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Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

english.martinvarsavsky.net

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Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#11

Post by objclxt »

skreech wrote: post #7

Article is ridden with errors, mostly based on a faulty premise. Europe is not a country. Europe isn't even the EU. Laws, regulations, attitudes and tax rates vary widely. If you want to do a startup in Europe, choose a country first and then read up.

I would tend to agree: one of the biggest mistakes he makes is assuming EU wide directives are applied equally. The UK, for example, negotiated a clause meaning employers can have employees opt-out of the working time directive (which governs the number of hours in a week employees can work).

Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#12

Post by fauigerzigerk »

wilfra wrote: post #2

I'd be living on a beach in Italy right now were it not for the visa situation. Anybody know a way around the 90-day rule for Americans?

Unfortunately I don't. It's pretty incredible how in a world of supposed free trade and globalisation we are prevented from freely trading our most valuable goods - our skills and knowledge and creativity.

Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#13

Post by aes256 »

skreech wrote: post #7

Article is ridden with errors, mostly based on a faulty premise. Europe is not a country. Europe isn't even the EU. Laws, regulations, attitudes and tax rates vary widely. If you want to do a startup in Europe, choose a country first and then read up.

Indeed, this article really ought to refer to Western Europe rather than Europe as a whole, and even then there are far too many generalizations.

Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#14

Post by RyanZAG »

I don't live in a country with the kind of employee protection rules as in Germany, but the article still comes off as a rant against employee protections.

Can't afford to treat your employees like humans? Want to give them big bonuses and then fire them the following year so they can't pay the mortgage on that house they put a deposit down on with that bonus? Don't want to shell out a bit of money on decent offices, and rather shove them in some little basement somewhere?

None of this is required for a startup. You can actually treat your employees as human regardless of the stage of your business - especially considering that this guy can easily afford this stuff.

Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#15

Post by Svip »

RyanZAG wrote: post #14

I don't live in a country with the kind of employee protection rules as in Germany, but the article still comes off as a rant against employee protections. Can't afford to treat your employees like humans? Want to give them big bonuses and then fire them the following year so they can't pay the mortgage on that house they put a deposit down on with that bonus? Don't want to shell out a bit of money on decent offices,…

I also don't buy the notion that Europeans are generally resentful towards entrepreneurs.

Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#16

Post by skrebbel »

Svip wrote: post #15
RyanZAG wrote: post #14

I don't live in a country with the kind of employee protection rules as in Germany, but the article still comes off as a rant against employee protections. Can't afford to treat your employees like humans? Want to give them big bonuses and then fire them the following year so they can't pay the mortgage on that house they put a deposit down on with that bonus? Don't want to shell out a bit of money on decent offices,…

I also don't buy the notion that Europeans are generally resentful towards entrepreneurs.

This differs enormously across countries.

Which is really the problem with targeting anything at "Europe" (be it a blog post or a business): there's always something new that differs enormously across countries.

Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#17

Post by Swizec »

Svip wrote: post #15
RyanZAG wrote: post #14

I don't live in a country with the kind of employee protection rules as in Germany, but the article still comes off as a rant against employee protections. Can't afford to treat your employees like humans? Want to give them big bonuses and then fire them the following year so they can't pay the mortgage on that house they put a deposit down on with that bonus? Don't want to shell out a bit of money on decent offices,…

I also don't buy the notion that Europeans are generally resentful towards entrepreneurs.

In my experience the ex communist countries are still heavily resentful towards entrepreneurs.

Especially because for the past 20 years being an entrepreneur has mostly meant legally stealing big corporations. At least in the eyes of many. There are a lot of decent entrepreneurs, but they don't get any press.

However, the general mantra is "He has more than we do, he is obviously a scoundrel and a thief. You can't get there by being honest."

Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#18

Post by jdkx »

Svip wrote: post #15
RyanZAG wrote: post #14

I don't live in a country with the kind of employee protection rules as in Germany, but the article still comes off as a rant against employee protections. Can't afford to treat your employees like humans? Want to give them big bonuses and then fire them the following year so they can't pay the mortgage on that house they put a deposit down on with that bonus? Don't want to shell out a bit of money on decent offices,…

I also don't buy the notion that Europeans are generally resentful towards entrepreneurs.

It's most certainly true in France and I guess in other Latin countries.

Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#19

Post by raverbashing »

Swizec wrote: post #17
Svip wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also don't buy the notion that Europeans are generally resentful towards entrepreneurs.

In my experience the ex communist countries are still heavily resentful towards entrepreneurs. Especially because for the past 20 years being an entrepreneur has mostly meant legally stealing big corporations. At least in the eyes of many. There are a lot of decent entrepreneurs, but they don't get any press. However, the general mantra is "He has more than we do, he is obviously a scoundrel and a thief. You can't ge…

That's the true tragedy of places where 'under the table' is the norm rather than the exception (including ex-communist countries but not limited to them)

Re: Advice for US entrepreneurs who move to Europe

#20

Post by Svip »

jdkx wrote: post #18
Svip wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also don't buy the notion that Europeans are generally resentful towards entrepreneurs.

It's most certainly true in France and I guess in other Latin countries.

But but but « entrepreneur » is a French word!
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