The term ‘startup’ is generally used to describe newly founded companies that are in the early stages of development and have high growth potential^[1]. There are many different answers to the question of what a startup actually is. The most common definitions often include these four core elements:

• the company is no more than 5 years old (sometimes extended to up to 10 years)
• the founders work with limited financial and human resources
• the company pursues an innovative approach
• the business idea is scalable
  
  

^{[1] Source:  https://foundersfoundation.de/content-library/glossar-startup/?utm_source=Google+Grant+Ads&utm_medium=Search+Text+Ad&utm_campaign=FF+Blog+Startup+Topics&utm_content=Startup&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=Founders+Foundation+-+Blog+Traffic&utm_term=was%20ist%20ein%20startup&hsa_tgt=kwd-368914509247&hsa_ad=599803859894&hsa_kw=was%20ist%20ein%20startup&hsa_ver=3&hsa_acc=5487664227&hsa_grp=142724832851&hsa_cam=17316908369&hsa_src=g&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqfbjvf7viwMVxpODBx1AnRoUEAAYASAAEgKs3vD_BwE}

Entrepreneurship in the broader sense means ‘entrepreneurship’, i.e. the entire spectrum of business management with the additional component of ‘entrepreneurial spirit’^[1]: How do I find worthwhile business ideas and opportunities? How do I set goals and achieve them? How do I organise and develop the company? How do I lead teams? How do I enable growth? While most of the points are normal management topics, the entrepreneurial spirit factor stands out in particular: entrepreneurship means believing in your own ideas, accepting uncertainty, taking risks, inspiring investors, teams and customers and making bold decisions.

^{[1] Source: https://www.cbs.de/blog/was-ist-entrepreneurship/} 

New self-employed persons are persons who generate income from self-employment for tax purposes as a result of a business activity (e.g. playing concerts)^[1]. New self-employed persons do not need a trade licence, but still generate business income on a contract for work and services basis. They essentially use their own resources, such as their own computer or their own musical instrument.

^{[1] Source: https://erwachsenenbildung.at/themen/berufsfeld/rechtliche_grundlagen/beschaeftigungsformen/neueselbststaendige.php}

All beginnings are difficult - this also applies to the first steps in your career. If you have finished your studies and don't immediately have a contract for a job in your hands, you first have to earn money by booking concerts, events, weddings etc. or teaching a few students privately. There are a few things you have to do for the first time: submit your first tax return, take out your own health insurance and, depending on your income, you may also have pension insurance. All of this is complicated and expensive (after all, it doesn't feel nice when you have to hand over your newly earned money straight away), but there are a whole range of people and programmes that will help you to get everything on a legal and steady footing and show you that you can also access various support measures (e.g. the KSVF) as an artist/musician. No programme will contact you by itself, so take the opportunity to get free advice, which will save you an incredible amount of time, nerves and money.

Yes, that's why counselling is still very useful. On the one hand, because you will probably appear in Austria more often and will then need to know how to ‘sort things out with tax’ - there are a few things to bear in mind here too. Secondly, because you may have already earned something in Austria and should report this to the tax office. And then it's also always very good to know what differences there are between the countries in terms of insurance (i.e. the overall healthcare offer), tax rates and support programmes.