general/economy

International trade brings opportunities, but also challenges. One of the big risks you face is currency risk. Fluctuations in exchange rates can significantly affect your profit margins. In addition, external factors such as political events, economic instability or legal measures in your trading partner's country can delay or even block payment of invoices. 

Naomi Sapir (40), Roba Metals board member, immediately conveys one of Roba Metals' important values in conversation with us. The company values its relationship with people, be it their own employees or the customers and suppliers they work with. Metal is the business, the company is doing well, at the same time Roba Metals has a very social policy. People are the core. Naomi: "If we have a good relationship with a customer who cannot get cover from our primary credit insurer, we will find a solution."

The closer to home, the more familiar it seems. But this is not always necessarily so. Doing business in the Netherlands can also be risky. Yet doing business abroad often feels riskier. You will have to deal with different cultures, customs, political situations, currencies, payment and delivery conditions. It is therefore wise to research these elements thoroughly in advance before doing business in a particular country. There are organisations that can provide you with useful information in this regard, such as Fenedex. On the other hand, doing business abroad also offers new opportunities for growth.

Doing business across borders requires more than just ambition. It requires an understanding of local markets, strong relationships and a solid strategy to manage risk. By joining a global network of carefully selected partners, we have access to in-depth market knowledge and a wide range of solutions. This enables us to support entrepreneurs even better, wherever you operate or want to operate. Perhaps you want to enter new markets or expand your existing trade. Either way, local insight and international clout are indispensable. 

Many companies use their accounts receivable as security to obtain financing from the bank. In recent decades, however, more and more, mostly large, companies have started to prohibit this possibility. They do so by including a clause in their purchase conditions (which often take precedence over the SME supplier's sales conditions) that prohibits the supplier from assigning the rights and obligations under the agreement. A variant of this is simply to prohibit pledging ("encumbering") the receivables arising from the agreement. 

It is important for entrepreneurs to maintain a good reputation and financial reliability. A crucial part of this is filing your financial statements with the Chamber of Commerce on time. It is a legal obligation, but it also plays an important role in how your company is assessed by credit insurers and credit reference agencies.

Surely, 2024 was a turbulent year with many events. The Netherlands, for instance, chose a new direction politically and 2025 will show how the government will tackle the problems in the Netherlands. The US also chose a change of direction by electing Trump as its president. The German government has fallen and new elections are coming up there too. A change of course is also needed to boost the German economy again. Unfortunately, the conflicts in Ukraine/Russia and the Middle East are also still unresolved, let's hope there will be a final resolution to that in 2025.

Imagine this: you regularly supply products to a regular business customer and have clear agreements on delivery and payment. One day, however, payment remains outstanding. Without specific agreements on collection costs or default interest in your agreement, you are weak. You end up paying the collection costs yourself, even though you still haven't been paid. This kind of situation can have a significant impact on your cash flow and even the continuity of your business. With well-drafted general terms and conditions, you could have protected yourself and acted faster to solve problems.

The end of 2024 was dominated by the US elections. It seemed exciting, but Donald Trump won decisively. And before the inauguration, he is already making himself heard on a daily basis. Mexico, Canada and, of course, China can again reckon with import tariffs and trade restrictions. Europe, too, will not escape the dance. The war between Russia and Ukraine will be resolved within a day, while the conflict in the Middle East can count on a hardening. Some Eastern European countries are tending to move more and more towards Russia and there is now turmoil in Asia too. In South Korea and remains a guess as to how long China will leave Taiwan alone.

Since the 2008 credit crisis, European national banks have decided to take stricter measures to prevent banks from getting into financial trouble. This means that for every euro of credit they grant, banks must hold a certain percentage of capital. This is laid down in the Basel Accords. Below is a clear explanation from the Dutch Banking Association on the final piece: the Basel 4 accord.