German Business Is Tangled in Red Tape

Some business owmer on reddit put it succinctly: "I feel like I'm spending 75% on my time on bureaucracy, and that the rest is just a side business".

This is not exactly my experience, but it certainly feels that way, especially in the first year.

Settings up the business, getting the permits, bookkeeping, taxes, setting up the website, GDPR, immigration office requirements.

I just run a website. If I had to rent a place, hire people or serve food, it would be worse.