STARTING A BUSINESS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC - 5 Americans tell their experiences

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Have you ever dreamt of starting a business...or moving to a different country? These five Americans did both, right here in Prague, Czechia.
00:00 Intro
00:47 Vanessa from Pacer | shoppacer.com/en/ 👉 / pacer_cz
01:21 Stephanie from My English Habit: www.myenglishhabit.com/ 👉 / myenglishhabit
01:56 Chelsea and Giuseppe from Ezra's Bagels: ezrasbagels.com/ 👉 / ezrasbagels
02:29 Chris from The Language House TEFL: www.thelanguagehouse.net/ 👉 / thelanguagehouseprague
03:18 Nord VPN Holiday Season Offer
04:45 Filling a hole in the market
10:21 Serial entrepreneurs
12:11 Biggest challenges starting a business in Prague
16:56 Starting a business Czech Republic vs. U.S.
19:48 Tips for starting a business in CZ
▶ A B O U T D R E A M P R A G U E:
Ahoj! I'm Jen, native Californian, living in Prague, Czech Republic for the past 9 years with my husband and our rescue dog Tobik. One fateful night, we drank a bottle of wine, threw a dart at the map, and bought one-way tickets to move our entire lives to the center of Europe! Everyday we learn something new, about Czech people, Czech culture, Czech history, Czech language and how to battle the Czech bureaucracy. Dream Prague started as a place to share what we learned with other foreigners living here.
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▶ M O R E V I D E O S Y O U ' L L E N J O Y
➾ The honest truth about my life in Prague:
🎬 Quality of life CZ vs. US: • Which country has a be...
➾ Are you planning a visit to Prague?
🎬 How to Survive a Czech Restaurant: • AMERICANS IN CZECH RES...
🎬 Secret places in Prague the tourists miss: • SECRET PLACES IN PRAGU...
🎬 Holiday Weekend in Prague: • HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN PRA...
➾ Are you learning Czech?
🎬 How I learn Czech: • CZECH LANGUAGE | How I...
🎬 My favorite language learning hack (Czech with English subtitles): • MY FAVORITE WAY TO LEA...

[@DreamPrague]

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[@keenmate9719]

You look truly lovely today. WAU

[@martindurrer9044]

Surprising how many Americans come here across the Great Pond to live their American Dream :-) This chanel helps me appreciate my Czech Homeland even more than I used to do. Thx, Jan! ;-)

[@paulselinger6658]

At that point, it is a Czech Dream they're living. The American one hasn't panned out for them for one reason or another, that's why they came over in the first place.

[@VejvyCZ]

Měl by jsi si naší vlasti vážit i bez různých videí. Bohužel většina lidí zde v ČR ani nevidí, jak se tu o proti jiným zemím máme dobře, ale v těchto videí je to docela dobře, třeba že u nás má každý občan právo a nárok na bezplatnou zdravotní péči ( nedávno bylo video, kde se říkalo, že američani kolikrát i rodit děti musí doma, protože nemají peníze na nemocnici apod ) další věc, která je pro nás samozřejmá je to, že i podle ústavy má každý občan právo na bezplatné vzdělání, ale tato samozřejmost není ve světě běžná a je mnoho a mnoho dalších věcí... Lidé už i zapomínají, že naše země kdysi vládla území od moře u itálie až k moři na sever, každý čech by si měl vážit svojí rodné země co vše se nám podařilo v historii vybudovat.....

[@1kamikaze2]

This gives me hope as an American wife with her Czech husband planning to move our family back to his home.

[@MartianCZ]

Don't be afraid, you're welcomed :)

[@matotuHELL]

I would be scared to start a business in my home country let alone abroad. So respect for that.

[@DreamPrague]

Yeah they're pretty brave!

[@SpeakUpwithStephanie]

Thank you Jen for highlighting My English Habit and all of these other great small businesses in Prague! It was a lot of fun! :)

[@martinkoreny9565]

awesome. I'm honored that these people live here, have great ideas, and open up great opportunities for all of us here. they have my admiration.

[@SpeakUpwithStephanie]

Thank you for your kind words Martin! :)

[@szpflyer4367]

Over years of teaching English in Japan, I developed a teaching methodology that proved popular with students and my account. I can't wait to try this out on Czech students, who lack the inhibitions Japanese culture imposes upon students in the classroom. Thank you, Jen, for producing this splendid motivational piece!

