What is a business restart?
In a business restart, a new legal entity buys assets from the bankrupt estate: stock, machinery, the brand name, sometimes staff and customer contracts. The debts remain with the old entity.
Short answer: your existing claim does not transfer. The new BV is legally a different company, even if the name, premises and director are the same.
What you need to check
- KVK (Dutch Chamber of Commerce) number. A new number means a new entity; never rely on the trading name alone.
- Directors and shareholders. Are they the same people as at the bankrupt business?
- Those directors' insolvency history. Multiple bankruptcies are a significant warning sign.
- Capitalisation. Has meaningful equity been injected, or only a minimal contribution?
- Security interests. Have stock and receivables already been pledged to a finance provider?
- Public report. What exactly was sold, to whom and at what price?
Terms for the start of the relationship
| Stage | Recommended terms |
|---|---|
| First three months | Advance payment or payment on delivery |
| Months 4-6 | Small credit limit with a short payment term, following demonstrably good payment behaviour |
| From month 7 | Increase the credit limit based on payment history and current figures |
| Always | Retention of title and clear terms and conditions |
Red flags
- The same director with multiple insolvencies within a few years
- A restart without staff but with all customer contracts
- No first annual accounts filed after the statutory deadline
- Immediately requesting large orders on credit from previous suppliers
A balanced view
Not every restart is suspicious. Many restarts are a legitimate way to preserve jobs and value. The lesson is not "avoid", but "reassess as if this were an unfamiliar customer".
Would you like the history of a restarted business investigated? Request credit information below.
From explanation to a company file
- Check a company's creditworthiness
Combine registration details, annual accounts, payment history and insolvency information before doing business.
- Credit report: example and request
View a clearly fictional file, its sources and limitations, and request credit information.
Sources and scope
Examples and policy choices in this article are illustrative, not a current quotation, fixed standard or financial or legal advice. The editorial revision date relates to the summary, structure and source references; it is not a reference date for the underlying data.
| Primary source | What is it used for? |
|---|---|
| De Rechtspraak — Central Insolvency Register | Official insolvency notices and available public reports; check the relevant entity and the date of the court ruling. |
| CBS (Statistics Netherlands) — bankruptcies, key figures | National bankruptcy statistics with reporting periods, definitions and explanatory notes. |
| KVK (Dutch Chamber of Commerce) — checking business partners | Company identification and checks on business partners. |
Source links support the topic mentioned, but do not automatically substantiate all percentages, time frames or examples in this article. Check current terms and rules with the responsible authority.
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