FAQs

What is a business centre?

A business centre offers the use of equipped and serviced offices with access to a fully comprehensive office infrastructure as well as qualified, skilled staff for short- or long-term use. For instance, if you are planning to move your business to another market area of the country, with the option of a business centre you can be up and running faster than you think. You can move in within 24 hours as the offices of a business centre are always ready to go. Also, you will have no initial cost, no up-front investments and you will benefit from flexible leasing terms.

For companies coming from abroad, the infrastructure of a business centre with fully trained and experienced staff speaking the local language and knowledgeable about the local customs and business practices can be a great asset to their development. 

Young entrepreneurs and start-ups will find the service concept of a business centre providing cost efficient and flexible solutions, a decisive factor when setting up a business. 

At a business centre you can also have individual services such as having your phone line routed to our switchboard and answered by professional multilingual operators or use the services of a multilingual secretary. Our pool of translators and interpreters are available to assist our clients on a 'as-needed' basis. Whether you are in need of a virtual or a full-time office, the solutions offered by a business centre offer a cost-value ratio that will be decisive for your future expansion plans. Conference facilities are readily available to enable you to make presentations or conduct negotiations.
Just give us a call, and we will be pleased to discuss your business needs and make you a customized proposal. 

Our motto is: You take care of business while we run your office.

What is your track record?

World-Wide Business Centres has a proven track record of over 30 years successfully operating in the Office Business Centres field. As a pioneer in this Industry, WWBC have been assisting national firms and companies to gain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.

WWBC has helped many a blue chip firm to establish its business world-wide. We stand for quality and professionalism in our industry.  

As one of the first business centres in Europe, WWBC AG has been ISO 9001 certified since 2000 and meets the quality standards as recognized by TUV Switzerland.

We keep our promises!

To what extent can a business centre provide cost-efficient solutions? How can a business centre help me save time and money?

The advantages of using the services of a business centre are quite obvious:

flexible services and no long-term commitment. Our clients can focus on their core business while we provide a solid, well-performing infrastructure with qualified and experienced personnel skilled in business administration and technical support.
In order to ensure sustainability, quality service performance, the staff of a business centre is obliged to attend to workshops and training related to our industry on a regular basis.

Many companies who are about to invest in new markets have hardly any time – let alone the budget – to find suitable office space, which involves assessing possible facilities, worrying about interior design, furnishings, etc., negotiating the leasing terms, all leading to unnecessary expense. Often these start-ups do not want to commit to long-term leasing and cannot afford hiring their own back-office staff. Their priority is to focus on their business and on the local market. 

The solution provided by a business centre is suitable for companies of all sizes and from all sectors. The instant office solution that is available with one or more workstations means:
you can move in and start operating from one day to another. 

World-Wide Business Centres pays attention to every bit of service given our customers. Our receptionist will greet you with a friendly smile and handle your calls proficiently and according to your instructions; our secretarial pool is at your disposal and on stand-by for office work and personal assistance. Every floor is equipped with a photocopying machine and shredder. The cafeteria provides beverages and snacks and is a favorite meeting point for clients and guests alike.
We can keep pace with your expansion plans and can upgrade or downgrade your space requirements in accordance with your needs. 

Flexibility is the key to our success. This is why our industry is continuously growing and striving to meet the new demands of an ever changing business world.

Can I expand within a business centre?

Of course you can! The service concept of a World-Wide Business Centres consists of adapting a service package to the available budget of our clients. You may start with a virtual office until your business justifies the cost of a full-time office with one or more workstations. We offer tailor-made arrangements that will grow with your company…

What are the advantages and benefits for a client of WWBC?

We say: try out and see for yourself!

Office Rental – Your advantages

• Flexible lease and customized offices
• Fixed cost based on existing infrastructure and staff
• Latest office technology without investments
• Professional back-office with skilled, experienced and multilingual staff, familiar with local culture and business practices; always accessible
• No need for setting up your own administration; use ours!
• Financial security thanks to savings and fixed cost
• You take care of business while we run your office
• One stop shop …. WWBC acts as your main contact for all your business needs
• You will gain time to focus on your core business and plenty left to spend with your family and for leisure.

Business address (Virtual Office) – Your advantages

• No long-term commitment
• Prestigious business location, easily accessible to clients
• Operational in all major national and international business hubs
• Professional back-office with skilled, multilingual and experienced staff, familiar with local culture and business practices; always accessible
• Minimum costs, maximum of services and benefits
• Top office infrastructure with access to state-of-the-arts technology
• Linked to the world
• Single contact point: WWBCN for all business needs
• Client can focus on core business; no need for setting up one’s own administration with staff and office infrastructure
• Increase your revenue and gain new clients

Conference management – Your advantages

• First-class conference facilities at prestigious address
• Easily accessible at strategic location for you and your visitors
• Latest technology and amenities enable successful meetings
• Client can focus on the essentials of his meeting; we manage your conference
• Access to conference facilities only with security code. Security guards available during conference, upon request
• Access to translation and interpreting services during the conference
• Preferential rates to neighbouring hotels and restaurants
• We organize the catering (coffee and lunch breaks, dinners)
• All rooms are air-conditioned; available in various sizes suitable for 2 – 60 persons
• Profit from our know-how and experience in conference management

Language services – Your advantages

• Under time pressure? We offer a 24-hour translation service
• Translations available in all language combinations and specific terminologies
• We respect your delivery deadlines
• We meet top quality criteria. Our translators pool works exclusively in their native language in their topic specialization
• Discretion and confidentiality are guaranteed
• Rely on our professional and specialized interpreters for successful conferences and sales negotiations
• Our business centres are ISO 9001:2000 certified and meet the quality standards as recognised by TUV Switzerland
• We guarantee a delivery within 24 hours for translating up to 10 A4-sized pages
• Proof-reading and legalization of official documents available
• Our language service department has a hot-line to assist you
   
  

Which location will be the best for my type of business?

