Information about Yrittäjät

Suomen Yrittäjät is Finland’s largest business confederation. It promotes the interests of businesses owners and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Suomen Yrittäjät has almost 70,000 members in its local societies nationwide and around 36,000 in its trade associations. Our organization consists of 374 local societies, 21 regional associations, and 63 trade associations – we work every day to support free entrepreneurship and an entrepreneur-friendly society.

Yrittäjät helps entrepreneurs, improve the position of entrepreneurs and the conditions for entrepreneurship in Finland and Europe. The organization strengthens entrepreneurship, acts on behalf of entrepreneurs and establishes networks for entrepreneurs both nationwide, regionally and locally in municipalities. Actions taken by Yrittäjät as an organization are guided by our mission, vision and values.

The mission of Yrittäjät is to improve the position of entrepreneurs and the conditions for entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship lead the entire Finnish society towards a better future.

We want to make Finland the best country in the world for entrepreneurs and build Yrittäjät into Finland’s most influential business organization.

Yrittäjät base all activities on the basic values of entrepreneurship:

Courage

We are improving the position of entrepreneurs proactively and constructively. We are not afraid of criticism, which is often directed at brave reformers.

Reliability

We base our position and initiatives on facts and take into account the society as a whole.

Regeneration

We offer member entrepreneurs services according to their needs. We are ready to re-evaluate solutions as the operating environment changes.

The organization includes companies from trade, transport, services, industry and contracting sectors. The membership structure corresponds to the Finnish corporate structure. Half of the member companies are sole proprietors and half are employer companies.

SY office

The SY office carries out day-to-day advocacy, communication and services for member businesses.

The board and the representatives

The highest decision-making body of Suomen Yrittäjät is the general assembly that gathers every second year. Between these meetings, the council decides on the policy and actions of SY. The coucil has delegated preparatory work and operative decision-making to the board. In addition, the board has appointed committees and networks to support its work.

History of Suomen Yrittäjät

Suomen Yrittäjät started its operations in January 1996, when the previous organizations, Pienteollisuuden Keskusliitto PTK (the Finnish Confederation of Small Industries), which had been operating since 1898, and Suomen Yrittäjäin Keskusliitto SYKL (the Finnish Confederation of Entrepreneurs), which had been operating since 1933, joined forces to become Suomen Yrittäjät. The decision to establish a new organization was made on 5 September 1995 at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki. In honor of that event we now celebrate Entrepreneur’s Day every year on 5th of September.

Member Organizations

Enterprises are members of local entrepreneur sociesties or trade associations. Local societies are members of regional associations. Regional associations and trade associations are members of Suomen Yrittäjät. Regional associations, the largest local societies and some trade associations have paid staff.

Regional operations and assistance

The entrepreneurs close to you

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Vacant positions at Suomen Yrittäjä (in Finnish)

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