Sun, 8 November 2009
A guide to doing gaffe-free business here.
Includes geography, people, government, economy and transnational issues.
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Starting a new business is always fraught with risk, but it can be all the more complex in a foreign country. We investigate further.Briton Roger George runs a highly-successful supermarket on the outskirts of Brussels.
The three-floor store, opened 25 years ago, sells everything from greeting cards and British foodstuffs to bed linen and clothing. It attracts expats from miles around.
But the difficulties the 66-year-old George encountered in setting up his business still makes him wince.
"The red tape in Belgium was the worst of it," recalls George, who hails from Norfolk and gave up a top job with a multinational company to start the business with his wife.
Even now, he does not believe things have improved very much.
"For example, I have been trying no less than six years to change the name of the business. It is the sort of thing which, in the UK, you could do in a couple of days, but here it is a nightmare," he says.
Reducing the risks
Depending on who you talk to, advice for anyone thinking of starting a business in Belgium ranges from: "Don't bother, it isn't worth it" to "Go for it".
Louise Harvey, who has lived in Belgium for 12 years, set up a Brussels-based public affairs consultancy three years ago and has not looked back since.
"It was a little long-winded, but relatively straight-forward," she says. "It did help, however, that I can speak good French and Flemish and that I knew my way round the Belgian system."
Everyone, though, agrees on one thing: get a good accountant and notary.
To reduce the risks to a minimum, the services of such professionals are indispensable, says Valerie Echard, formerly with the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium.
The notary can take care of a range of formalities, such as obtaining the required work permits. A good accountant — who is likely to have a good understanding of local taxation requirements — will be able to liase professionally with your local tax administration.
This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes how to write a CV, application procedure, interview dos and don'ts, Belgian management culture.
Belgium’s first alternative directory assistance services - available through the shortcode 14-14 - can now be accessed on the internet.
Moving to Belgium presents a host of challenges to expats, not least of all finding the right home.
The psychological effects of global mobility can be physically painful.
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