Checklist: your new business online

Everything digital a new business in Denmark needs to sort out, from CVR number to Google profile, in the order that makes sense. Tick things off as you go.

By Mads Sauer · Updated 5 November 202633 items in 7 sections. 14 of them are in the startup package.

1 The authorities first

Domain, email and invoices all depend on your CVR number, so start here.

Get a CVR numberYou register the business at virk.dk. The number has to be on your website, on your invoices and, if you run a company, in your emails.More at virk.dk (opens in a new tab)
Log in with MitIDAs a sole trader you can usually use your private MitID. If several people need to log in on the business's behalf, you need MitID Erhverv and a rights administrator.More at www.mitid-erhverv.dk (opens in a new tab)
Check your Digital PostThe business automatically gets a digital mailbox along with the CVR number, and you're required to receive mail there. Letters from the tax authority and other agencies land here, not in your email.
Register for VAT in timeYou must register for VAT once your VAT-liable sales pass 50,000 kr. within 12 months. You can also choose to register from the start. That's done at virk.dk too.

2 Domain

The domain is the business's address, on the web and in email. It should be yours, not your web designer's.

Pick a name you can say out loudShort, easy to spell and easy to say on the phone. Avoid hyphens and æ, ø and å, which cause trouble in email addresses.
Pick an ending.dk is the natural choice for Danish customers. If you sell abroad, consider .com too, and buy both so nobody else takes the other.
Register it in the company's nameIn the startup packageThe domain should be held by the business with your CVR number, not by an agency or a freelancer. Then you can always move it, whoever builds your website.
Complete the ID checkPunktum dk, which runs .dk, asks new holders to confirm their identity with MitID. A business uses MitID Erhverv. If you don't do it in time, the domain can be suspended, so watch your inbox.More at punktum.dk (opens in a new tab)
Turn on auto-renewalA domain that expires takes both website and email with it. Make sure renewal runs by itself and the bill goes to an inbox someone reads.

3 Email

An address on your own domain looks professional, and it stays with the business, even if you change provider.

Email on your own domainIn the startup package[email protected] instead of [email protected]. Customers trust it more, and the address is yours whoever hosts the mail.
One mailbox per person, plus shared addressesIn the startup packageGive everyone their own mailbox, and set up addresses like info@ and invoices@ that land with the right person. Then nobody shares a password.
Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARCIn the startup packageThree DNS records that prove your mail really comes from you. Gmail and Yahoo require SPF or DKIM from everyone, and all three from high-volume senders. Without them your mail ends up as spam more often.Read the guide
Make a signatureIn the startup packageName, phone and website. If you run a company, its name, CVR number and registered office must also be in your emails.

4 Website

A small website that answers the right questions beats a big one that doesn't.

Say what you do, for whom and whereIn the startup packageVisitors should get it within seconds, on a phone too. The rest of the site is detail.
Make it easy to contact youIn the startup packagePhone, email and a contact form, visible from every page. That's what the site is for.
Required informationIn the startup packageDanish e-commerce law requires the business's name, physical address, email and CVR number on the site. The footer is a good place.
Fast and mobile-friendlyIn the startup packageMost visits come from a phone. If the site is slow, visitors leave before they've seen what you offer.
Cookies and tracking only with consentIn the startup packageCookies and anything else stored on or read from the visitor's device need consent unless strictly necessary. If your analytics store nothing on the device and you don't embed content such as YouTube or Google Maps, you can skip the banner.
Privacy policyIf you have a contact form or a newsletter, you process personal data and have to say what you do with it.
Prices with VAT for consumersIf you sell to consumers, prices must include VAT and fees. If you only sell to businesses, they can be shown without VAT, but say so clearly.
Terms of sale if you sell onlineA web shop needs terms of sale and has to explain the 14-day right of withdrawal consumers have when buying online.

5 Get found

A website nobody finds is a business card in a drawer.

Create a Google Business ProfileIn the startup packageIt shows you on Google Maps and in local searches, with opening hours, phone and reviews. Google has to verify the business, which can take a few days.More at business.google.com (opens in a new tab)
Add the website to Google Search ConsoleIn the startup packageYou can see what people search for when they find you, and you're told if Google has trouble with the site.More at search.google.com (opens in a new tab)
Same name, address and phone everywhereWebsite, Google profile, Facebook and directories should all say the same. Mismatches make Google unsure who you are.
Ask your first customers for a reviewReviews on the Google profile are among the first things new customers see. Ask while the customer is happy.
Claim your name on social mediaEven if you won't use them yet. It's annoying to find someone else got there first.

6 Invoices and bookkeeping

Not the fun part, but it's easier to get right from the first invoice.

Use a registered bookkeeping systemThe Danish Bookkeeping Act requires digital bookkeeping and digital receipts from more and more businesses. A registered system from day one covers you, and your bank can be connected.
Invoices with the right detailsA sequential number, your CVR number, date, what was delivered, and VAT shown separately. The bookkeeping system handles it.
E-invoices for the public sectorIf you sell to municipalities, regions or the state, invoices must be sent electronically via NemHandel. Most bookkeeping systems can do it.

7 Ownership and security

It's all yours. Make sure the paperwork says so too.

Every account in the company's nameIn the startup packageDomain, Google profile, analytics and social media should be set up for the business with your login. Your web designer gets access, not ownership.
Use a password managerOne strong password to remember and unique ones for everything else. Share access through it instead of by email.
Two-factor on what mattersBank, domain, email and Google. Those are the accounts that cost most if someone gets in, and a hijacked inbox can reset the rest.
Keep a backupIn the startup packageWebsite and email should be backed up continuously, and someone should know how to restore them.

This list is based on what I see at small businesses and isn't legal advice. Rules on VAT, bookkeeping and e-commerce change, so always check the current guidance from the authorities.

Want most of it done in one go?

The startup package covers every item marked above: domain, email, website, Google profile and upkeep, from €470 plus €45 a month. CVR, VAT and bookkeeping are yours, but do ask if you're unsure.

See the startup package Write to me