To choose the right location for one’s business, there is a whole range of criteria such as the geographical and economical factor of the targeted market to bear in mind. Next to the fiscal aspect, the existing infrastructure, the accessibility of the place, the local economic and cultural environment as well as the availability of qualified staff are crucial factors which will determine one’s final choice. On our webpage you will find a geographical map of Switzerland featuring a link for each of our WWBC Partners and their respective characteristics.  

Which location offers the best fiscal factors?

The Swiss tax system is influenced by the federal structure of the country. There is a federal tax, and each Canton and municipality have their own rates depending on their locations.

As in the case of other indirect taxes and levies on consumables, the levying of a value added tax (VAT) is a task reserved for the Swiss federal government. To reduce administrative work, very small companies are exempt from VAT, while certain goods and services are also tax-free. Because primary importance is attached to direct taxes, the maximum VAT rate is mere 7.6%, which amounts to the lowest VAT rate in Europe.

You can obtain further information on the various tax types/rates (income tax, corporate taxes etc.) and the Swiss tax system here free of charge.

Benefits of the swiss tax system (1.43MB)

Which legal forms apply in Switzerland?

In Switzerland there are eight corporate forms. As a general rule six of these are appropriate with regard to operating a commercial enterprise. In addition, a commercial enterprise may be operated by a single proprietor and – with a restriction on self-employment – by a branch of a domestic or foreign company.  

Above all, the two principal forms with respect to performing commercial activities are: the company limited by shares (AG) and the public limited company (GmbH). The advantages of these two forms are:

• Limited share and risk capital
• Simplified assignment of business interests
• Regulated representation rights
• Legal structures comparable with foreign legal forms, e.g German GmbH, English Limited Liable Company
  

Approximately 50% of all Swiss companies are operated using the AG and GmbH forms (the proportion of GmbHs is increasing).

Besides the founding of an AG or a GmbH, one can register a subsidiary of a foreign company in the Trade Register, and a partnership that is not incorporated can be established.

Types of enterprises - comparativ overview (39KB)

When must I register my company in the Trade Register?

As long as the domicile in Switzerland is used solely as a representative office, registration in the Trade Register is not necessary. This is the case when the address is used, for example, for marketing purposes, consultation discussions, etc.

As soon as the domicile is used as an operational facility (e.g., hiring personnel, preparation of invoices with the CH address, etc.) the following legal regulations apply.

Art. 52 – Registration Obligation
Whoever operates a trade, manufacturing or other industry operated in a businesslike manner is obliged to be registered in the Trade Register at the place of the head office (Art. 934 Section 1 OR).
The registration obligation begins with the opening of the business.
An independent activity oriented towards perpetual income shall be regarded as a commercial activity in the meaning of this ordinance.  

Art. 54 Exceptions to the Registration Obligation – Gross Proceeds
The designated industries in the previous Article under letters A numbers 1, 5 and 8 as well as B and C are exempt from the registration obligation when their annual gross proceeds do not reach the sum of 100,000 francs. 

Every World-Wide Business Centre is specialized and experienced in the area of domicile acquisition and offers various possibilities for business representative offices. Setting up companies can be carried out at every location, either by the Business Center itself or by approved, selected partners of many years. For further information, please contact the respective location.

I would like to set up a Swiss GmbH (limited liability company), but do not want to have a Swiss place of residence.

A GmbH must provide at least one partner (does not have to be a Swiss citizen) with residence in Switzerland. This partner should be registered as the managing director in the Trade Register. Additional partners with residence abroad are possible.

So-called partner or administrative board briefs are offered to foreign partners in a firm who do not wish to transfer their domicile to Switzerland. This can also be issued to a non-partner with limited authority. You can receive detailed information directly at every WWBC location. Link to WWBC Switzerland with map

Switzerland is not a member of the EU. What does that mean for me and my business?

More than 600,000 citizens of EU countries work in Switzerland. That is almost 16% of all those employed here. As a trading partner, Switzerland is the third largest supplier of goods and the second largest EU customer, and 60% of Swiss direct investments occur in the EU realm.

Switzerland in fact is not a member of the EU. However, a closely knit network of agreements, especially the bilateral agreements of Switzerland with the EU that have been in effect since 1 June 2002 and generally close economic ties ensure that Switzerland as a country, as a business location and as a financial center can play its role in Europe.
The so-called Switzerland-EU bilateral agreements, consisting of seven sectoral agreements between Switzerland and the EU, have been in effect since 1 June 2002. With them additional market access barriers were eliminated.  For numerous Swiss companies the European market is more important than the domestic market. The bilateral agreements make it possible for them to have access to the European market under stable general conditions on an equivalent footing. A market with a population of 380 million can then be made available.

Further information about the individual provisions of the bilateral agreements of particular importance such as:

• personal freedom of movement
• elimination of trade barriers
• research
• rail and highway traffic
• air traffic
• public procurement system
• agricultural products trade

You will find here: