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Window lettering in The Hague, Thu 15 Oct at 07:30.
Becoming a self-employed sign installer: what you need and how to start
As a self-employed sign installer you run your own business, with your own KvK registration, insurance and rate. Here you'll find KvK, insurance, certificates, rates and the Dutch DBA Act (Wet DBA) set out in one place. You'll also read how to get your first jobs, as a beginner or when you're looking for more clients.
Create your profile
Free, now and later. You set your rate and say yes or no to every job.
Sound familiar as a self-employed installer?
- Work comes through people you know, and dries up as soon as one agency gets quieter.
- Quotes and invoices eat up evenings you'd rather spend on something else.
- You don't know what others charge, so you price yourself too low.
- Arguments afterwards about hours or finish, with no proof.
What Signborn does for you
- Jobs in your regionAs soon as matching opens in your region, you see jobs that fit your skills, certificates and working radius. You only respond to what you want to do.
- Your own rate, net for youYou set your own hourly rate and receive it in full. The client pays the Signborn fee, never you.
- Invoice ready to goAfter handover, your invoice is ready and pre-filled. You check it and send it, and the agency pays you directly.
- Proof at every handoverPhotos, time, location and the end client's signature. If there's a dispute, you're in a strong position.
Less hassle on top of the work.
This is how it works now, and how it works with Signborn. Has an agency invited you? Then you get its jobs right away. Jobs from new agencies follow region by region, from the official launch.
Finding work
ExampleNowNo new messagesWork comes through people you know. If they don't know you, they don't call.
With SignbornNew job · LeidenWindow lettering · Thu 07:30 · 2 people- The place, the date and what needs doing are all listed. You say yes or no, with no consequences.
Your money
ExampleNowHi, last month's invoice is still outstanding. Could you take a look?10:03
Read · no replyYou chase your own money and hope you don't lose the client.
With Signborn- The agency approves your handover within 48 hours
- Paid late? The agency gets reminders, and after 14 days you get a ready-made payment demand
Paperwork
ExampleNowmon 7.5 h? tue 8 h + 40 km? vinyl 2 rolls
Evenings at the kitchen table, digging up hours and kilometres for your invoice.
With Signborn- Your invoice is ready, with the job and your rate
- You check it and send it yourself
Becoming a self-employed sign installer, step by step
Registering with the KvK
As a self-employed professional you register with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK), usually as a sole trader. Choose an SBI code that fits what you do. You get a KvK number, and the Dutch Tax Administration (Belastingdienst) gives you a VAT ID. Does your turnover stay below the threshold of the small business scheme (KOR)? Then you can apply for a VAT exemption. You then invoice without VAT.
Insurance: public liability with care, custody and control cover
Public liability insurance (AVB) covers damage you cause to others in your work. For sign installers, care, custody and control cover is important. A standard policy often doesn't cover damage to the things you're working on, such as the window you're applying vinyl to or the van you're wrapping. On Signborn, public liability insurance with care, custody and control cover in your own name is required before you can respond. You arrange disability insurance and your pension yourself.
Certificates that open up jobs
- VCA Basic or VCA-VOL. On construction sites, self-employed workers are often asked for VCA-VOL.
- A MEWP certificate, for example IPAF, for working from a cherry picker.
- NEN 3140, as an instructed person or skilled person, for illuminated signs and electrical work.
- A brand certification from 3M or Avery for vehicle wrappers doing premium wraps.
Every certificate you add to your profile opens up the jobs that ask for it.
Setting your rate
Your hourly rate has to cover more than your hours: insurance, tools, van, fuel, training, days without work, holidays and pension. Work back from what you need per year and the number of hours you can realistically invoice. Guide rates per specialism are on the rates page. On Signborn you set your own net rate. Signborn does not impose a rate and charges you nothing.
Staying self-employed under the DBA Act
You're self-employed if you work for several clients, decide your own rate and way of working, have your own tools and insurance, and can turn jobs down. An agency agrees the result with you, not how you get there. On Signborn you can turn down any job without consequences. There's no minimum number of jobs and no exclusivity.
Your first jobs
Beginners mostly come up against their network: agencies call the people they already know. A complete profile with a portfolio, skills by level and your certificates shows what you can do, regardless of your name. Signborn opens matching region by region. Once your region is open, you see jobs that fit your profile. Already working for an agency? Then ask them to invite you into their own network. That's possible now, in every region.
Becoming a self-employed sign fitter
A sign fitter is a sign installer who mainly mounts: facade signs, light boxes, built-up letters and wayfinding, often at height. To do that as a self-employed professional you need the same as any self-employed sign installer: a Chamber of Commerce registration and liability insurance with care, custody and control cover. For installation work, agencies also often ask for:
- VCA, at most professional sites
- an aerial work platform certificate (IPAF) for work at height
- NEN 3140 if you connect illuminated signs
Experience from employment counts. Going self-employed for your former employer, working the same way as when you were employed? That is a risk under the Dutch DBA Act. Work for several clients, at your own rate and with your own tools.
How does Signborn work?
From job to invoice, in five steps.
Create your profile
Trade, certificates, region and calendar. Set it up once, free.
Say yes or no
If a job fits your trade, certificates, region and calendar, you see it. Saying no has no consequences.
The agency chooses
If the agency chooses you, the chat opens. If more installers are working on it, it's a single group chat.
Do the work and hand over
GPS check-in on site, handover with photos. The agency approves within 48 hours, or raises an objection.
Invoice
You invoice the agency directly, pre-filled from the job. The agency pays into your IBAN. Signborn deducts nothing.
Matching with new clients opens region by region. An agency that already works with you can invite you now.
Frequently asked questions from self-employed sign installers
What do I need to get started?
You sign up with your name, email and postcode. After that you first enter your KvK and VAT number. You don't need insurance yet. To respond to jobs you also need public liability insurance (AVB) with care, custody and control cover in your own name, and at least two photos of work you did yourself. Add certificates such as VCA, MEWP or NEN 3140 to your profile. They decide which jobs you can respond to.
Do I pay for the platform?
No. Signing up and responding are free. The client pays the Signborn fee on top of your rate, on a separate invoice. Your net rate stays your net rate.
Do I stay self-employed?
Yes. You work job by job for the agency, with your own rate, your own tools and your own insurance. You can turn down any job and work for as many clients as you like. Signborn gives no instructions on how you do the work.
What rate is usual?
It depends on your specialism and experience. The rates page lists guide prices. On the platform you see the agency's budget for each job before you respond.
Can I become a self-employed sign installer as a beginner?
Yes. Your trade experience counts, even if you gained it as an employee. As a self-employed installer you have your own KvK registration, your own public liability insurance with care, custody and control cover and your own rate, and you work for several clients. After signing up you enter your KvK and VAT number. Arrange your insurance before you respond to jobs.
How is this different from working through a temp agency?
Through a temp agency you work as a temp under the direction of the hirer. As a self-employed sign installer you run your own business: you decide your rate, how you work and which jobs you take on. Signborn is not a temp agency and does not pay you. The agency pays your invoice directly.
I am still employed. Can I sign up already?
Yes, once you are registered with the KvK. You can do that alongside a job, as long as you really work as an entrepreneur. After registering, the tax office sends your VAT number. You enter those two numbers after signing up. That way you set out your trades, your working area and photos of your work in advance. Work you did as an employee counts too, as long as you show no client names or addresses. Responding to jobs is only possible with valid liability insurance. We do not promise work: new jobs through Signborn open by region, from spring 2027.
Ready to start?
Sign up with your name, email and postcode. Then you enter your KvK and VAT number and complete your profile. Jobs through Signborn open region by region, once your region opens.