Holland is relatively small, from north to south it is about 3 hours, from east to west it is 2. If you want to open an office you cannot go very wrong. Still it is better to think before you make a move.
Some considerations for your decision for your Dutch office location:
Do you need to be close to an international airport? Schiphol airport can be reached easily by train and car from most larger Dutch cities in the Randstad. You can even rent office space at the Schiphol airport.
Do you want to attract smart and bright international people to work for you in the digital industries? Go for Amsterdam, maybe Utrecht. These are the locations where the young international digital crowd goes to.
Do you need a cheap office? Don’t go to the bigger cities, but move to the outskirts of the country, like the provinces Groningen, Gelderland, Overijsel, Zeeland, or the smaller villages and cities in the metropolis “Randstad”.
Are you a road transport and logistics company? Consider the logistics focussed South of Holland and the Rotterdam port region.
Do you want to be able to enjoy yourself after work when you visit the Dutch office yourself? Go for Amsterdam, Utrecht or The Hague. Good vibe, dining, nice museums, tourist attractions and architecture.
Are you a high tech company? Consider being close to the tech universities and hubs like Delft, Eindhoven and Wageningen (for food tech) to have access to talent and business partners.
Do you need to be close to other countries like France, UK and Germany? Take the locations near the airports Schiphol and Rotterdam Airport into consideration. Also have a look at the Dutch map and the train schedule. Thalys will take you in 3 hours to Paris, you can be in 4 hours in Frankfurt from Utrecht and there now also is a direct train to the center of London in 3.5 hours from Amsterdam and under 3 from Rotterdam.
Of course all companies are different, but there are very logical answers to the questions to what are best locations to start a Dutch subsidiary.
For more info and help with your steps in Holland please contact us.
