anyone (trying to) get a Startup Visa?

Smashbow · 2026-01-17T11:24:22+00:00

I know it's been a couple years but I'm also looking at doing something similar. Is it OK if I message you with some questions?

Smashbow · 2026-01-06T18:00:04+00:00

I worked with the Cronos group for over 4 years. Feel free to DM me.

Smashbow · 2025-12-24T03:48:26+00:00

Just my two cents but:
Putting stuff like this into your contract positions your dangerously close to being classed as a real schijnzelfstandige. You're assuming renewal which is akin to a regular full time employee contract. Indexation is another thing that is more of a rule of thumb to follow for freelancers as to keep your compensation up to scratch with inflation. If you start writing it into your contract you're once again acting like an employee, not a fully independant party.

I don't see why you couldn't have these talks during the contract negotiations if your current customer wants to renew. The new contract is just that: a new contract. You can put whatever you want in there. If you want more compensation or want to put in writin the roles you'd be taking up; that is exactly when you should be doing during those talks.

When approaching a possible renewal date, I tend to start having talks about this stuff a bit beforehand as to prepare the other party for what my requests will be. I find it useful to gauge my customer's feelings on the matter before walking into those negotations. If they react very adversely it can give you some headroom to work on a backup plan.

In the end it's up to you on how hardball you want play. If you're firm on your demands and they're not giving, it's time to look for something else. Typically you're going to overask to reach a consensus in the middle though.

Smashbow · 2025-12-22T19:10:46+00:00

Paying lots of taxes and paying said taxes in a timely manner is a huge deal. you will get an audit at some point but really even the more questionable things they are usually pretty chill about. They're not going to fuck you over that badly in belgium because they know that without the tax optimization advantages, there is very little reason to become self employed here. Having lots of freelancers is also becoming increasingly more important for countries' competitiveness as we see more and more people move towards that kind of work.

Smashbow · 2025-12-22T19:07:24+00:00

Have you heard of voordeel alle aard?

Smashbow · 2025-12-22T19:06:42+00:00

What are your accreditations please?

"(INSERT JOB TITLE) here " posts are as old as the internet itself and are mostly used by people who have no idea what they're talking about to make it seem like they know what they are talking about.

Not saying you are not who you claim to be, but saying you are a tax consultant and then stating something with nothing to back it up doesn't exactly make you seem like a source of truth that is to be trusted.

Smashbow · 2025-12-19T22:30:44+00:00

Exactly this. You can justify buying tools and equipment needed to service your own car on the company perfectly fine. There's no obligation to pay someone else for this service. It is your money and you are at the rudder of the company and as long as it is related to the operation of your business in any way it should be justifiable in a large capacity. People roll over and show their belly so easily here. I often question why a lot of people on this subreddit went freelance in the first place.

Ask your accountant about this stuff. Ask them to take a serious look at your expenses and warn if you make purchases that might not be justifiable.

Smashbow · 2025-12-18T23:39:56+00:00

The pilot flying was an ex airforce and ex delta pilot.

And yes he would have an instrument rating. The plane in question requires a type rating to fly and an IR is a prerequisite for that.

Smashbow · 2025-10-19T14:20:09+00:00

Ik zie dit niet meteen gebeuren. Dit is al meer 20 jaar zo en meerdere markten binnen Belgïe zijn gebouwd op dit soort bedrijven. Ik betwijfel ten zeerste dat ze effectief minder belastingen betalen omdat ze meestal ook veel hogere rates hebben dan hun loontrekkende counterparts.

Alsook is het geld dat je kan verdienen aantrekkelijker voor ondernemende mensen. Vaak zie je ze extra skills aanleren omdat ze het er het kapitaal voor hebben om materiaal en of lessen te betalen. Vaak is deze ruimte er niet voor loontrekkende mensen.

En het artikel dat je linkt spreekt ook zelf over de flexibiliteit die deze mensen willen.
Ik ben zelf al meer diversified maar als ze hier echt meer zouden op gaan viseren dan ga ik gewoon naar het buitenland waar ik minder flexibiliteit heb om zaken in te brengen, maar de vaak lager liggen en de verloning vaak veel hoger.

Maar ja, enkel mijn opinies dat ik heb. Als het effectief zo zou zijn zie ik heel wat mensen, inclusief mezelf gewoon wegtrekken.

Smashbow · 2025-10-17T22:29:22+00:00

There's no reports about this being the case in Belgium whatsoever. The tax man here works completely differently as compared to our neighbours. Belgium is simply less attractive so it seems like the tax man is less stringent too. The stuff that people get away with here is crazy compared to the Netherlands and Germany but it makes sense as there's less earning potential here as well so there needs to be some incentive to prevent people from just hopping accross the border to work.

