A business number and a domain name: here’s how you get them
Published on 08/10/2018 in Start Like A Pro
Every fledgling entrepreneur needs two things to really be able to start up: a business number and their own domain name for the website. We explain how to obtain them.
Business number
What is a business number?
Every independent entrepreneur needs a business number. It’s the law. This ten-figure number is also your VAT number if you are liable for VAT. In that case, the number is often preceded by ‘VAT’. If you also do international transactions, then it is ‘VAT.BE’.
The business number must be indicated on commercial documents such as deeds, invoices, letters, purchase orders and your website. You should also display this number in your shop window or on your market stall. Once you have obtained your business number, you can start to make out invoices.
Registering with the business desk
How do you obtain a business number? In simple terms, by registering with the Kruispuntbank voor Ondernemingen/Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises, the central business database. You don’t have to do this with the database itself. The easiest way to register is with a business desk such as Liantis, formerly known as Zenito. They then deal immediately with your affiliation to a social insurance fund as well as applying for permits and taking care of pension formalities.
By the way, with the business number you can also find all kinds of data on customers and trading partners.
Domain name
Which domain name?
In addition to a business number, these days every self-respecting entrepreneur also needs a domain name for their website, of course. What is important when choosing a name and what extension is best for you: .com? .be? .com?
Registering your domain name
The registration itself depends a little on which extension you choose:
- If it is .be, .vlaanderen or .brussels, then you have to contact DNS.be, which works with dozens of ‘registrars’, companies that register domain names on behalf of other companies, institutions or individuals.
- For .com-, .org- and .net addresses there is a similar procedure with Internic. They have appointed two ‘registrars’ for Belgium.
- If you would like a .eu address, then Eurid.eu is the body that allocates the addresses.
Included with Bizz Online
With Bizz Online we help you build a good website. We also provide free registration of your domain name. All you have to do is come up with a name.