How to start a lifestyle and food supplement company in the Netherlands?

Updated on 26 June 2023

Health is becoming an increasingly hot topic, especially since the pandemic broke out two years ago. A lot of people are looking for easy and practical ways to boost their health, as opposed to taking a wide variety of chemical medications to suppress symptoms of health issues. To stay healthy, it’s very important to eat nutrient-dense foods, drink a lot of water and become active on a daily basis. Nonetheless, sometimes someone requires more than just these basics, for example after disease or recovery. This is where lifestyle and supplement companies come into the picture. There are many ways to improve your health, ranging from fasting and special diets, to supplementing with various substances to boost your overall immunity. If you are someone who is very enthusiastic about health in general, and you would also like to help others achieve a fit and healthy physique, the lifestyle and food supplement niche might be a perfect option for you when you are seriously considering establishing a Dutch company. Due to the continuously growing clientele within this market, you are almost certain to generate good sales quotes and thus, achieve rapid success with your company. Provided you know what you are doing, and the advice and products you offer are of high quality. Would you like to know more about starting a Dutch business within the lifestyle and healthy industry? Then read on for general information about this market, some helpful tips and tricks when starting a business and the most practical way to register your company with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce.

Health is booming

Health is wealth, at least that’s how most people perceive it. When you are healthy, you can go about your daily routine and do the things you want and love to do. When something is wrong with your health, however, you are substantially limited in carrying out your daily tasks and chores. Diseases vary in severity and duration, of course. A common cold is something entirely different from long-term illnesses, which is why there is no one-size-fits-all solution to overcome illness. Every human being is unique, and thus, every approach to a healthier lifestyle should be tailored to the individual at hand. During the past century, we have seen that most regular approaches in medicine tend to suppress the symptoms of a disease, whilst the core problem is often overlooked. Societal problems like stress, a heavy workload and unhealthy habits take a large toll on people, which inevitably can lead to long-term health problems and issues. When you have a sincere ambition to help people become more healthy and strong, it is very important that you educate yourself properly on the subject of health. Ideally, you studied medicine or any other topic that covers a wide range of health problems. This will make it easier for you to diagnose health issues and offer correct treatment.

If you are not a medical professional, however, you can still help others achieve a balanced way of life and optimum health. There is a wide variety of subjects and topics you can focus on, such as:

• Dietary consultations
• Exercise plans
• Use of supplements
• Acupuncture
• Acupressure
• Homeopathy
• (Sports)massages
• Lifestyle coach
• Physical therapy
• Meditation
• Chiropractic
• Haptonomy
• A combination of two or more of the above

As you can see, there are many ways in which you can assist any individual to recover back to good health, whilst also complying with any necessary official medical treatments. Sometimes people are in chemotherapy, or receive treatments for long-term illnesses, that can also harm the human body at the same time. By offering supplemental treatment, you can strive to negate (a part of) the negative effects such treatments have on the patient. This can be acquired in a large variety of ways, which you can learn by adequate schooling and training. By assisting others to achieve a stable health condition, you essentially help society to become better and healthier as a whole.

Lifestyle and food supplements cover a wide range of topics

As we already briefly discussed above, there are many ways to help others with their health. Maybe you are excited about helping others exercise more? Exercise is a fantastic way to help your body to stay in shape, which will automatically lead to a better and stronger immune system, which will inevitably prevent many diseases. You can also dive into the world of supplements and figure out, what each supplement does to the human body. This can cover any possible supplement, ranging from regular minerals and vitamins, to amino acids, superfoods, special herbs and other natural products that boost the human immune system and performance supplements. Coaching is another fantastic way to help others to strive for their goals. Often people have coping mechanisms, such as unhealthy habits, that ‘get them through the day’.

Needless to say, unhealthy habits wreak havoc on the human body and are thus counterproductive when it comes to strengthening the human body. By providing your clients with coaching sessions, you can figure out the root cause of their unhealthy habits and transform those into healthy ones. There are many topics you can become experienced in, such as specialized natural health care like acupuncture, which has been proven to be successful for centuries. Meditation has also proven to be highly successful when trying to nurse someone back to health, due to the many benefits it offers for the body and the mind. Meditation is a surefire way to eliminate stressors in life. Stress is a huge risk for every human body, since it causes the body to produce cortisol and adrenaline in large amounts. This, in time, proves to cause many different illnesses and in bad cases even leads to early death. Preventing diseases always trumps curing diseases, so you can focus on prevention as well as finding substantial ways to cope with already existing diseases, which will in turn improve the overall quality of life of any client you might have. The right choice for you is basically the topic you are already experienced in, or the one you feel most comfortable with. Try to do an ample amount of research before you decide on your niche, so you know for sure that you choose something you can actually help others with. Also keep in mind, that you can never overrule any already existing official medical treatments. Always consult the medical practitioner of your client, before you start something new. Some natural ways of healing can have adverse effects on a medical treatment.

Education and experience needed

As you can see, there are many topics to choose from when it comes to health, lifestyle and supplement advice. There are even more courses and specialized training to learn about a certain topic. You can never start a health company without proper training and education, as you might potentially harm others, and that’s a path you do not want to tread. If you aim to help others become healthy, that is exactly what you should do. Inform yourself about the various types of education available, because this will make it easier for you to pick something that resonates with you. Also, study literature and academic papers, since these often offer new insights into existing problems and treatments. If you want to study something official, there is a possibility you might have to go back to school or university. But try to see this as a grandiose way to deepen your knowledge, even if it might take you some years to finish. People are never too old to educate themselves on new topics! Education will make the difference between a successful company that heals people, as opposed to running a shady business that offers no guarantee whatsoever regarding health and the safety of your clients. A lot of health companies are founded by people who actually know nothing about health, they are just trying to make money off promising products, that actually do nothing at all for the individual. Or, in worse cases, these products actually damage health. Many supplements that are created for losing weight and/or boosting a work-out contain substances that can be harmful for certain individuals. Educate yourself on such topics, before you start selling goods and services.

What type of company can you start within the lifestyle and supplement market?

As there are many topics that fit into this niche, there are also many different company types that go along with it. These companies range from only selling certain products, to full-on coaching trajectories that help an individual to become healthy again. Your level of expertise and knowledge essentially dictates, what type of company you can start. Some company ideas that don’t involve the need for accredited education include (but are not limited to):

• A webshop with supplements or herbs
• Fitness and exercise advice, training schedules and coaching
• Offering meal plans and advice about food in general
• Coaching sessions to help an individual to stick to a program
• General advice about a healthy lifestyle
• Offering meditations

In some cases, a diploma might be needed, for example in the coaching industry. Nonetheless, most coaching courses are not very long or intimidating, nor are these very expensive. You could try to look around for courses that match your profile and expertise. If you own a diploma or certificate, the chances are substantially higher that clients will trust you more. Thus, you will acquire more clients in the long run. Some company ideas and professions that involve proper training and education are as follows:

• Dietician
• Homeopath
• Acupuncturist
• Acupressure
• Professional masseur
• Lifestyle coach
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic
• Haptonomy
• Helping others to choose the right supplements

These are generally professions that require a certain amount of knowledge and training, due to the fact that you can also hurt others when you provide incorrect treatment or advice. You should definitely broaden your scope about these topics, and see whether some of these professions are a good fit for you. You can also combine some of the topics, such as providing dietary advice, advice about supplements and exercise plans. That way, you cover all the basics, making it easier for you to tailor the program to someone’s individual needs as well as you can.

The Netherlands is strategically located

One of the many benefits of starting a Dutch company, is the strategical location of the rather tiny country. You have access to Schiphol airport as well as the port of Rotterdam, making it easier for you to buy high-quality products and having these shipped to you as fast as possible. Also note, that there are a lot of expats and travelling entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. You can help these people, even if you don’t know the Dutch language, since almost everyone in Holland is fluent in English. Most of the Dutch citizens are bilingual or even trilingual, making it easier for you to communicate with your client. It is also a very beneficially located country to import and export products, especially within the European Union (EU), since you are able to access the European Single Market directly. This means that you will have much fewer customs documentation to deal with, and you will also not have to charge others VAT. Feel free to ask us for advice about this topic anytime, as it can save you a lot of time and money whilst doing business internationally. This will make it very easy for you to acquire the necessary products for your company, such as supplements, herbs and other related products. Since the Dutch are very into health and a healthy lifestyle, you will have no problems acquiring clients here, provided the services and products you offer are of high-quality, and you do what you promise. There are many competitors in this particular market, but many websites don’t offer personal aid or programs. If you prepare well, you can thus manage to stand out from your competitors and reach the target audience you map out.

Consider going international

In line with what we mentioned above, it is very much possible to expand your Dutch business internationally in due time. If you can successfully aid people in the Netherlands with your services and products, chances are you might be able to expand internationally as well. Maybe you are considering putting a new product on the market, or offering a certain treatment that isn’t used often? In such cases, the clients you help will be more than willing to tell others about your mutual success. You can translate your website into various languages, although English generally seems to be sufficient in order to reach people internationally. Make sure there is something unique about what you are offering, since there is already a massive amount of lifestyle and supplement companies all over the globe. Try to offer a very individual approach to every client, since this will make them feel heard. It will also enable you to pinpoint your client’s problems precisely, which will make it easier for you to get them back to health. Try to look at some websites of companies that offer similar services, to see where you could stand out and make a difference.

How can Intercompany Solutions support your business?

Intercompany Solutions is specialized in the entire registration process of starting a Dutch company. We can offer you various types of assistance, such as starting up your company, opening a  bank account, taking care of tax related matters and helping you with a solid business plan. We can also help you with a good business idea, provided that you already know what you want to do, and why. Our specialists can take care of the entire registration process in just a few business days, which enables you to start your company almost immediately. If you have any questions about importing or exporting goods and services, the best way to arrange this and which documentation you will need, you also have come to the right address. Please feel free to contact us with any queries you might have, or if you would like to receive a personalized quote for establishing your business. We will gladly help you with anything you need.