Setting up as self-employed or a shopkeeper
If you have a good idea you really believe in, working for yourself is an exciting adventure. Various bodies of the Brussels-Capital Region can help you.
There are a lot of advantages: you can run your own business, enjoy a better life-work balance and express your innovative spirit. Unfortunately, lots of self-employed people are forced to cease trading within a few years or even months, so you need to be aware of the risks.
To ensure you are fully prepared, the formalities you need to fulfil before you can start working for yourself are listed on the pages that follow. See also the guide for businesspeople page on this website, which covers the essential steps in the life of a business. Opens in new windowhub.brussels and Opens in new windowinfo.hub.brussels can provide you with professional support, including tools, services and advices, from the development of your concept to the actual launch of your business.
You should also check out the Opens in new windowsubsidies and grants for start-ups (FR/NL) on the website of Brussels Economy and Employment, which can help you drive your project forward in the early stages.