[@martinoliva6490]

Všichni mají u mě veliký respekt.Přišli do země o které 99% lidí na této planetě ani neví kde se nachází. Navíc je v Praze strašně těžké vyhnout se podvodníkům, jejichž hlavním cílem je ošidit nebo okrást cizince. Není to jen výsada Prahy,ale všech turistických míst v Evropě. Díky za hodně skvělé video.

[@user-kk5vh1zb5u]

to mi pripadá ako tá scénka z NY ked bola kríza v USA a jeden taliansky obchodník s vínom prosperoval a rástol , tak sa ho pýtali že ako to dokázal a on hovorí že nerozumel anglicky a preto nevedel že je kríza.

[@vkdrk]

Asi ako teraz, keby médiá toľko nehovorili o Covide, tak ani nevieme, že je 😅

[@toruvalejo6152]

My respect to anyone who starts succesfull business - especially abroad where they must overcome local competition, local bureaucracy and on top of it - different culture and language barrier...! :)

[@tatianabashmakova6249]

Hello, Jen! Hello, everybody! My name is Karina. Dear Jen, Im so appreciated that you make your videocontent for all of us. The videos from Jen are always mood-uplifting to my spirit! This special Jen's style of publishing, which she have created on this channel, is like a visit to psychology therapist to me, everytime I watch this content. Seriously)) Danke sehr🤩

[@Geker3]

Kinda surprising for a Czech to hear it's easier to have a small business here than in the U.S. I allways thaught U.S. culture is build upon making small buisnesses and making them grow big.

[@DreamPrague]

I think it depends. If you have a ton of investment, the US is a good place. But the barrier to entry is lower here in CZ.

[@Geker3]

@@DreamPrague So your sugeston is to start elsewhere and than grow to the U.S. That's what Chinese do. 😁

[@katerinadehning1685]

Also in Czech you have less competition. ;)

[@Richard-Vlk]

In today's USA it is even prohibited to start a business in your garage.

[@hradnipan8631]

@@DreamPrague...lower for Americans.

[@paisano-mf2yx]

It makes me so happy so see people thriving. It also makes me a bit sad that all of them agree that accomplishing the American Dream in America is not feasible anymore. I have to try those bagels, I hope Giuseppe opens the shop between Christmas and New Years.

[@FL34108]

Great documentary. I think that this is very insightful and unusually refreshing. Please do more. The Bagel story is pretty epic and a fantastic twist of history... imagine someone a century ago saying they are leaving America to open up a bagel place in central Europe... (I would say eastern, but we know how much flack gets stirred when we use that term!)

[@petrabednar3916]

I took a course at a local collage “How to start a small business” here is USA and the process to start one is actually not as easy as people might think.You have to create a business plan, have a necessary capital, which if you don’t, you’re pretty much stuck. Not everyone has a rich daddy who just hands you $2M (as you know who had). If you don’t have the money to start with you must gamble with your own house. And who wants to do that? Also, you then are responsible for your own health insurance, which for a family of four is $2400 a month here! And that’s just the tip of an iceberg. Nope it’s not easier in USA. But they sure want you to believe it! The story about Bagels was pretty entertaining! Nice circle! 😃

[@szpflyer4367]

Having a business plan may not be as important as having created a SWOT (Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats) analysis, which can be revealing and not nearly so time consuming as a business plan.

[@Cz-De-Lifestyle]

Very good usefull content...thank you! Im a Canadian, lookin to move out in the suburb either Plzen or Karlovy area, to start an online transnational business. Would like to see some content from your channel about doing online business in Czech Republic , what are the " bureaucracy" or regulations challenges involved.

[@pajuskapaja5827]

Im Plzeň :)

[@majenazprahy9909]

It is surprising to hear that starting your own business is actually easier here than in the U.S. Most people I know are describing the Czech process and bureaucracy as hell compared to other freedom-in-business loving countries :) Thank you for this precious reality check :)

[@paulselinger6658]

It may be easier to succeed as a startup, but my experience from the bureaucratic process itself is to the contrary. Even in California it seems easier than in Czechia, not to mention Texas. It is true though that it varies from state to state here.

