Have your dreams of finding the perfect job here in Denmark not turned out quite as you hoped or are things merely taking much longer than you expected? There is another way to get ahead...
Photographs: iStock
Text: Laura Wintemute
The Danish job market is not an easy one, especially after this global pandemic. The number of people registering as unemployed in Denmark has more than tripled since the lockdown, which is making the market much more competitive. Perhaps it's time for a change. Maybe it's time to do something you've always wanted to do but never had the chance or the courage to do it. Why not become an expat-prenuer?
Opening a business in a new country comes with its own set of unique challenges, from cultural differences to compliance issues and everything in between, but I can assure you, it's worth it. Denmark is a fantastic place to become self-employed, due in large part to low corruption, reliable infrastructure and pure digital bureaucracy. It may seem both exciting and scary to start your business in a foreign country with all the rules and regulations to consider, not to mention the language barrier, but I assure you …it's, not here in Denmark. The government has made entrepreneurship easy. It took me twenty minutes to create a certified registered business (CVR), and I was up and running! The Danish government also provides a range of schemes and courses aimed at helping individuals to manage their new businesses. Not to mention many online portals for business startups, offering a variety of answers to frequently asked questions regarding how to run a business in here, such as the visa requirements and other relevant information.
"I never was meant to be an entrepreneur, nor did I ever want to be an entrepreneur. I founded my company out of the necessity of not only finding my own happiness but also in helping other internationals with their own happiness and life fulfilment while living in Denmark. Best decision I ever made and I am not looking back." Kate Dahl - Founder Career Denmark
The expat experience makes for good entrepreneurs
The biggest challenges to starting a company in Denmark is actually coming up with a great idea, a niche and of course, building a supportive network. The idea is up to you, but the supportive network is the expat community. Approximately 100.000 internationals are living in Denmark. This is your network! If you offer a service to the expat community, which fills necessary market niches catering to other global nomads or by providing a simple personal service, you can easily succeed as an entrepreneur here. You'd be surprised at how many expats are making a living as successful entrepreneurs here in Denmark. There are numerous expat platforms to get your name out there, it just takes some creative social media posts to get their attention.
The expat community produces entrepreneurs because we are, by our very nature, entrepreneurs. We are risk-takers. We are forced to develop and perfect precisely the skills that starting a business requires. Our experience of living in a cross-cultural environment can show us newer ways of doing business and gives us a considerable advantage for thinking outside the box.
There are plenty of ways to make a living as an expat entrepreneur. Whatever you did for a living back home, you can likely make a business out of it here. Teachers, lawyers, coaches, yoga instructors, travel writers, massage therapists, you could even open an online webshop selling your homemade quilts or soaps… whatever! The opportunities are endless. If you use your skills, your expertise and your experiences, you can create a business doing it.
Now if I haven't convinced you by now to go for it and become an "expat-preneur" and you would still like to find a new job here in Denmark, I know someone who can help you. Give me a call!