided for share capital; for a private limited company, the figure is 100,000 francs, of which at least 50,000 francs must be paid in. However, this capital is not an admission fee that disappears. It belongs to the company and – correctly entered – is available for day-to-day operations, such as rent, invoices or investments.
Sole proprietorships do not have a statutory minimum capital requirement. However, this does not mean that you can start without financial resources. Again, costs are incurred, often even before the first franc of revenue is generated.
Conclusion: It’s not the legal form that determines whether you need money, but when costs are incurred and when income is generated.
In order to assess your capital requirements realistically, it is worth dividing your expenditure into three cost items.
One-off costs for setting up a company are generally easy to plan. Typical startup costs include:
However, these one-off costs usually only account for a small proportion of the total capital requirements for setting up a company in Switzerland.
| Costs | Sole proprietorship | Limited liability company | Private limited company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costs Statutory minimum capital |
Sole proprietorship No minimum capital |
Limited liability company CHF 20,000 (to be paid in in full) |
Private limited company CHF100,000 (of which at least CHF 50,000 paid in) |
| Costs Notary costs/costs of deed of foundation |
Sole proprietorship Notary not usually compulsory |
Limited liability company CHF 700 to 2,000 |
Private limited company CHF 800 to 2,500 |
| Costs Commercial register costs |
Sole proprietorship CHF0 to 120 (mandatory entry from revenue of CHF 100,000 or more) |
Limited liability company CHF 400 to 600 |
Private limited company CHF 400 to 1,000 |
| Costs Other startup costs |
Sole proprietorship CHF0 to 1,000 (optional) |
Limited liability company CHF 600 to 2,000 |
Private limited company CHF 1,000 to 4,000 |
| Costs Total expected startup costs |
Sole proprietorship approx. CHF 0 to 1,500 |
Limited liability company approx. CHF 3,000 to 6,000 |
Private limited company approx. CHF 6,000 to 12,000 |
Note: the total costs are guidelines and do not include minimum capital. Actual costs may vary depending on the canton, sector and individual situation.
This cost item is underestimated by many company founders because it is made up of many individual items. The amounts themselves often seem moderate, but they quickly add up.
Typical examples are:
These costs are often incurred before regular income is generated. This is precisely where the first financial bottleneck arises for many startups.
For many company founders, it’s not the company itself that’s the bottleneck, but everyday private life without regular pay. In the initial phase, many people forgo some or all of their salary. However, personal expenses don't simply go away.
Costs without a full salary include:
Here, in particular, you can see how important it is to have sufficient reserves. Planning this phase realistically will give you not only financial leeway, but also peace of mind for building up your business.
In practice, experience shows that many company founders calculate the startup costs correctly, but underestimate the number of months in which fixed costs are incurred before regular income flows. As a general guideline, it is therefore advisable to plan reserves for six months. However, depending on the sector, business model and payment deadlines, nine to twelve months may be more realistic.
The following points should be considered:
It is therefore not so much a case of determining the perfect figure as establishing a clear liquidity logic
You do not need a complete business plan to obtain an initial reliable assessment. To start off with, a quick pragmatic check is sufficient.
Take into account:
These assumptions enable you to make a good estimate of the required capital.
Do you want a structured estimate of your capital requirements?
Our checklist helps you to obtain a realistic overview in a short time – without detailed planning, but with a clear focus on the key cost items.
The quick check provides guidance. It does not replace detailed liquidity planning, but it does help develop realistic expectations and avoid typical startup mistakes.
You want to continue working on setting up your company afterwards or are about to take further administrative steps? PostFinance has been supporting company founders in Switzerland during the startup phase for many years and provides suitable information and services for setting up a company.
That depends on the legal form, sector and business model. In addition to the one-off startup costs, the ongoing costs up to the first revenue are the decisive factor determining the capital requirements for setting up a company in Switzerland.
Ongoing costs such as rent, IT/software subscriptions, marketing measures, insurance and material costs are often incurred before the first revenue. These expenses often seem manageable individually, but they quickly add up. What is particularly challenging is that these costs have to be paid immediately, while income often arrives with a delay.
In many cases, the minimum capital for a limited liability company alone is not sufficient to survive the initial phase. Although the paid-in capital of the company is available for business operations, it rarely covers all ongoing costs up to the first revenue. An additional reserve creates security and entrepreneurial freedom.
As a rough guide, many company founders plan with reserves for six months. In practice, however, nine to twelve months may be more realistic, especially with longer payment deadlines or seasonal business models.
Yes, the paid-in capital belongs to the company and can be used for day-to-day business operations. The precondition is that the capital must have been entered correctly and must be used for business purposes, such as rent, invoices or investments.
