In 2022, 3500 entrepreneurs reported to debt assistance. That is almost 60 percent more than in 2021. The average debt in 2022 was around 75,000 euros. According to Marco Florijn, chairman of debt relief association NVVK, the effects of the corona crisis are the main culprit.
The effects of corona are only now visible and it often takes a while before it becomes clear how many entrepreneurs have been affected. In addition, many entrepreneurs do not dare to say that they have debts, for example because they are ashamed or cannot find a solution, says the chairman. That is why it often takes a while before affected companies seek help from debt counselling. ‘That is a characteristic of entrepreneurs, who still see opportunities or hope everywhere. At the same time, people are also ashamed. This applies to both entrepreneurs and people who are not entrepreneurs. That is something we are trying to solve through all kinds of campaigns. But the fact remains that people find it difficult’, says Florijn.
According to Florijn, it is important that people turn to debt counseling sooner in the future, ‘because then we can also help them with light measures.’ In addition, in the future it would be better for entrepreneurs to turn to the municipality for questions, ‘for example to get involved in a remediation project or for contacts at the Tax and Customs Administration.’
A small improvement
But, there is also light at the end of the tunnel. ‘At the same time, we also see that many more municipalities are helping businesses. In the past, we saw that municipalities actually said that they could not help companies if they reported,’ says Florijn. The taboo is also slowly disappearing. ‘During corona there were several campaigns by entrepreneurs who called on other entrepreneurs to also seek help. You can now see that this has an effect’, says Florijn.
