The successful businessman who changed Pakistan for Finland

Humayon Shah is a business man and entrepreneur from Pakistan. Two years ago he decided to change the arid sands of his native Karachi for the snowy and freezing landscape of Finland. What was he searching for? Above all “security and good education for my children”, he answers without hesitation, plus a “safe and stable environment” to develop his business.

So, after conducting some research about which would be the ideal place to settle, Finland appeared as the best option.

He knew very well before coming what he intended to do. Although some people may believe that foreigners come to Finland only attracted by the generous public aid system, the reality is often very different from the ideas that arise from prejudice.

And Humayon Shah is the living proof of it.

When he arrived he was looking for possibilities to invest well his money, to start doing business in Europe and to work hard. Nowadays he runs in Espoo an IT & Human Resources Development Consulting firm (1stop Group OY) and he has opened an international Food Franchise in Estonia. His is as success story, but still is a story of migration. And migration is also synonymous with uprooting and difficulties.

In fact, upon his arrival Humayon had to face the same problems as any other foreigner, no matter the origin: finding a place to live with his family, immigration issues, language barriers and an endless list of other practical obstacles to setup his business.

Strict requirements to start a business

“Yes, at the beginning I had lots of problems”, he admits. Though registering the company was simple, there exist other legal conditions that complicate the process from the very beginning: “The requirement of having a national or at least a European national as a member of the board is the biggest hurdle for any foreigner”, he claims.

In the same sense, he points at the strict requirements that the Finnish banking system imposes on foreigners to be able to operate at the same level as nationals, especially when it comes to online banking. All foreigners must comply with very strict conditions to be able to run a bank account and get online banking credentials. And that is a great obstacle at the beginning.

“Opening a company bank account or takeover of a bank account of an already existing company is another great hurdle for any foreigner willing to setup and start a business”. “I am still unable to takeover of an existing account and I had to open a new bank account for my company”, he claims.

Professional support

Having reached a certain point, he decided to ask for the help of professionals to get rid of the main obstacles to his goals. And he left the solution of the most complicated issues in the hands of the Finnish legal firm Autio Associates.

“They guided me through all the process, from buying a company to setup an office to applying for a residence permit”, he explains. “The company helped me in all aspects during the complete circle. And not only with the professional matters, also personally we made good friends and that good relationship is still alive today”.

As a result, his company 1stop Group OY was created and got registered reasonably fast, just two months after his arrival and he could start offering his services on the basis of the know-how he already had. Today he provides Human Resources and Business Management solutions to several international clients as well as local companies.

Family life

Since his arrival in January 2017, Humayon has found in Finland something more than professional opportunities and a safe environment for business. The country also offered him the kind of security he wanted for his family. His children can play freely in the streets with other kids and go to school by themselves, something that would be impossible in Pakistan.

That is the reason why he doesn´t care if he has to pay higher taxes in Finland: “Here I can see we get something good in return, but at my home country I also paid lots of taxes and I got almost nothing. If I wanted my children to have a good education I had to pay it separately”.

So, would he recommend foreign investors to establish in Finland? “It all depends on each investor’s overall requirements, for short-term operations and quick settlement it may not be the easiest place, but if someone wishes to stay in a peaceful country with long-term view Finland is absolutely the best place”, he concludes.