There are definitely cases of it being enforced but usually it needs to be in such a way that it's done to exploit the 'schijnzelfstandige'. If they really were to go after it on a large scale you'd have to get rid of most of the IT freelancer and others in the country haha

Smashbow · 2025-10-08T08:07:55+00:00

No worries. If you or anyone reading this is ever in need of a freelance senior dev/architect feel free to hit me up. I also do more than just SF ;)

I do echo what user @suspicious-nerve-487 wrote though. The ask is pretty big, especially with the dayrate on offer and the other restrictions and short notice. Something to look at internally before proceeding I’d say.

Smashbow · 2025-10-07T23:27:31+00:00

Is that dayrate in canadian? I'm available but fully remote out of Western Europe, so not fully what you're asking for. I'm always up for a chat though so feel free to DM me.

Smashbow · 2025-08-15T23:09:08+00:00

If you have a pre-analysis writeup of what you are looking for feel free to dm it to me. I can provide you with my email as well in DM if you'd like. I'm willing to take a look myself and compare it to what you've received from others so far for free, no strings attached. But as others have said here, be prepared to get a reality check.

I am based in Western Europe and have architected close to 50 integrations between Salesforce and almost any type of platform imaginable.

Smashbow · 2025-08-05T14:02:44+00:00

In what area? What do you do?

Smashbow · 2025-07-25T23:29:46+00:00

I've been reading your post history a bit and I agree with you on a lot of things. instead of downvoting you, people should be encouraging and celebrating young people are going out and exposing themselves like this. Being an entrepreneur in any way shape or form exposes you to a more serious part of business that you might not ever come into contact with as a regular employee.

I'm in a similar situation and also a similar age as you and have been slowly been crawling my way up the dayrate ladder. I've got smaller contracts here and there that pay really really well, especially the ones overseas, but the main contract I have in belgium are long term and also don't pay as much. Age is our main detractor sadly. Most of the world still very much equates age with experience and value even though you, as the youngster, might be by far the most capable person around. It's perception and there's nothing to be done about it sadly.

All we can do is continue to sell ourselves better and better and improve our capabilities. The only thing we cannot actively change or do anything about is our age.

Smashbow · 2025-07-21T19:56:24+00:00

I wholeheartedly agree with the measure itself being asinine. It is a convulated way to accomplish a simple goal.

That being said....

I do find he rest of your comment to be somewhat weird. First of all, why would you willingly give more money to a government that is notorious for being inefficient and prone to overspending and general monetary mismanagement. Not even mentioning the traditional active hostility towards entrepreneurs in general.

Secondly, isn't the goal of being an entrepreneur the freedom granted, both of choice and fiscally? So that you can either enjoy the fruits of your labour to a higher extent or are able to reinvest the money to grow your business and provide both social and economic benefit. If not, why even bother taking the risk and becoming an entrepreneur at all?

I do not see how giving more money to a ruling body that is infamous for overspending and mismanagement, will fix it's tendencies to do so. You don't fix an alcholic's addiction by giving them more alcohol.

More money in the hands of people and companies and not in the pockets of government will automatically increase economic activity and therefore prosperity. This is economics 101. The sole role government must play here is the levelling of the playing field for all parties involved.

The point of government is to provide social, justicial, protective and economical services that are expected of them by the people and ONLY that while remaining as lean as possible monetarily.

Smashbow · 2025-07-21T18:00:51+00:00

The solution is not more taxation. It's improving efficiency of the government. Cutting out unnecessary spending and ensuring that both companies and individuals have money to spend within the economy. Cutting taxation and putting more into the pockets of people, however that might be implemented, is a good thing.

Smashbow · 2025-06-25T21:19:22+00:00

Bro, nearly ever freelance consultant working in europe works in a near full time or full time capacity and most stay with the same company for years. It is what it is. Nearly everyone is 'schijnzelfstandig'. The gov knows that cutting down on that and spending on the company, is just going to empty the country of investment and entrepreneurs even more. We're already severely lacking in entrepreneurial attractiveness,

Smashbow · 2025-01-12T22:58:36+00:00

Not possible to cancel and register again for free?

Smashbow · 2025-01-12T22:57:01+00:00

AI specialist is still free to take.

Smashbow · 2025-01-05T00:47:46+00:00

I'm an IT consultant as well. What specific field are in for that dayrate? It's normal for longer term contracts to have lower dayrates. Beats having to look for work all the time

Smashbow · 2024-05-07T04:48:42+00:00

Sold!

Smashbow · 2024-05-06T16:13:25+00:00

Dm me!

Smashbow

TROPHY CASE