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Comment by alicelthwaite | Hacker News Reader

Hi there - I'm the author of this piece. I don't actually speak German. I'm trying to improve - however, I wouldn't say it's required in Germany to start something on your own. Many of the meetups are in English and everyone I've spoken to is fluent. I think it's another story if you're trying to get a job though...

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Yes, the hardest thing is probably to get a flat and register a business without speaking German and these are one time things, no ongoing stuff.

The start-up scene speaks English fluently and buying stuff etc. doesn't need much talking.

The start-up I work with has 2 employees who don't speak German at all and they say it's only a problem when they are in smaller villages.

Registering a business is literally going to the "Gewerbeamt" and answering their questions about what you want to do. You will then be contacted by the tax authorities. I would then just search for a tax adviser, who speaks English.

If you want to incorporate a business, you do not necessarily have to do it in Germany, it is the EU after all.

Ah sure, yes I forgot that you can create a company in the UK and simply run it from Berlin without much hassle.

Why not start a business in Central or South Eastern Europe? Most cities are even cheaper than Berlin and still open to young people. Plus people are fluent in Englush, except maybe in Hungary.

People want to move to Berlin and the city has a great tech scene from what I can gather.

Generally the cities tend to be too small, too expensive (for what you get) or not international enough. More than anything "even cheaper" doesn't necessarily matter, around €750 is pretty much the sweet spot in terms of cost of living. Ljubljana seems pretty nice though.

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