[@janhank2302]

Ahoj,velmi zajímavé,jiný pohled.Netušil jsem,že v USA jsou podmínky pro podnikání těžší.Tak chápu,že AMERIKA je daleko větší než ČR,a tím pádem i konkurence.Jo,podnikání je umění,které ne každý zvládá.

[@jirikozel4873]

Thank you for this great part of your series.. I love you !

[@stepandusek202]

OMG I love Ezras bagels and Clondon challenge (which I have failed miserably but there's always next year innit?).

[@libork8106]

Very interesting, Welcome more US business minded people in CZ.

[@seanhochman]

i did the language house i think the month before Stephanie, then taught Lubo for a few years until i got into programming. i need to check out that bagel shop :)

[@jirijetel3624]

Zajímavý pohled, myslel jsem, že je v USA snazší založit a provozovat firmu.. 🤔ale chápu, konkurence je tam obrovská 👍. Díky 😀

[@vkdrk]

Systém v USA je nastavený tak, aby boli bohatí bohatší. Vždy je zvýhodnená veľká firma na úkor malých. V Európe máme veľa zákonov, ktoré idú práve proti takémuto systému a systém je tu nastavený tak, aby malo čo najviac ľudí šancu vybudovať svoj vlastný biznis. V USA nemajú radi konkurenciu, hlavne tie veľké firmy ktoré majú veľký vplyv v politike

[@kolomaznik333]

@@vkdrk Tak to asi žijete v trochu jiné části Evropy než já (rozuměj ČR). Protože to co píšete se přesně hodí na mou zkušenost s žitím tady. Všechno přeregulované, těžce zdaněné, regulace psaná doslova na míru těm velkým, kteří reálně mají velký vliv na politiku nebo jí přímo sami dělají., na vše hromada zbytečných lejster a povolení. Už jen ohlednutí na posledních 10 let zpět včetně toho kdo vládne, říká opak toho co vy.

[@paulselinger6658]

@@vkdrk HP and Apple started in garages in California, Dell, Facebook, Google and others were launched in dorms, Elon Musk, a South African-Canadian, picked Silicon Valley to realize his ideas, all in industries where big corporations already dominated. Amazon, Whole Foods, Uber, the list doesn't seem to end. Where would the European list start?

[@vkdrk]

@@paulselinger6658 Amazon started in an industry that was already dominated by larger companies? That's a new one 👌 didn't know that lol

[@paulselinger6658]

@@vkdrk I bet you didn't. Now about that European list...

[@Last_Starfighter]

Hey, Jenn! Very interesting - in the 19th century, Europeans (and Czechs) moved to America for the Canadian Klondike for good luck. Will Americans (and Canadians) now move to Europe in Czech Prague for good luck? 🤔💲💰💵😂😉😛

[@DreamPrague]

Would be interesting!

[@KimHruba]

I would be curious to know about taxes in CZ and in the U.S.

[@mbdulka]

Depends on the business type ... within an hour, you can get a business EIN (tax ID) for "conducting business" (let's say IT work) in most US state ... where it will take you weeks to get a Zivno set up here. However, setting up a food service business in the US is a nightmare, a bar even more so. It really depends on the business type.

[@TwoMartins]

As an American, how do you look at Eurovision? Who is your favourite?

[@jeanhruby7117]

But you can’t just move to Czechia and stay and start a business without proper visa etc. How did these people do this?

[@yamirkaibarra5415]

That’s great 😃 I wish to all of them the best in they business is beautiful the prosperity I love it 🥰

[@iPE_ZA]

You love Jen .

[@jammmy30]

Interesting. Thanks

[@Aneoq]

Hi Jenn, why subtitles turned Off?

[@josefchodounsky8173]

20:20 naah, don't worry, Chris, I frequently miss something little as well as you.

[@LeighIveta]

Hello... so where does a person starting a new business advertise for Customers? aprt from Word of mouth.. I live in UK... Thinking of moving to Czech (North East Prague central) ... I am a Plumber by Trade with over 28 years plumbing experience. Jen I can't beleive you had 5 plumbers trying to resolve 1 leak... Crazy

[@vaclavfridrich1830]

Can I visit langue house if I czech and speak česky, slovensky, english -not perfect and little russia?

