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WORKING IN SWEDEN

Five ways Sweden should help foreign small business owners

Many businesses across Sweden, as is the case across the world, have been severely affected by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. It's often small businesses, without cash reserves or large buffers, that bear the brunt of crises, so what do they need to survive?

Five ways Sweden should help foreign small business owners
What do small businesses run by international residents need from Sweden? Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

Business owners in Sweden have had access to a range of packages, including temporarily reduced or deferred taxes, rent reductions for certain businesses, and loan guarantees.

But with an unclear outlook and many business owners having to rethink their whole business model, what do they need to be able to survive long-term?

These five ideas come from The Local readers who own small businesses. When we asked how they had been affected by the pandemic, some said they had lost the majority of their income while others had been less affected and some won’t know the true extent of the impact for some time to come.

1. Advertise help available clearly

Several business owners have told The Local they have struggled to work out what support they are eligible for, and how to apply, without strong Swedish language skills.

“I believe that the information out there needs to be advertised better. The financial help at the beginning was woolly, but now once you find it it is clearer. I applied for a loan from the bank and Almi, but I have received no answer from them, and this was over a month ago,” said one business owner in Jämtland.

A business owner in Västra Götaland described English language support as “terrible”, and said that due to the pandemic they had stopped using an accountant and begun doing this themselves, “which again is not easy in English”.  

You can find English-language information for businesses on Verksamt and from the Swedish government.

2. Think long-term

Many businesses work several months in advance, meaning they won’t see the real effects of the pandemic until later in 2020 or even next year.

For others, the long-term consequences of the situation, such as global travel restrictions or changes to how large events are run, may change how businesses can run in the future.

A lot of the support available in Sweden has been time-limited, out of necessity, for example support packages based on income levels between March and May of 2020. But this won’t cover all the companies who feel the effects of the pandemic. 

“The support in place is helpful but uncertain if it will carry me through in a worse case or even a bad scenario. I’m not there currently but the future doesn’t look encouraging, and in my business the effects won’t be realised until later,” American business owner Jim Osmundsen in Trelleborg told The Local.

One business owner in northern Sweden had been forced to let employees go after losing 70 percent of their business income, but the only benefit they had been eligible for was tax referral.


An empty square in the tourist town of Visby this June. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

3. Stimulate spending

The crisis has changed people’s behaviour deeply and dramatically. The uncertainty of the economic situation has curbed spending in retail even despite the lack of lockdown, for example, while people may be more cautious in their spending for years to come.

One way Sweden could help encourage spending, suggested by a reader running a small business in the Stockholm area, is through tax deductions, similar to the existing ROT & RUT deductions which subsidise work carried out by tradespeople such as mechanics, electricians and cleaners. Reducing the cost for the end consumer encourages them to go ahead with spending and gives a boost to these professions, and an expansion of these deductions could give small businesses a boost, the reader argued.

4. More support for sole traders

Self-employed people or sole proprietors (enskilda firmor in Swedish) are not eligible for some of the support measures offered, including state subsidised reduced working hours, or the state covering the cost of sick pay. 

“If I want unemployment benefits from my union, I have to close my business completely, which means losing all remaining income I do have. It’s senseless,” said an American business owner who had lost 70 percent of her business during the pandemic.

5. Ensure support is applied equally to those affected

It’s necessary that the government has limits on who is eligible for the support. But in some cases, business owners said more flexibility was warranted.

For example, rent reductions were made available for businesses in especially vulnerable industries like restaurants and tourism companies, but this had to be applied for by landlords.

Because many of the eligibility criteria were based on a percentage of income lost year-on-year, newly started companies which began operations after spring 2019, or had a low income in spring 2019 due to starting up, are not eligible for the adjustment support. Businesses with significant seasonal variation in income would also be affected.

Member comments

  1. The system here is extremely bureaucratic, and as an English speaker who has limited knowledge in Swedish (I’m just lacking general language skills) it becomes traumatically difficult to seek government help. After four months I’ve given up waiting for any reply and found myself an angel investor from Greece instead.

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WORKING IN SWEDEN

Ten easy-access cafés and libraries to study or work from in Stockholm

Whether you are a student looking for a place to study or someone who works remotely and is looking for a new atmosphere, Stockholm caters to a diverse range of preferences and needs.

