Suomi.fi online service is expanding: Comprehensive data bank and advisory service opens for companies

The Suomi.fi online service, which brings together public services, is expanding to cover all official services directed towards companies and prospective entrepreneurs. Suomi.fi’s company section brings together the services related to the various stages of a company’s life cycle as well as a comprehensive package of data and information for entrepreneurs. The reform will include integrating the popular Enterprise Finland service as part of the Suomi.fi online service.

Start-up companies can find information about company formation and accessing financing from Suomi.fi’s company section for example. Growing companies can find information about employing staff and employers’ obligations. The Suomi’fi online service also has comprehensive information that can make business planning and development easier. The online service also explains the services on offer related to company growth and internationalisation.

“Suomi.fi’s company section brings together all the information and help available in Finland for entrepreneurs. The service is also complemented by services in the private and third sectors. There is information about the whole journey through a company’s life cycle from choosing the legal form of a company to winding up a company's operations”, explains Kirsi Mikkonen, an expert at the Population Register Centre.

Signposted action path is the new entrepreneur's check-list

The company pages have a new approach to providing help for start-up companies; there are signposted action paths published within the service. The idea is to guide future entrepreneurs through the stages involved in company formation and ensure that the important issues are taken care of. By answering questions the entrepreneur generates a check-list that makes the company formation process easier, gives advice on the permits the company needs, what registers the company has to be entered in and what kinds of insurance are required.

The action paths for company planning and formation have already been published. A signposted path on employing the first member of staff is on its way.

The online service was presented to future users and received positive feedback. The visitors thought that a particular strength was that information and services can be found at a single address and that they are organised by themes. The user does not need to know what organisation or authority is responsible for the information they are looking for.

“The new service has been developed through wide-ranging collaboration between officials, and our objective is to provide better support to companies and those intending to set up companies. Those involved included Team Finland, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority, the TE Offices and the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment”, concludes Ms Mikkonen.

Electronic authorisations and official notifications for companies

During 2018, the Suomi.fi services will be expanded to cover the needs of companies more comprehensively as Suomi.fi’s notifications will expand to cover official notifications by small companies. Suomi.fi notifications are a fast and data secure way of communicating with official government organisations.

Suomi.fi’s authorisations already allow a company representative to authorise an employee of the company to look after the company’s affairs. The possibility to take care of matters using electronic authorisation will be significantly expanded during the current year.

What is Suomi.fi?

Suomi.fi is an online service which contains all public administration services and communication channels collectively. Suomi.fi enables citizens to find information from public services related to their situation in life, from a single place. By registering with Suomi.fi you can check your own information on different official registers, authorise another person or company to act on your behalf and receive official post electronically. Suomi.fi lets you use the authorities' services easily and securely whenever it is convenient for you. Suomi.fi’s company section brings together all the information and help available in Finland for entrepreneurs. There is information about the whole journey through a company’s life cycle from choosing the legal form of a company to winding up a company's operations. Suomi.fi is aimed at citizens, companies, communities and authorities. Suomi.fi is being developed by the Population Register Centre.