Mark Greene 
Slovenia has been positioned as a skilled labor hub since the late 1970s and this makes it attractive for investors. Growing companies looking to take advantage of the strategic location of the country in the heart of Europe will benefit from the knowledge-based sectors which make development and expansion easier. The legislation is also business-friendly with investment incentives and investment tax allowances make the country a good business location.
In order to complement its location in Europe, Slovenia has developed amazing public transport and ICT infrastructure. Industry clusters, value chains and centers of excellence also allow businesses to grow and develop. The corporate culture is transparent and accountability provides a free market without any government interference. The IFC and World Bank have ranked Slovenia in 35th place in terms of the ease of doing business.
While this can make the country inviting, international companies can struggle to grow accustomed to the complicated tax, legal and regulatory conditions. This is one of the reasons why local help will be an asset.
Starting A Business
Any newly formed corporation will have to pay 44% of its capital into a bank account when starting up. A receipt will also need to be collected before it can be registered at the electronic one-stop shop of E-vem. This procedure will take around one week to complete.
Dealing With The Construction Permits
If your business is going to be building a new property for the office, you will nee to have a thorough plan of your proposal. You will then have to get a building permit from the Administration Unit Ljubljana. Before and after the construction, a geodesist company will need to conduct a marking-out. Before connections and registrations can be completed, you will also need a Labour Inspection.
Getting Electricity
To arrange the electrical connection, you will need to work through the official agency responsible for the municipality. Your application will need to be sent to the appropriate body and then they will supply the agreement and complete the external works. An internal inspection will need to be completed by a registered company before the final connection is made.
Registering Property
It will take 110 days to register a property and there are 5 procedures that will need to be completed. You will have to consult the Land Registry and the land will need to be assessed by the Tax Authority. The payment of real estate transfer tax will need to be made or the payment of VAT tax to the Tax Administration Office.
Getting Credit
When it comes to the ease of getting credit, the World Bank and IFC have ranked Slovenia in 104th place. This is due to the low scores it received across all the major indices. The depth of the credit information index is weak and the strength of legal rights and public registry coverage is considered below par.
Protecting Investors
Over the past years, protection for investors has improved greatly in the country. However, there are still several areas where foreign investors will be vulnerable. It is recommended that you get local advice about the regulatory environment if you are unsure about the level of protection that is on offer.
Paying Tax
Each year, 260 hours of business time is spent processing corporate tax payments and there will be 11 payments to make. The social security contributions and corporate income tax will be the most labor intensive. Keep yourself up to date with tax laws on VATGlobal. Dealing with VAT and processing levels such as property tax and road levies can also be complicated.
Trading Across Borders
Cross border trading is cheap in Slovenia, but it can take up to 2 weeks for shipments to move in either direction. There is also a lot of paperwork that needs to be arranged. There are 6 forms for exporting and 8 when you import.
Enforcing Contracts And Insolvency Resolution
On average, it will take 3 and a half years to enforce contracts. This timeframe is double the OECD norm. Cases of insolvency can be very time consuming and the recovery rate is very low.
Culture
The culture of Slovenia is polycentric which means that people are going to change their natural behavior to mirror the people they interact with. The business environment is informal and will focus on being friendly and personable.
