2024-10-24
Jönköping Chamber of Commerce: Consid Shares Success and Challenges in Germany
Earlier this fall, Consid was nominated as "Newcomer of the Year" in the German market by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Germany. In October, Patrik Hall, CEO of Consid GmbH, gave a presentation at the Jönköping Chamber of Commerce.
Consid’s first two years in Germany have been full of valuable lessons, a few setbacks, but above all, a demonstration that the Swedish business model and culture they introduced have proven to be successful.
Another key factor has been Hamburg’s role as a hub for innovation and digitalization. During Patrik Hall’s presentation at the Jönköping Chamber of Commerce, he expanded on the geographical advantages of having an office in Hamburg.
– “Why we chose Hamburg is simple: it’s Northern Germany’s business hub, accounting for 14% of Germany’s GDP in a small area. We have many shipping and e-commerce clients. Another advantage is the geographical proximity to Sweden. It’s very easy for us to travel to Hamburg, and by 2029, with the tunnel completed, it will be even faster,” said Patrik Hall, pointing out another critical aspect of doing business in Germany:
– The business approach varies depending on where you set up operations in Germany. Our method has worked well in Hamburg. Naturally, we aim to expand further into Europe, and Germany is a fantastic starting point.”
However, setting up Consid’s operations in Germany has been challenging. The initial phase required some adjustment from Sweden’s relatively digitized system, where most registrations can be done online, to navigating various local authorities before the company was officially registered. This experience has provided valuable insights for the team that established Consid GmbH.
– We’ve been running around ourselves, getting all the necessary stamps from different authorities. We want to learn the business processes ourselves to avoid becoming dependent on agents.
Despite these challenges, Hall and his colleagues have received crucial support, notably from the Swedish Chamber of Commerce.
– The Swedish Chamber of Commerce has been an incredible support. To operate in Germany, you need an excellent German lawyer, which we were able to secure with their help. Without that, you won’t get far, and it’s thanks to the network we’ve built through the Chamber that we’ve made such progress.
Consid’s Mixed Team Delivery Model
