Entrepreneurs are the engine of our economy and ensure growing employment in the Netherlands. What touches me are the entrepreneurs who, with a fundamentally healthy company, go down hard-working in financial headwinds. This, while there is a wonderful credit scheme, the Decree on assistance for self-employed persons 2004 (Bbz), which can be appealed to.
The municipal authorities have long played a role in providing support to entrepreneurs with financial problems. For this specialist task, the 6 Flevoland municipalities decided in 2004 to start a partnership. The implementation is mandated to the municipality of Lelystad and is provided by the Zelfstandigenloket Flevoland (ZLF). Within the scheme there is room for a periodic loan for subsistence and credit for starters up to a maximum of € 35.000 and € 190.000 (rounded amounts) for existing entrepreneurs.
We can help many entrepreneurs. About 1.500 registrations and 180.000 visitors to our website every year, self-employed people, but also companies with personnel. Almost 800 loans were provided for the start-up, others were helped with advice, a coach, a workshop or debt counseling. This has a major effect on the maintenance and growth of our employment (500 employees). But do you realize how many families are involved?
At the start of the ZLF, the participating municipalities were instructed to initially publicize the possibilities of the Bbz scheme. It is a hugely missed opportunity, because of unfamiliarity with the Bbz, entrepreneurs cannot start or have to end their business unnecessarily.
To this day, the fantastic team with me, with great enthusiasm, contributes to the timely reach of entrepreneurs. This by working together with both private and public parties and through a considerable amount of perseverance.
Jannie van den Berg, Team Leader Self-Employed Counter Flevoland (www.self-employedloketflevoland.nl)