From jobseeker to entrepreneur: Follow the guide
Entrepreneurship plays a major role in innovation, job creation and economic growth, as well as strengthening social inclusion. The Brussels region is now working on raising awareness among jobseekers and their ecosystem of the potential of entrepreneurship as an alternative route to paid work and as a driving force for emancipation. But it’s an adventure that you don’t have to take on alone.
Brussels is bursting with people with an entrepreneurial spirit, and with the desire to start a business. In the first half of 2023, almost 5,000 people benefited from advice on entrepreneurship provided by our information service: hub.info. Of those, one fifth were jobseekers.
A comprehensive guide to start-up assistance
That said, creating your own job in Brussels is still littered with complexities (administrative procedures for support/funding, access to management/the profession, etc.) and risks (income guarantees, social security, etc.)
That’s why hub.brussels has decided to bring together the existing offering and also to add tools to compare the different start-up assistance mechanisms, particularly on hub.info, information and orientation service website and in an information brochure.
This brochure details the journeys taken by four Brussels residents, from unemployment to creating their own job.
From job seeker to self-employed
Marie
energy practitionerTalk about your project before you launch! To different people, in different contexts, in different ways — serious, funny, detached, cynical, etc. That's how the idea took shape in our mind. We shed light on it and give it space to exist. And that creates a kind of commitment and self-drive. Our dream then left the realm of fantasy and became a bit more real every day!
Fatima
founder of Kids RideYou have to be prepared to fight and have an entrepreneurial mindset, but also not be afraid to say that you know nothing and need help. I took very short training courses and networked. I'm not afraid to go to others to find information — this is also in my nature. You have to be determined and believe in your abilities and project. If not, you won't get anywhere.
Nicolas
founder of ReliekYou have to find aid wherever it is! I have always been able to surround myself with the right people to help me achieve my dreams. In Brussels, there are a lot of aid structures and mechanisms that can help you start a business, and I was able to take advantage of them. Without them, I would probably have taken a part-time job and started a business on the side. This support allowed me complete my project right away.
