Starting a Business in Berlin

88 89 Starting a Business in Berlin A Beginner’s Guide WHERE CAN I FIND MORE HELP? Berlin is Germany’s capital of innovation, offering a fantastic start-up network in which to discuss ideas, find help and share knowledge. With this in mind, you really should take advantage of opportunities to network at work, in cafés, at university, or quite simply anywhere you might stand to meet interesting people in the city. Start-up nights, relevant trade fairs and a variety of smaller events are available for you to get more involved in both your own and other start-ups in an informal atmosphere. If you would like to talk things over face to face, you can make an appointment. Broadcasting contributions from ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio In Germany there is a statutory obligation to pay a licence fee, as the top three TV channels – as well as the pub- lic-service radio stations – are largely financed in this way. Following the latest reform of the Interstate Broadcasting Agreement, every household in Germany must pay a contri- bution for radio equipment from 1 January 2013. A lump sum for each household is payable, which covers all the equip- ment in the home. The amount payable by companies and institutions depends on the number of business premises, employees and company vehicles. Gema The Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Repro- duction Rights (GEMA) is a collecting society that represents the performance and reproduction rights of the composers, songwriters and music publishers who are its members. Royalties must be paid to GEMA for public performances of copyright-protected musical works. Many small businesses do not realise that they must notify GEMA if they play music for which royalties are payable even just on telephone swit- chboards or to enhance voice messages on answering machi- nes. Revamping websites through the use of audio branding that includes music is also becoming more popular. GEMA must be notified of this use too. Detailed information on this subject can be found at berlin. de or talent-berlin. de, for example, with suggestions and ideas available on IHK Berlin’s start-up blog at ihk4startups.berlin. IHK start-up advice Constanze Tessmer Tel: +49 30 31510-588 constanze.tessmer@berlin.ihk.de Anna Borodenko Tel: +49 30 31510-522 anna.borodenko@berlin.ihk.de Advice on finance and grants Tim Schneider Tel: +49 30 31 510-284 tim.schneider@berlin.ihk.de Advice on start-up concepts Melina Hanisch Tel: +49 30 31510-527 melina.hanisch@berlin.ihk.de Advice on visa questions Maxim Kempe Tel: +49 30 31510-298 maxim.kempe@berlin.ihk.de CHAPTER 8