Growing towards a successful company together! You have successfully navigated the first phase of starting your own business, but have now reached a stage where you want to go to the next level. You need a qualified adviser and coach, who can help you with the growth of your business. Someone who asks positive yet critical questions and assists you with ideas. Someone who serves as a sparring partner, helps you to make the right financial and legal decisions and thus enables you to run your business effectively.
BDO, program partner of StartLife, employs advisers who can support and assist you in a variety of issues. You may not yet be familiar with us because you have spent as little time as possible on taxes and accounting. However, it is essential to make the right (financial) decisions so your organization can grow and develop further. So it’s about time we got better acquainted!
About BDO
BDO is an international accounting and advisory organization. Our activities are carried out via local entrepreneurship, which is part of a strong worldwide network. Within the Netherlands, we employ more than 2,500 advisers at 18 divisions throughout the country. Our advisers are able to identify with our clients. They are committed and do everything to familiarize themselves with specific problems. Together with fellow advisers and specialists within BDO, we make sure our clients receive tailor-made, practical and high quality solutions for a wide range of issues. Because we are part of the international BDO network, we are also able to offer clients appropriate advice in other countries.
Our vision?
We are convinced that mutual trust forms the foundation for our success and that of our clients. We believe lasting trust can be created by establishing committed and personal relationships between our employees and our clients. Therefore, everything we do is aimed at developing such relationships, because we realize that, besides regulations and numbers, people are also an important factor.
Not everyone is the same. Not everyone has the same vision towards their activities. How we implement our knowledge differs from organization to organization and from person to person. It is not about showing what we can do; it’s about what you need. But also about who you need. We always aim to create the perfect match, not only from a professional perspective, but also from a personal perspective.
What can BDO offer agrifoodtech startups?
We help startups in the food, technology and life science sectors to grow in a responsible manner. This involves using a multi-disciplinary approach to offer advice and support that is actually useful to you. Because, as a relatively new entrepreneur, you will face numerous challenges and issues. Starting a business is relatively easy, but to keep it growing in a responsible manner is another matter. What should you do and what should you definitely avoid? Which threats and opportunities will you encounter on the way? A team featuring enthusiastic BDO professionals will help you to find out. The main contact persons in the team will be introduced to you below.
Our advisers can assist you in many areas. For instance, we offer our clients advice in the following fields:
- finances;
- establishing and/or managing bookkeeping;
- compiling annual accounts and publications;
- compiling tax returns for income, turnover, salary and corporation tax.
- selecting an appropriate legal structure;
- personnel policy;
- strategy;
- efficiency-related issues;
- fiscal advice and optimization;
- corporate governance.
The BDO experts
Rachel Dibbets, Accountant AA, is senior adviser at BDO. She has helped organizations and startups with (financial) advice over the past 20 years and is the first point of contact for StartLife. Over the past 5 years, she has increasingly specialized in offering advice about efficiency and financing, while focusing on FoodValley. Rachel is renowned for her pragmatic and effective approach, as well as her enthusiasm for working together to achieve better results.
Hans Lankhuijzen, partner Audit & Assurance, is the main point of contact for StartLife together with Rachel. Hans is a member of the national BDO sector group called ‘FOOD’, and uses his position to represent the interests of FoodValley. He has considerable experience in guiding large and medium-sized food companies, incubators and startups. He is someone who quickly earns trust by trusting others. Hans is valued for his solution-oriented attitude.
Jeroen Holtkamp is a senior financial analyst at BDO. He has an active interest in innovation and is eager to function as a sparring partner for startups in the (pre) seed phase. Jeroen is known for his analytic and pragmatic approach. He can advise starting businesses in setting up their company structure and advise about their tax obligations. Furthermore he can provide help with the administration, filing taxes and offer help with financial reporting as well.
Harry Hurkens has been working in the tax consultancy practice of BDO since 2012. Harry is involved in the tax guidance of companies in the SME sector and the director/major shareholder. In addition to tax assistance in the day-to-day course of business, Harry has extensive experience with restructuring, WBSO, the innovation box and the working expenses scheme, among other things. Harry is also active at the Novio Tech Campus in Nijmegen.
Menno Weij joined BDO Legal in 2018 and specializes in the legal aspects of technology. Menno assists with various issues and challenges related to privacy and AVG. He also advises on intellectual property aspects of information technology and data. Before joining BDO, he worked as a lawyer for almost 20 years, always with a focus on technology. Menno is a welcome guest at BNR, Nieuwsuur and other radio and TV programmes on the subject of ‘tech’. In addition, Menno is an ambassador of the Dutch Startup Association and active in various other startup initiatives.
Robert Rommelaars has been associated with the BDO Payroll Tax & Social Security Group since 2003. He has been working as a payroll tax and social security specialist since 2000. Based in Arnhem, he advises clients in the field of payroll tax and social security. Due to the fact that many clients come from the border area with Germany, a large part of the advice has an international character.
Meet with a BDO expert
Questions or you want to learn more about BDO and our advisors? We invite you to pop into our office in the Plus Ultra II building on Wageningen Campus (Bronland 10-D).
We have an open walk each Wednesday between 9am – 5pm (excluding 12-13 pm) . You can of course also set up an appointment in advance. An appointment on any other day is possible as well. Just contact BDO to make an appointment.