From acute aid to structural solutions for self-employed people in financial difficulties

More and more municipalities are recognizing this: entrepreneurs in debt are a growing, yet often invisible, group within the local community. These are residents who fall outside of regular support, are not employed, but are struggling with problematic debt.

Especially after the coronavirus pandemic, more and more self-employed individuals, freelancers, and small SMEs are turning to municipal helpdesks with complex questions. And that's precisely where the opportunity lies: municipalities can make a difference—provided they have a sustainable strategy and the right partners.

The growing group: entrepreneurs with hidden debts

Unlike private debtors, entrepreneurs are often deeply ashamed. They've spent a long time trying to solve the problem themselves.
Common signs:

• Do not respond to letters or calls

• Not known to regular debt assistance

• Income difficult to assess

• Mixing of private and business debts

Without a targeted approach, these entrepreneurs remain under the radar — until it is often too late.

What entrepreneurs need from municipalities

1. Low-threshold access to assistance
   Think of recognisable communication ("also for self-employed persons") and concrete steps on the website.

2. Specialist debt assistance for entrepreneurs
   Entrepreneurship requires a tailored approach. Consider tax debts, restarts, business assets, and reputational losses.

3. Collaboration with a reliable implementation partner
   Such as Zuidweg & Partners, which has specialized in debt assistance for entrepreneurs since 1994.

4. Policy anchoring within poverty and debt policy
   Put entrepreneurs on the agenda consistently. For example, by making "poverty & entrepreneurship" a separate pillar.

5. Investing in early detection
   Through collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, banks, landlords, GKBs, neighborhood teams and healthcare partners.

Why collaborating with Zuidweg & Partners pays off

Zuidweg & Partners already collaborates with more than 170 municipalities to provide sustainable debt relief for entrepreneurs. The benefits:

• Years of experience with complex business files

• Free of charge for the entrepreneur: we invoice the municipality

• Complete administrative support

• Real-time insight into case studies through reports

• A human and business approach: financial peace of mind and resilience

• Transition to restructuring, termination or restart

In short: relief for municipalities and maximum impact for residents.

Put entrepreneurs on the map structurally

Municipalities that invest in business debt assistance now are contributing to social and economic recovery. Because entrepreneurs are often also employers, rent payers, parents, volunteers—and above all, residents of their municipality.

By acting proactively, you not only prevent bankruptcies, but also healthcare costs, evictions, absenteeism and long-term welfare programs.

Would you also like to get started as a municipality?

We are happy to think along with you about:

• Setting up or strengthening debt assistance for entrepreneurs

• Policy frameworks and arguments for management

• Communication tools for entrepreneurs

• Case studies or pilots to start immediately

Contact us or see how other municipalities have been successfully collaborating with us for years: www.zuidweg-partners.nl/gemeentes-samenwerken