Hamburg has numerous consulting services for interested founders. The following institutions are some of the places that offer advice on setting up a business:
Service Center of the Hamburg Handelskammer
Young entrepreneurs interested in becoming freelancers in Hamburg should acquaint themselves with the Gründungszentrum (lit. ‘Start-Up Centre’). Anyone interested in an initial free consultation can simply walk in for a free starter package with a variety of information material available in English.
Contact:
Handelskammer Hamburg
Service Center
Adolphsplatz 1
20457 Hamburg
Phone: 040 36138-138
e-mail: service@hk24.de
Internet: www.hk24.de
Opening hours:
Monday - Thursday: 8 am - 5 pm
Friday: 10 am - 4 pm
Special consulting services for immigrant-founded companies in Hamburg
Consultations are available in German, Arabic, Turkish, Dari or Farsi.
Contact us:
Dr. Toufic El Masri
Phone: 040 36138-356
e-mail: toufic.elmasri@hk24.de
Bahram Habib
Phone: 040 36138-689
e-mail: bahram.habib@hk24.de
Ayhan Saka
Phone: 040 36138-230
e-mail: ayhan.saka@hk24.de
Handwerkskammer Hamburg
When setting up your own craftsmanship business, many questions arise, and the Handwerkskammer is the place for answers. Their consultation service for new businesses is happy to help. The information on their website is also helpful, though it is only available in German.
An essential part of business start-up consultation is planning. This includes the ability to present the viability of your business idea through a formal business plan.
An initial consultation will help you clarify the current position from which you hope to start your business. This could be, for example, with help from a current or former employer or with government benefits. You will also discuss whether your pöans include taking over an already existing business or whether you’ll be founding something from the ground up.
The free consulting service includes support in preparing the following documents:
- Capital requirement and financing plan
- Selection of credit programme
- Selection of guarantor
- Determination of debt service
- Calculation of the average hourly wage
- Gross profit calculation depending on capacity utilisation
- Sales and merchandise planning
- Profitability planning
- Liquidity planning
- Trade tax calculation
- if necessary, determination of company value
If the company is founded by way of a takeover or succession, a company valuation should be carried out by the consultancy office. It must be determined that the purchase price is reasonable and that you will not pay too much. In addition, the financing is examined. It does not matter whether you want to found a company with outside capital or equity capital.
Even if you have no securities, the consultation can be worthwhile. The advisors at Business Start-Up Consulting will walk you through your options.
Contact:
Handwerkskammer Hamburg
Business management consulting
Holstenwall 12
20355 Hamburg (as well as branch offices in Hamburg-Bergedorf and Hamburg-Harburg)
Phone: 040 35905-361
e-mail: bbstinfo@hwk-hamburg.de
Internet: www.hwk-hamburg.de
Opening hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 7.45 am - 4.30 pm
Wednesday: 7.45 am - 12.00 pm
Friday: 7.45 am – 4.00 pm
Hamburg Invest
Hamburg Invest is the one-stop agency for investments from Germany and abroad in Hamburg and a central partner of Hamburg's business community in all matters of business development. There are a wide range of services available, especially for small and medium-sized companies.
Contact:
HIW Hamburg Invest
Business development company mbH
Wexstraße 7
20355 Hamburg
Phone: 040 227019-0
e-mail: info@hamburg-invest.de
Internet: https://en.hamburg-invest.com/
Centers for Economic Development, Construction and Environment
The Hamburg District Offices’s Centers for Wirtschaftsförderung, Bauen und Umwelt (lit.: Economic Development, Construction and Environment, WBZ) are the central contact points for almost all administrative matters that a company founder might expect to handle. They provide broad advice and take care of the associated applications and approval procedures on an interdisciplinary basis. Depending on your concerns, our staff will process your request immediately, arrange individual appointments or put you in touch with the correct contact person.
Contact:
District Office Eimsbüttel (Bezirksamt Eimsbüttel)
Department of Economics, Construction and Environment, Center for Economic Development, Construction and Environment (Dezernat Wirtschaft, Bauen und Umwelt, Zentrum für Wirtschaftsförderung, Bauen und Umwelt)
Grindelberg 62-66
20144 Hamburg
District Office Harburg (Bezirksamt Harburg)
Center for Economic Development, Construction and Environment (Zentrum für Wirtschaftsförderung, Bauen und Umwelt)
Room: 4007/4009
Harburg City Hall Forum 2
21073 Hamburg
Phone: 040 42871-3425 or 040 42871-2509
e-mail: Wirtschaftsfoerderung@harburg.hamburg.de
District Office Bergedorf (Bezirksamt Bergedorf)
Department of Economics, Construction and Environment, Center for Economic Development, Construction and Environment (Dezernat Wirtschaft, Bauen und Umwelt, Zentrum für Wirtschaftsförderung, Bauen und Umwelt)
Wentorfer Straße 38a
21029 Hamburg
More contact details of all branches of the Centre for Business Development, Construction and Environment can be found here (available only in German).
The city of Hamburg opens its doors to entrepreneurs, tradesmen, investors and those willing to build.
Whether you want to build, expand your business or register a trade
The Centres for Economic Development, Construction and Environment (WBZ) are the central local contacts for almost all matters that a tradesman and building applicant will deal with. They provide advice on all matters and also offer interdisciplinary processing of application and approval procedures. They do not send entrepreneurs from one office to another with their concerns, but relieve them of a large part of the coordination work.
The services are:
- Information and services of the district economic development agency for resident companies or companies interested in the location
- Business registrations and deregistrations
- Granting of special use permits
- Building permits and advice on all questions of public building law
- Inspection of construction files
- Permits relating to nature conservation
Visit the district centres for business development, construction and environment. Depending on your request, our service colleagues will process your request immediately, put you in touch with the right contact person or arrange individual appointments. Feel free to reach out by phone or email.
Hamburger ExistenzgründungsInitiative (hei.) - Hamburg Business Start-up Initiative
’One can learn independence’ - this is the slogan of the city’s coaching programme which provides seminars on the topic independence. You can apply for an attendance voucher online or in person.
In addition, hei. offers founders and those interested in founding a company a free initial consultation conversation and supports them on their journey to self-employment. Furthermore, hei. arranges contact with people and institutions from the Hamburg’s start-up scene. To arrange a personal consultation, please call or visit the website ( available only in German).
Contact:
hei. ExistenzgründungsInitiative
Besenbinderhof 39
20097 Hamburg
Phone: 040 611700-0
e-mail: n.bachmann@hei-hamburg.de
Internet: www.hei-hamburg.de
Federal Employment Agency
At the Employment Agency, unemployed people can find information on setting up a business and start-up subsidies. Those looking for further information can visit the Federal Employment Agency, who can arrange contact to chambers, associations or business incubators for further help. Find out more by visiting the Federal Employment Agency online and make an appointment with your local Employment Agency.
Contact:
Hamburg Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit Hamburg)
Kurt-Schumacher-Allee 16
20097 Hamburg
Internet: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/starting-a-business
