5 reasons to start & build your entrepreneurial career in Scandinavia

1. Studies are free.
One big reason to move to Scandinavia is to get a great and free education. Unlike some other countries in Europe, higher education is free for not only for Nordic and European citizens, but also (in some cases ) for non-European citizens.

However, you should be aware that some of the Nordic governments have been cutting back on their higher education spendings, which in turn have made it harder for non-European citizens to get into Nordic universities and takning courses for free. But if you are willing to search for work it’s not to hard to find a part-time job to cover the tuition fees.   

Also, you should know that there are housing problems in many of Sweden's major cities such as Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg and Lund as well as in the other Nordic capital cities. 

2. Plenty of startups.
There are startup hubs available in all of the major Scandinavian cities, making it really easy to meet other entrepreneurs and buildning business together.

Even though the Nordic countries do not have very large populations, the companies established here are really making a mark globally. Who doesnt know Volvo, Ikea or Spotify all these world brands were created in Sweden, a country with only 10 million inhabitants. In fact the inofficiell Nordic tech-capital, Stockholm has produced the second-highest number of billion-dollar tech companies per capita, only outrank by Silicon Valley.

3. Good infrastructure and techology.
the public transportation systems in some Nordic countries are starting to become a little outdated but overall the infrastruture is still good and in some regards even excellent.  High speed fiber internet connections are readily available in most parts of the Nordic countries and the same goes for mobile internet connections. This makes it really easy to work ”on the go” and makes it possible for startups to establish businesses outside of the rural areas.

4. Small business are important to th economy.
The importance of new startups and growing small business has become more and more evident, recent studies suggest that a majority of all new jobs are created by small and midsize enterprises. This is really a transformation for the Nordic society in large and governments are finally starting to catch up with these changes and some are even considering harmonizing tax rules and other regulations inside the Nordic region to make it easier for companies to do business within Scandinavia.  

Another aspect which has really been put under the spotlight recently is how hard is it to get a business loan from Nordic banks. This is a real issue for startups looking for venture capitals as well as small business wanting to grow. The Europeon unionen is trying to help out offering financing and banking guarantees through Horizon 2020 and other types of European Investment Bank (EIB) project funding. 

5. Entrepreneurs and business owners are highly valued.
In the Scandinavian countries plenty of people carry a dream of one day becoming their own masters by setting up a business, but only a few really decied to make the entrepreneurial journey their quest. Thats why people really tend to look up to people who actually follow their heart and do what they wanted.   

Sure at times being an entrepreneur can be very frustrating, hard and even lonley at times, however all in all the feeling when succeeding with a project is very rewarding and makes you grow not only as an entrepreneur, but more importatly as a human.

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