In the Netherlands registration in the trade register is compulsory for every company and almost every other legal entity. The register provides reliable answers to questions as:

• Does the company with which I wish to do business actually exist?
• Is the person I am dealing with actually an authorized signatory?
• What has happened to the company/person I used to do business with?
• What other companies I can do business with?

In short: the Dutch trade register provides you with the needed information.

Searching the trade register is free. They do charge costs for the business extracts, accounts and other information products. So you will need a personal code and a password to get access.

The Chamber of Commerce is incorporated under public law and, as such, targets its services at Dutch businesses across all sectors. The Chamber’s other tasks are to provide Dutch entrepreneurs with information, stimulate regional trade & industry and advise local and regional government.  The Dutch section of the KvK-website provides more elaborate information for researchers. Including extensive reports on regional businesses (see also dutch language site).

More information:

• www.kvk.nl/English

Besides the sector studies in Dutch language (listed below), you might want to consider checking the international website of the Rabobank for research studies in English language. The Dutch language website provides access to pdf-documents covering nine sectors and eighty different lines of business. The following sectors are covered: industry, building, wholesale and retail trade (both food and non food), the hotel  and catering industry (including recreation), transport and services.

Each sector study (approximately 3 pages) is written in a uniform way, enhancing the accessibility. An overview of current trends and developments, possible threats and opportunities,  a forecast as well as current figures are provided. Each sector profile is illustrated with graphics on key figures and also lists the important trade journals and sector organizations where more information can be obtained.

The following list contains all lines of businesses covered on the Dutch language website:

Sector Industrie

• Elektrotechnische industrie
• Grafische Industrie
• Koek- en banketfabrieken
• Kunststofverwerkende industrie
• Machine industrie
• Metaalproductenindustrie
• Meubelindustrie
• Scheepsbouw
• Textiel- en tapijtindustrie
• Timmerindustrie
• Uitgeverijen

Sector Bouwnijverheid

• Aannemersbedrijven burgerlijke en utiliteitsbouw
• Aannemersbedrijven grond-, water- en wegenbouw
• Installatiebedrijven
• Schilders

Sector Groothandel

• Groothandel in bloemen en planten
• Groothandel in computers, randapparatuur en software
• Groothandel in dranken
• Groothandel in groente en fruit
• Groothandel in hout en bouwmaterialen
• Groothandel in sport- en recreatieartikelen
• Groothandel in textielproducten
• Groothandel in verpakkingsmaterialen
• Handel in bedrijfsauto’s

Sector Detailhandel food

• Agf speciaalzaken
• Supermarkten
• Brood- en banketspeciaalzaken
• Slagerijen
• Slijterijen
• Tabaksdetailhandel
• Visdetailhandel

Sector Detailhandel non-food

• Apotheken
• Bloemenspeciaalzaken
• Boekhandels
• Detailhandel in bovenkleding
• Detailhandel in nieuwe personenauto’s
• Detailhandel in wonen
• Doe-het-zelf detailhandel
• Drogisterijen
• Elektrotechnische detailhandel
• Juweliers
• Optiekzaken
• Reparatie van personenauto’s
• Schadeherstelbedrijven
• Schoenendetailhandel
• Sportspeciaalzaken
• Tankstations
• Tuincentra
• Tweewielerspeciaalzaken

Sector Horeca en Recreatie

• Cafés en discotheken
• Cafetaria’s en kleine eetwarenverstrekkers
• Fitnesscentra
• Golfbanen
• Hotels
• Jachthavens
• Restaurants
• Vakantiecentra
• Wellnesscentra en sauna’s

Sector Dienstverlening

• Accountants, administratiekantoren en belastingconsulenten
• Advocatenkantoren
• Architectenbureaus
• Assurantietussenpersonen
• Auto- en motorrijscholen
• ICT-dienstverlening
• Belegging in vastgoed
• Beveiliging en opsporing
• Communicatiebureaus
• Economische en organisatieadviesbureaus
• Ingenieursbureaus
• Kappers
• Kinderopvang
• Makelaars
• Notariskantoren
• Schoonmaakbedrijven
• Uitzendbureaus
• Woningcorporaties

Sector Transport

• Beroepsgoederenvervoer over de weg
• Binnenvaart
• Taxibedrijven

Sector Gezondheidszorg

• Huisartsen

The Rabobank also has a separate website for clients (http://www.rabobankcijfersentrends.nl/). This  website provides access to more elaborate sector studies (including key financial indicators). 

Further information: 

• www.rabobank.com
• www.rabobank.nl/cijfersentrends
• www.rabobankcijfersentrends.nl

Dutch publishers are invited to deposit their publications with the KB for permanent preservation. Whether printed or digital, the National Library of the Netherlands will store these publications under optimal conditions and will ensure that they become part of the Dutch cultural heritage in the Netherlands Deposit Collection. The KB also issues ISSNs for periodical publications published in the Netherlands.