Ten easy-access cafés and libraries to study or work from in Stockholm

At times, it’s necessary to seek out a fresh workspace or study environment to enhance our focus and productivity.

Here’s our selection of Stockholm cafés where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and the aroma of the beans in the air, to libraries where you can completely get into the zone and options that give you a chance to network in an office-like space.

Stockholm City Libraries

If you like to work in a quiet and peaceful place, then one of Stockholm City’s Libraries might be the place for you. It offers work and study places, free Wi-Fi and they also have printing facilities. A library card is not required to access the library, but if you want to borrow or reserve books then it is needed.

More information and to find the closest library to you, can be found here.

Stockholm University Library

The library on Stockholm University’s campus is open to everyone. This library has a mix of quiet work areas as well as noisy sections. Most seats have power outlets available, students and those who have access to Eduroam can use that network, but a temporary login can be found at the library entrance. In addition, there is a café and two shops situated within the same building.

More information can be found here.

Location: Universitetsvägen 14D, 114 18 Stockholm

KTH Library

Another university library which is open to everyone is the KTH Royal Institute of Technology’s library.

Here you can find a number of quiet places to work and study, with the majority of seats equipped with power outlets. Eduroam’s wireless network is available throughout the library along with a guest network, details on how to connect to this can be found at the information desk.

Café Stories is located in the entrance hall, but be aware that no foods, such as sandwiches, wraps or salads are allowed in the quiet sections of the library. Snacks and drinks which have lids are allowed in.

Find additional details here.

Location: Kungliga Tekniska högskolans bibliotek, Osquars backe 21, 114 28 Stockholm

Goto 10

Goto 10 allows its members to access work lounges, hold events, record podcasts and test a 3D printer all within their premises (they’ve also got hubs in Malmö and Linköping). The membership is free and in return you are asked to contribute to creating content for Goto 10.

Their lounges include Wi-Fi, seating with power outlets, microwaves and a coffee machine.

Information about Goto 10 and how you can become a member can be found here.

Location: Hammarby kaj 10D, 120 30 Stockholm

Scandic Hotel

The hotel group Scandic offers co-working spaces and a hotel room office in their hotels. Prices for their co-working spaces start from 99 kronor per day and it includes free Wi-Fi, power outlets, coffee and tea, printing and copying services, and a 10 percent discount on food.
The co-working spaces are available in all 270 Scandic hotels, in six countries and 26 of those are in Stockholm.

More information and a price list can be found here.

Bröd & Salt

The café chain Bröd & Salt has shops all across the city. The chain also offers a workspace subscription called Club Salt, which gives you access to six of their co-working spaces. These workspaces are located in Torsplan, Jarlsgatan, Odenplan, Kungsholmen, Fleminggatan and Uppsala if you want to venture outside the capital. They offer shared spaces to work, with power outlets and Wi-Fi, and the subscription comes with a discount on a variety of menu items sold at Bröd & Salt.

Subscriptions for the co-working space start from 599 kronor per month.

More information can be found here.

Espresso House

You can find Espresso House in many corners of the country. They may be part of a chain with everything that entails, but they are popular spots to work from, which is evident from the many laptops that can be seen when you enter. The cafés usually offer free Wi-Fi and some seats have a power outlet as well. It is important to note that it could get a bit loud in the café.

Find your closest Espresso House here.

Waynes

Another café chain in Sweden and in Stockholm is Waynes. The company has a number of shops across the city and like many cafés it provides free Wi-Fi and a certain amount of power outlets. If you do not want to travel too far, but still want a nice coffee shop to work from then Waynes fits that description.

Find out more here.

ilcaffé

Another popular café to work from is ilcaffé. Located in Bergsgatan, Drottninggatan, Långholmsgatan and Södermannagatan, this café has free Wi-Fi and a number of power outlets. The café offers a range of sandwiches, treats and coffee, so there is no wonder why it has become a popular work hub.

Information about ilcaffé can be found here.

Urban Deli

The hotel, restaurant and café chain Urban Deli has five shops in Stockholm. They are located in Sveavägen, Nytorget, Sickla, Centralen and Hagastaden. The shop in Sveavägen in particular is a popular spot used by those who want to enjoy a coffee or a meal and work or study away. It has free Wi-Fi and power outlets at certain seats.

You can find more information here.

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