Toimialajärjestöt

Toimialajärjestöt are industry associations. Suomen Yrittäjät lists the associations affiliated to it (47 at the time of their directory page). Fields include social and health services, trade, transport, construction and industry. Membership of an industry association is separate from membership of a local Yrittäjät chapter.

Kaupan liitto is the main federation for retail and wholesale. It is not only a line in the Yrittäjät list. Employer federations that negotiate collective agreements (TES) may belong to EK.

Associations publish industry news, training and, in some cases, model contracts. If you hire staff, the relevant TES is a legal document you must follow, not an optional extra.

Practical advice

Open the Yrittäjät directory, find the association for your trade, and read how they describe membership and TES support.

You can often attend one event or buy a guide before you join.

Where to seek advice

The best place to start is Suomen Yrittäjät trade-association directory: https://www.yrittajat.fi/en/about-us/trade-associations/

This is the list with links to each association. For general founding advice that is not tied to one industry, use Uusyrityskeskus. For retail TES and market figures, contact Kaupan liitto: https://kauppa.fi/

All the necessary links

yrittajat.fi/tietoa-meista/toimialajarjestot — Finnish list.
kauppa.fi — Commerce federation.
ek.fi — Confederation of Finnish Industries.