Gain management knowledge

To set up a commercial or artisanal business, you need to register it with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE). Whether this is your main or secondary activity, you need to have some basic management knowledge. If you don't have a diploma or experience proving this knowledge, you can obtain it by taking the central jury exam. 

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  • Which activities are affected by management knowledge?

    All commercial and artisanal activities, whether carried out as your main or secondary activity, require basic management knowledge.

  • Which businesses are exempt from management knowledge requirements?

    In some cases, you are not required to prove basic management knowledge. This exemption can be for life, or for a limited period of time, while you bring yourself up to standard. The exemptions concern:  

    • Large businesses (not SMEs); 
    • Businesses with no commercial or artisanal activity;
    • Businesses in intellectual professions subject to special regulations (e.g. accountants, real estate brokers, tax consultants, psychologists); 
    • Businesses with specific management requirements: real estate brokers, insurance agents or brokers, driving school managers, road hauliers of passengers or goods and inland waterway hauliers; 
    • Businesses selling at home or by invitation of the buyer (direct sales);
    • Businesses registered with the CBE before 1 January 1999;
    • Businesses taken over or inherited:
      • If you take over the business of your deceased spouse/legal cohabitant, you are exempt for life from proving your management skills.
      • If you inherit the business from one of your parents, this exemption is granted for a period of three years.
      • If you take over a business under other conditions, you have one year in which to undergo management training.

    If in doubt, contact a Business Counter. They will be able to tell you whether or not you qualify for an exemption.

  • How can I prove my basic management knowledge?

    Skills can be proven in two ways:

    • With a diploma or certificate; 
    • With sufficient professional experience over the past 10 years:
      • as a self-employed company director or day-to-day manager without an employment contract:
        • as your main activity: 3 years;
        • as a secondary activity: 5 years.
      • as an employee in a management position: 5 years.
      • as a self-employed assistant: 5 years.

    If you don't have either, you can obtain a certificate by sitting the Basic Management Knowledge Exam (20090) before the Central Jury.

  • Frequently asked questions about access to the profession

    How do I know if my diploma grants me access to a profession?

    A database of diplomas, degrees and certificates from all over the world helps you determine whether your qualifications meet entrepreneurial requirements. You can look up your diploma to find out which activities it gives you access to. If in doubt, contact a business counter. The Central Jury Service is not able to validate your qualifications.

    See the DIPLO database

    Other than the company manager, who else can bring entrepreneurial skills to the business?

    For a self-employed person (natural person), this person can be:

    • A spouse;
    • A legal cohabitant;
    • A partner who has been cohabiting with the individual for at least 6 months;
    • A self-employed assistant, parent or relative up to the third degree;
    • An employee with a permanent employment contract.

    For a business (legal entity), this person can be:

    • The management body (e.g.: a manager of a limited liability company or a managing director of a public limited company);
    • A company director (e.g.: an active partner in a limited liability company or a director of a public limited company);
    • An employee with a permanent employment contract.

    If in doubt, contact a Business Counter. They'll be able to tell you if you have the required skills for your activity.

  • What skills will be tested on the exam? What subjects does the exam cover?

    • Entrepreneurial spirit and skills:
      • Entrepreneurial motivations, qualities and attitudes, an innovative and creative spirit, propensity to take risks.
      • The importance and methods of getting to know yourself.
      • Learning about professional advisors and the importance of advice.
      • Drawing up a business plan and studying its feasibility.
    • Establishing a business:
      • The different legal forms of business, matrimonial property regimes, leases, compulsory and optional insurance.
      • Social status of self-employed workers.
      • Environmental regulations, land-use planning regulations, hygiene standards, business location and high-risk establishments.
      • State aid, subsidies and loans.
    • Accounting, financial and tax aspects:
      • Accounting aspects: Usefulness of accounting as a management tool, sections on a simple balance sheet and profit and loss account, main commercial and payment documents, turnover, cash flow, legal provisions for SME accounting, VAT mechanism.
      • Financial aspects: Cost management and profitability, management dashboard, break-even point, projected budget for revenues and investment expenditure and financing, financial plan, setting sales and cost prices, cost analysis.
      • Tax aspects: General principles of personal and corporate income tax, types of income, deductibility of expenses, withholding taxes and advance payments.
    • Business management:
      • Supplier and customer management, commercial negotiation, competitor analysis.
      • Marketing, advertising, sales promotion.
      • Inventory management and procurement.
      • Market research and sales strategies.
    • Legislation:
      • Retailer responsibilities, rights and obligations.
      • Bankruptcy.
      • Business practices and consumer protection.
      • Commercial agreements.

  • How does the exam work? 

    The basic management exam is a computerised multiple-choice questionnaire.

  • How do I register? Follow the steps

    All procedures