Starting a business

Would you like to set up as a self-employed worker or start your own company?

Before setting up your business, you should ask yourself a number of questions in order to refine your project. Below is a list (not exhaustive):

• Describe your idea (what activities will you offer?);
• Analyse your business environment (who are your competitors, what services do they offer, what can you offer that is better, how might your industry evolve?);
• Market your idea (what products and services will you offer, what pricing policy will you adopt, where will your products be available, how will you promote them, how will you manage orders and deliveries?);
• Organise your company (what legal status will you choose, who will manage your company, where will it be based, are you going to recruit staff?);
• Identify the access conditions for the profession you wish to practice. Do you need to apply for specific permits or licences?
• Identify the different bodies to contact to set up your file and go about starting your business;
• Finance your project (what investment do you need, what will you charge, what is the minimum margin you need in order to cover your costs, what type of financing will you choose?).

This chapter discusses different topics in order to help you set up.

• Your business structure
  • Types of companies
  • The social security statut of self-employed workers
  • Choosing a business name
• Access conditions to the profession
  • Commercial and craft professions
  • Professional and highly-skilled occupations
  • Holding a professional title
  • Specific licences title
  • EU certificates
• The main business start-up steps
  • Choose a legal status: sole proprietorship or company?
  • Opening a current account
  • Memorandum of association
  • Filing the memorandum of association at the commercial court
  • Registering the memorandum of assocation with an FPS Finance registration bureau
  • Enterprise counter procedures
  • VAT registration
  • Membership of a social insurance fund
  • Membership of a health insurrance fund
  • Insurance
  • Recruiting staff
• Enterprise counters

More information ?

The public services provide various websites to help you clarify your business idea and provide information and guidance on administrative procedures, financing opportunities, available aids, potential risks etc.

The 'belgium.be' federal portal includes detailed information on setting up a business.

You can get additional specific information on the regions by browsing the different regional institutions portals:

• Walloon Region
• Brussels-Capital Region
• Flemish Region