How do the Dutch feel about people coming into The Netherlands and opening up businesses?

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#1. February 3rd, 2010, at 10:14 AM.

To be honest I think that perception is not the biggest issue really. The viability of starting a new business in this economic situation and the immigration side of things will probably be much bigger issues than what people here think of you doing so.

In principle of course then being a foreign business owner has more acceptance in the larger cities or Randstad area in general than in a small village where people generally have known each other for years and might be more wary of an "outsider" (and I use the term ‘outsider’ rather than ‘foreigner’ because even native Dutch moving into a small community have some difficulties sometimes).

So moving onto the viability. The economic slowdown has not impacted NL as much as other European countries, but there is a marked difference here compared with say this time two years ago and small businesses are finding it difficult to make ends meet. With job insecurity and smaller wage rises, the first thing people tend to cut down on is eating & drinking out. Also small business are finding it exceptionally difficult to get credit. I say this from experience as well. My husband has a small business (alongside his daily job) here and it is very fortunate that this is a second source of income because it is very hard for it to find new contracts in this environment when companies (and people) do not want to make investments or outgoings. Therefore I would really seriously advise you to get as much info as possible concerning the viability in your case before making any financial commitments. A good place to start is with the KvK which is the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. They do have a section on their website in English which gives the basics including contact details http://www.kvk.nl/english/startingabusiness/default.asp

Last but not least is the immigration issue. You don”t mention your nationality, but unless you hold an EU/EEA passport then it is not as simple to just move to NL and start a business. You would have to obtain a visa to be self-employed. However, to get this, you would have to prove that the business is of fundamental interest to the Dutch economy and it states on the official documents that cafe’s, bars and such like are not considered as such. You can read more on this site http://www.ind.nl/EN/index.asp and specifically here http://www.ind.nl/en/Images/4012_VIN_ENG_tcm6-595.pdf

Therefore without wanting to put a complete dampener on your plans, I really would advise you to think carefully and do a lot of research before making fixed plans – this way you have your eyes open and avoid disappointment and potentially financial losses.
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Eva
#2. February 3rd, 2010, at 11:02 AM.

In Antwerp they have a very funny accent :p.
I think if your bar is nice people will like it and if your bar is not they’ll be indifferent. That is what I would be. I live in Amsterdam by the way. I think most people here would react that way.
Maybe people in tiny towns don’t like it when strangers come to their town and open a bar Especially not when there already is a bar. I’m not sure about that because I’ve never really been to a small town in the Netherlands.
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Jaap B
#3. February 3rd, 2010, at 11:14 AM.

Dutch don’t mind where you came from. Het maakt ze niet uit. Als je bier maar goed is. Het kan heel goed in je voordeel werken als je als Vlaming een bar opent, Belgie is tenslotte een bierland waar gezellige mensen wonen.
succes met je zaak
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