Seven checks before a large order

The seven checks

From January to September 2026 there were 791 company bankruptcies in Switzerland in which the management had already belonged to another company whose bankruptcy lay no more than 15 months back. In almost half of the cases the earlier bankruptcy was in a different canton. The new company looks clean; the history sits with the people. (Analysis by blueSky Information based on the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce; zentralplus reported on 2 November 2026.)^[1,2]

1. 1

   The company in the commercial register

   Does the company exist exactly as it appears on the quote: name, legal form, UID, registered office? Is it active and not in liquidation? How long has it existed, and does the registered purpose fit the order? For a company less than a year old, the other six checks are worth twice as much.

2. 2

   The people in management

   Who is registered as management, board of directors or with signing authority? In the last 15 months, did the same people belong to the management of another company over which bankruptcy proceedings were opened? Check beyond the cantonal border, which is where most people lose track. An earlier bankruptcy is not a verdict, but it is a reason to ask for a deposit rather than send an invoice.

3. 3

   Changes in the last two years

   Several changes of name, registered office, purpose or officers within a short time are a warning sign. In particular: a move of the registered office to another canton, new management shortly after incorporation, a purpose that no longer has anything to do with the original business.

4. 4

   Audit and capital

   Has the company opted out of a statutory auditor? That is permitted with up to ten full-time positions and is not a warning sign in itself. Together with minimum capital and a young age, however, it means that nobody from outside has ever looked at the figures.

5. 5

   Debt enforcement register extract

   Before the first large order, ask for an extract from the debt enforcement register at the company’s registered office, no older than three months. A company that pays well will hand it over without hesitation. The extract only covers the current registered office; after a move it is empty, and then check 3 helps.

6. 6

   Payment terms according to risk

   A deposit, staged invoices according to progress, a credit limit per customer, retention of title for deliveries of goods. Limit what you deliver or pay up front until the first invoice has been paid. That costs you no good customer, only the bad ones.

7. 7

   Invoice details and change of bank account

   Accept a new IBAN or billing address only after calling back on a known telephone number, never by replying to the email that announces the change. And after the deal is signed, keep reading the official notices about the company: bankruptcy, liquidation and a move of the registered office appear in the Gazette of Commerce before the invoice goes unpaid.