Further information: http://www.kb.nl/index-en.html

These  boards are also known as “publiekrechtelijke beroepsorganisaties” (the Dutch abbreviation is PBO), and is similar to a public law corporation organization. In the Netherlands there are 17 commodity and central industrial boards (in Dutch: “product- en bedrijfschappen”). The commodity boards (productschappen) represent enterprises that work with the same product. E.g.: from raw material to finished product. The industrial boards (bedrijfschappen) represent enterprises within particular sectors. Such as the retail sector, craftsmanship (and small industries), and the hospitality sector.

These statutory trade organizations are a “Dutch phenomenon”. Although in other countries similar organizations exist, the unique Dutch approach is based on cooperation between employers and employees. This is also reflected in the information provided on their websites. Besides extensive profiles on the lines of business (in Dutch: “branches”) covered by that particular board, the websites of the different boards contain information on matters such as employee training, quality management and control, and joint export promotion.

It is up to every sector to decide whether to install a board. That is why some sectors have boards and others do not. The international readers will discover that most of the websites unfortunately only contain information in Dutch. If however, you will use the information provided on the “contact-page” , most of the boards should be able to provide you with useful English language material (documentation used for export promotion).

The websites of the commodity and central industrial boards, are probably the best sources to start your research for specific sector information. It’s there, (it is however in Dutch), and it’s free!

Bedrijfschappen (for links use this deeplink to the central portal of Dutch government websites)

• Bedrijfschap Afbouw (BA)
• Bedrijfschap Horeca en Catering
• Bedrijfschap voor Bos en Natuur (Bosschap)
• Hoofdbedrijfschap Agrarische Groothandel (HBAG)
• Hoofdbedrijfschap Ambachten (HBA) 
• Hoofdbedrijfschap Detailhandel (HBD)

Productschappen (for links use this deeplink to the central portal of Dutch government websites)

• Hoofdproductschap Akkerbouw
• Productschap Akkerbouw
• Productschap Diervoeder
• Productschap Dranken 
• Productschap Margarine, Vetten en Oliën
• Productschap Tuinbouw
• Productschappen Vee, Vlees en Eieren (PVE)
• Productschap Vis
• Productschap Wijn 
• Productschap Zuivel

For further information on commodity and industrial boards, please visit the website of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER). The SER is an advisory and consultative body of employers’ representatives, union representatives and independent experts, and also responsible for supervising various boards, including the 17 commodity and central industrial boards.

Link résumé:

• Productschappen: http://almanak.overheid.nl/categorie/136/Productschappen/
• Bedrijfschappen: http://almanak.overheid.nl/categorie/135/Bedrijfschappen/
• SER: http://www.ser.nl

Before you order a copy of the yearbook, consider exploring the website of HBD itself some more. This website also contains simular and more up-to-date information on the 40 retailsectors!

Further information: http://www.hbd.nl.

http://www.entrepreneurship-sme.eu/

The guide at the beginning of the book explains how these figures can be retrieved. Nearly all statistics and the most recent figures are available in the (see StatLine databank), which can be accessed free of charge. The databank, too, is set up in along the themes presented in this book.

The complete Statistical yearbook of the Netherlands 2009 (published july 2009) is also available free of charge on-line as a PDF-document.

Further information:  http://www.cbs.nl/en-GB/menu/publicaties/boeken/algemeen/statistisch-jaarboek/archief/2009/2009-statistical-yearboek-pub.htm

Most of the original sources covered by MD Info (e.g. Dutch news sources such as newspapers and magazines) are in the Dutch language. So unfortunately the main language of these newsletters and rss-feeds, is again Dutch-only. But the excellent abstract and index services provided by MD Info, through these newsletters and rss feeds, totally free of charge (yet still copyrighted), are really worthwhile to examine. Below you will find a list of available newsletters and rss-feeds.

If you can’t wait, take a test-drive. Do not forget: dutch keywords will improve results

Available newsletters (MD Weekly) are:

• bank/verzekeren,
• e-commerce,
• financieel,
• industrie,
• management,
• marketing,
• ict,
• media,
• retail,
• telecom,
• hrm,
• energie,
• vastgoed,
• zorg,
• toerisme,
• milieu,
• fmcg,
• overheid en
• wonen.

