500k to gain a foothold in Belgium as a Dutch entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is not new for Bart Van der Meer (39). That's what doing business in Belgium is. When he hits a prime location along the Gentse Baan in Sint-Niklaas, he wants to open a Q8 gas station with a sandwich shop and a supermarket there. Said like that, but not so easily done.

Challenge:

Bart Van der Meer lives in Hulst (NL) and runs a car wash there. Entrepreneurial blood goes where it doesn't go and when he meets family at a beautiful location in Belgium, he dreams of a car wash with a petrol station and even a small local shop on site. He gets interesting partners on board fairly quickly, but when it comes to the financial side of things, the Dutchman faces many hurdles and difficulties in Belgium. Although he has a company in Belgium, he is up against a wall with various banks, also because the file is extremely complex.

Approach:

Through his financial advisor in the Netherlands, Bart comes into contact with Daniel from The Harbour. The entrepreneur is already renting a location, also got Q8, Panos and Delhaize on board, but gets stuck with the banks. He urgently needs capital, so Daniel is completely caught up in this story.

Because many actors are involved, this is a very complicated dossier with a tangle of contracts and often page-long terms and conditions. Daniel investigates everything and draws up a substantiated file, both financially and strategically.

After difficult contacts with various banks and PMV, co-financing is still coming out. The Harbour supervises the entire process and the entrepreneur raises the capital he had in mind from Belfius and PMV: more than 500k.

Result:

At a prime location in Belgium, the Dutch entrepreneur can open a Q8 gas station with car wash, Panos sandwich shop and Delhaize supermarket. After two months, the company can already count on a good customer base and 15% sales growth. In the coming months, a few tough investment invoices will still have to be paid, but if the entrepreneur gets rid of this, the future also looks very promising in Belgium.

“This course was bumpy and the file so complicated that I would never have succeeded without The Harbour's professional intervention and expertise. I sent Daniel another message at the opening to thank him. Thanks to him, we are finally where we need to be.”

Bart Van der Meer
Business Manager — My Partners BV

Will you be the next success case?