Starting a sole proprietorship and choosing a business address
Starting your own business is exciting and, ideally, very enjoyable too. Many people dream of being their own boss, but far fewer actually take the step and start a sole proprietorship. You can start as a self-employed professional without employees, known in Dutch as a zzp’er, but a sole proprietorship can also employ staff. A sole proprietorship is a legal structure; zzp’er describes someone who works independently without employing staff.
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the Netherlands had around 1.6 million sole proprietorships in 2026. This structure is usually chosen by entrepreneurs who want to start small and do not need to make major investments. As the business grows, it is often converted into a private limited company (BV).
Before arranging your KvK registration
Before registering your business with the KvK and resigning from your job, it is wise to consider everything carefully. From the moment you start your sole proprietorship, you will need to provide your own income entirely. Investigate whether your business is viable and can generate sufficient revenue. Of course, this can never be predicted with certainty.
The nature of the business matters, as does the level of competition. Find out whether there is enough room in the market for your business to win sufficient assignments or sell enough products. It is important to understand that you are personally liable for your business’s finances. If you have a business debt, the creditor can have personal possessions such as your car or home seized.
Working from home
Starting your sole proprietorship from home can save you considerable costs because you do not need to rent office space. It also gives you maximum flexibility: you can work on your business at any time. Naturally, working from home is only possible if the nature of your business allows it. You cannot run a shop from your home or convert rooms into commercial facilities such as a hair salon or veterinary practice.
This requires the property to have a business designation, which is not easy to arrange. However, if your business only needs a desk, a laptop and an internet connection, working from home can be perfectly practical. Examples include consultancy or an accountancy practice. You can also run a painting or gardening business from home and rent a storage unit for materials and tools.
This is cheaper than having business premises.
The business postal address
If you have no separate business premises and work from home, you must provide your home address as your business registration address when registering with the KvK. This cannot be a PO box number. You may be uncomfortable having your residential address listed in the public Business Register, where anyone can look it up. If you have frequent contact with clients, it may be wise to choose a business postal address through a virtual office such as MrKantoor.
You can then use this business registration address on your website and in business correspondence. You can also meet business contacts there to discuss quotations or other business matters. This keeps your home address private.
Protecting your privacy
In some cases, keeping your home address private from clients may be essential. A well-known example is a lawyer handling sensitive cases. It can be very unpleasant if people unexpectedly turn up at the door to demand an explanation about an ongoing case or a court ruling. In exceptional cases, the KvK allows a home address to be hidden in the Business Register.
A business postal address provides ongoing separation from your home address. Of course, this does not mean that you cannot be found. There are many ways to find someone’s home address online, and someone might also discreetly follow you to discover where you live.
Applying for a business postal address for your sole proprietorship
Are you considering applying for a postal address for your sole proprietorship at MrKantoor.nl? The website provides all the information you need to prepare properly. This includes information about the details you must supply, which depend on your legal structure and the nature of your business. The rates and the services they include are also listed.
Make a checklist of the information you need to submit so you do not forget anything and your application can be processed promptly. If your application is approved, you can then have your business registration address within a few days.