Available rss-feeds are:

• Laatste berichten
• Bank/Verzekeren
  • Bank/verzekeren
  • Hypotheken
  • Intermediairs
  • Elektronisch betalingsverkeer
• E-commerce
  • E-commerce
  • Blogs
  • Reclame op elektronische media
  • Webwinkels
• Financieel
  • Financieel
  • Financieel beheer
  • Fraude en economische delicten
  • Belastingen
• Industrie
  • Industrie
  • Milieuzorg en duurzame energie
  • Technologiebeleid en innovatie
  • Watermanagement
• Informatietechnologie
  • Informatietechnologie
  • Outsourcing en facility management
  • Open source
  • Beveiliging
• Management
  • Management
  • Management tools
  • Duurzaam ondernemen
  • HRM
  • Ethiek
  • Risicomanagement
• Marketing
  • Marketing
  • Online marketing
  • Consumenten en trend
  • Merkimago
• Media
  • Media
  • Mediagedrag en -consumptie
  • Nieuwe media
• Retail
  • Retail
  • Koopgedrag
  • Retailmarketing
  • E-retail
• Telecom
  • Telecom
  • Mobiel internet
  • Breedband
  • Mobiele telecom
• Hrm
  • Hrm
  • Personeelswerving
  • Arbeidsmarkt
  • Carriere
• Energie
  • Energie
  • Energiebronnen
  • Nutsbedrijven
  • Duurzame energie
• Vastgoed
  • Vastgoed
  • Bedrijfshuisvesting
  • Projectontwikkeling
  • Woningbouw
• Gezondheidszorg
  • Gezondheidszorg
  • Ziekenhuizen
  • Geneesmiddelen
  • Ziektekostenverzekeringen
  • Commercialisering gezondheidszorg
• Toerisme
  • Toerisme
  • Recreatie
  • Reizen
  • Horeca
  • Reisverzekeringen
• Milieu
  • Milieu
  • Milieuzorg
  • Energiebesparing
• Fmcg
  • Fmcg
  • Dranken
  • AGF
  • Persoonlijke verzorging
• Overheid
  • Overheid
  • Wet en regelgeving
  • Europese Unie
  • Lagere overheid
  • Onderwijs
• Wonen
  • Wonen
  • Woninginrichting
  • DHZ

Further information: http://www.mdweekly.nl/abonneren.aspx (newsletters) and http://www.mdweekly.nl/rss.aspx (rss-feeds).

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PureText is basically equivalent to opening Notepad, doing a PASTE, followed by a SELECT-ALL, and then a COPY.  The benefit of PureText is performing all these actions with a single Hot-Key and having the result pasted into the current window automatically.”

Any researcher understanding the above, should visit http://www.stevemiller.net/puretext and download the latest version. After downloading and running PureText.exe, you will see a “PT” tray icon appear in your task bar.  Right-click on the icon to display a menu with more options.

Pure text; the best copy/paste tool!

More information: http://www.stevemiller.net/puretext/

They offer news from about 90 sources from The Netherlands and Belgium. These are mainly national and regional newspapers and some business magazines. Please find below an overview of some of the Dutch language sources.

National news
• Agrarisch Dagblad
• Algemeen Dagblad
• De Standaard (B)
• De Telegraaf
• De Tijd (B)
• De Volkskrant
• Het Financieele Dagblad
• Het Nieuwsblad (B)
• NRC Handelsblad
• Trouw

Press agencies
• AFX
• ANP
• Betten Beursmedia
• Business Biographical
• Company News Group
• Tijd Nieuwslijn

Regional news
• AD / Amersfoortse Courant
• AD / De Dordtenaar
• AD / Groene Hart
• AD / Haagsche Courant
• AD / Rivierenland
• AD / Rotterdams Dagblad
• AD / Utrechts Nieuwsblad
• Amersfoortse Courant
• Apeldoornse Courant
• BN/De Stem
• Bouwwereld
• Brabants Dagblad
• Dagblad Flevoland
• Dagblad Rivierenland
• Dagblad Tubantia / Twentsche Courant
• Dagblad van het Noorden
• De Dordtenaar
• De Gelderlander
• Deventer Dagblad
• Eindhovens Dagblad
• Gelders Dagblad
• Goudsche Courant
• Haagsche Courant
• Leeuwarder Courant
• Missets Horeca
• Nieuw Kamper Dagblad
• Overijssels Dagblad
• Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant
• Rijn en Gouwe
• Rotterdams Dagblad
• Sallands Dagblad
• Utrechts Nieuwsblad
• Veluws Dagblad
• Zutphens Dagblad
• Zwolse Courant

Dutch business magazines
• Beleggers Belangen
• Bizz
• Boerderij
• Distrifood
• FEM Business
• Forum
• Fusie & Overname
• Intermediair
• Logistiek Krant
• Money
• NeXT
• Pakblad
• Psychologie Magazine
• Quote
• Reisrevue
• Transport & Opslag
• Zorgvisie

News weekly’s
• De Groene Amsterdammer
• Elsevier
• Opzij
• Vrij Nederland

Further information: http://www.lexisnexis.nl/english/default.aspx.