Dutch Business Consulting for Logistics, Growers and Solo Firms

• Rotterdam and logistics

  The Port of Rotterdam describes itself as the hub that connects Europe to the world, with rail, inland waterway, road and pipeline links carrying cargo inland. Around that movement sit carriers, barge operators, warehouse and depot firms, forwarders and customs agents, many of them owner-run and priced against each other.

• Horticulture, dairy and food trade

  Statistics Netherlands and Wageningen University report each year on Dutch trade in farm goods. Dairy and eggs, ornamental plants, fruit and vegetables are among the product groups it covers, with ornamentals a major earner and most exports going to other EU countries. Growers, packers and traders sit between greenhouse or farm and shop shelf.

• Self-employed firms without staff

  Statistics Netherlands describes a zzp'er as a self-employed person who works alone, without staff. This group is a modest share of all workers but most of the self-employed, and it has grown most in business and other services. Consultants, designers, contractors and installers often run alone.

• 01Forwarders and carriers often work on tight margins, so one late-paying shipper or a run of empty return trips can erase a month's profit.
• 02Growers and packers commonly sell to a few large buyers and retailers, which leaves them with little say on price and payment terms.
• 03Warehouse and fulfilment firms often take on a new client before the staffing, layout and systems for it are ready.
• 04One-person firms commonly find that income stops when the owner stops, and that pricing, a pipeline and time off need a plan.

UTC+1 in winter, UTC+2 in summer. Across the winter months the gap is 4 hours 30 minutes, with India ahead. Across summer it narrows to 3 hours 30 minutes.

We book the first call once the scope of the problem is clear, so the conversation starts from your business and not from a calendar.

• Logistics
• Agriculture
• Manufacturing
• Professional services

Trades to start from

• Freight and transport companies
• Warehousing and fulfilment providers
• Customs clearance agents
• Contract logistics providers
• Dairy producers
• Food product manufacturers
• Packaging manufacturers
• Chartered accountants and accounting firms

Worked examples on these pages use rupees and Indian business practice. The method carries over, and your first sheet is built from your own books in your own currency.

• Business Audit

  A margin review by lane or customer shows a carrier or forwarder which routes pay and which only keep trucks busy.

• Business Process

  Mapping the steps from order to dispatch helps a warehouse firm absorb a new client without adding chaos to the floor.

• Business Consulting

  A cash plan helps growers and packers see when inputs, wages and retailer payments will meet across the season.

• Business Coaching

  Coaching helps solo owners set prices, choose clients and decide whether and when to take on a first employee.

1. First call by phone or video, to hear how your business runs and what is stuck.
2. A written scope that says what we will look at, what you will receive and what we need from you, with the fee written in your currency.
3. Your first sheet: the one page of numbers or decisions that the work starts from.
4. A review rhythm agreed with you, so the work is checked against what actually happened.

Tax, employment, immigration, licensing and regulatory questions stay with local professionals and the authority in the Netherlands. Our advice stays on how the business is run.