Why entrepreneurs choose to incorporate their Start-up in Jersey, Channel Islands

The incorporation of a start-up in Jersey is easy and fast, with a dedicated support and a favourable tax environment. The island has become a popular place among entrepreneurs, they tell us why they’ve chosen to set up their start-up in Jersey.

The fast dedicated support to incorporate your start-up in Jersey.

My family and I decided to immigrate to Jersey from South Africa. We committed to this huge decision at the end of September 2018. Indeed, after meeting with Tony, CEO at Digital Jersey, I was left with the confidence that I would have access to an environment that could support me during this transition. Over a few months I worked closely with the team who assisted me in providing a compelling business plan to enable my business to launch and receive the correct licences. The next chapter was moving and launching my start-up in Jersey. Being greeted by a friendly and welcoming team in the buzz of the Hub was such a stress relief and the team instantly helped me settle in and get networked.

Jersey Channel Islands was the ideal location to incorporate my start-up.

The location to operate my digital start-up was crucial. I personally allocated a high score to Jersey Channel Islands during my research phase. The island is well connected with lots of flights to and from the UK every day as well as being well located to reach the European market. Communication with clients in these regions is easily tangible being in a similar time zone which creates efficient business operating hours.

For a family focused entrepreneur, Jersey provides a great education system.

Balancing work life and personal goals is crucial for any family-focused entrepreneur.  Having two young children both under 5 leaves a start-up entrepreneur with yet another ball to juggle, ensuring you provide your children with the best possible education and learning environment. My experience has been absolutely remarkable. The placement of my children was almost effortless. Any concerns for my children being in a new and different environment were instantly dissipated. The teachers have been extremely welcoming and proactive to ensure both my children quickly made new friends. They’ve provided well-structured learning material along with dedicated time to help them catch up on any curriculum gaps.

Jersey is a fantastic place to balance your work and personal life.

A major attraction for me was the prospect of being able to commit to a full day’s work yet still be able to have the time to enjoy what the island has to offer.  Being able to maximise your days and reset the internal clock is priceless. Whether it’s a long evening stroll along one of the islands stunning beaches, a cycle around the quaint green lanes or simply a top-notch meal in any one of the amazing restaurants.

The 100% Gigabit fibre in Jersey is a key factor for an IT start-up.

The broadband speed in Jersey is amongst the fastest in the world. It’s simply a dream for internet dependent companies like us. If that wasn’t enough, Digital Jersey provides extremely affordable co-working space with excellent infrastructure. This allows start-ups to reduce overheads and concentrate on building their business and local networks.

A welcoming tech-community when launching a start-up.

What I hadn’t anticipated when moving to Jersey, was the overwhelming sense of community and drive for collaboration within the tech sector.  Everyone has been extremely welcoming. Thanks to the Digital Hub and other collectives like TEKEX I have been lucky enough to meet like-minded individuals. In a rather small but diversely and highly talented population, it’s hugely beneficial being able to network in small circles and be introduced to the right people at the right time.  Jersey is really a great place to organically build relationships which I believe are the fundamentals for any start-ups.

The public sector in Jersey is highly cooperative and accessible for start-ups.

Never has it been easier to discuss topics with tax authorities and regulators than in Jersey. The small environment gives you a much closer relationship. The Government, the regulator and companies meet and work together regularly. Therefore, the authorities better understand the challenges faced by start-ups and companies. Jersey Channel Islands really is business friendly, this is particularly important for any new company or start-up.

The densely concentrated finance sector in Jersey is favourable for Fintech start-ups.

Because Jersey is the first global financial centre with a number of major banks, leading global financial institutions, accountancy practices and offshore law firms, it’s an ideal location for Fintech start-ups. Almost everyone knows everyone in some way. Consequently, it is easy to establish contacts and grow your network.

Having access to multiple co-working spaces (Digital Jersey HUB and Xchange).

Having a great support network, like Digital Jersey, that have an active interest to grow the sector. They’ve created a great environment to establish a start-up. ‍ Their network helped myself, my clients and their business partners to successfully expand their activities. But not only the virtual network, but also providing a physical presence. Providing local companies co-working spaces like the DJ Hub or the DJ Xchange to meet and exchange ideas is really a driving force behind the current growth of the Jersey tech industry.

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