[@Pidalin]

Hele když začneš řikat FŠICHNI, jako všichni nativní mluvčí, tak se ti to bude vyslovovat mnohem líp než to V-ŠICHNI. :-D

[@pajuskapaja5827]

Přesně 😁

[@muhammedza8024]

London is the best man .Oxford street and west london life is there from all nations best city ever .but hamburg coming to number 2 if u are arabic or Turkish wanna enjoy there .prag is good the shopping street is like Oxford street in london but come on london is the best if u are single and wanna make money as well .prag isn’t cheap country same like uk price but uk far away better than prag

[@lpgsk]

Hi Jen and vsichni. I am just curious, if you feel the influence of czenglish of these guys. I am not a native speaker, so I really do feel the "czech" in their english. Which I would not expect from native speakers. So Vanessa has none. Stephanie sounds like a czech living in US 100%, total czenglish. Chelsea has like a 10% czech accent. Giuseppe again none. Chris does have some czech in there, but sounds like some other accent mixed in too.

[@pajuskapaja5827]

Ani u jednoho neslyším ,,czenglish" to se ti fakt zdá :)

[@WZbytovsky]

Is there a demand for tax professionals in Prague to file returns for expats with the IRS? Asking for a friend......

[@KimHruba]

That is a great question. When I taught in Brno, I still had to file in the U.S. (foreign income.) Do you have to pay U.S. taxes when your business is in CZ?

[@WZbytovsky]

@@KimHruba Generally speaking, US Citizens and Residents still have file a return if they are over the annual filing requirement. However, due the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and the Foreign Tax Credits, most people don't owe taxes in the US. My guess is that you qualified for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion each year when you were in Brno. I have a client in Amsterdam (I am in Minnesota). She has to file a return every year but she never owes money. For 2020, she was over the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion amount for the first time so we had to use the Exclusion and the Credit. I have never done a return for a self-employed expat but there is a first time for everything.

[@WZbytovsky]

@@KimHruba So, using my professional tax software, I dummied up a return for a fictional self-employed accountant/tax professional who is a US Citizen and living in The Czech Republic. A self-employed person normally has to pay Income Tax and Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare). Buried in the software is this option "If the taxpayer is self-employed in another country and is paying in to the other country's self-employment system, then he or she does not have to pay SE tax on that part of his or her income. Attach a copy of form showing the taxpayer paid the tax there to the US return. The return must be paper filed." The bad news is, a self-employment person must mail everything in to the IRS. The good news is that these returns don't usually generate a refund or balance due.

[@KimHruba]

@@WZbytovsky thanks so much. Yes, this all sounds familiar. I did my own taxes with Turbo Tax way back when. I am in MN too. I am self-emoloyed and have worked on developing a clientele that doesn't tie me geographically to any one location in the event my family and I decide to move back to CZ.

[@FL34108]

The point of a large amount of grifters, totally accurate.

[@conceptalfa]

👍 👍 👍

[@jace2wheel762]

Sometimes you gotta just say to hell with it and get it done!

[@lukasj.800]

New czech government will destroy EET (=DDT, that poisining czech enterprise as Andrej Babis herself)

[@omerfaruksimsek1238]

her accent similar to bostoner accent.

[@YouFeudTV]

As petty as this is... thank you for putting Czech Republic in the title.. Czechia is such a horrible name for such a beautiful country. Great video 😘

[@paulselinger6658]

:-)

[@farberka]

Krmím algoritmus

[@josephmajchut1397]

Like 👍

[@Romulan112]

I want to start an upscale Brothel. They won't let me do it in the states.

[@petrhavlat5159]

i love u jen u have toby and husband and i love u love a to. ur anot as many peoploe i have met but cintinue... i am bored with idiots whio just shoew muscles.. maybe u like it.. i am bads but i hope zhey got cancer for theheir abuse of steroids.. just my mention just go ahead and tell mhoww i am so akward

[@erurainon6842]

Isnt bagel poland food?🙃

[@siloton]

You did not watch the very end of the video. He explains that far beyond :)

[@erurainon6842]

@@siloton No i didnt cuz its not theme for me 🤷‍♂

[@michalchaloupka2986]

I love your videos, but this shows absolutely different mentality. For me it was like: bla bla bla... Funny I mean :)