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Company history

In 1997, I formally established and registered SmarterScience as Armadillo Research Services in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Initially, the business was strictly English-language (AE). After a number of years, I added a few pages in Dutch and added some Dutch to my voice mail messages because the Dutch got a bit miffed that I was not using their language.

In 2003, I changed the company name changed to SmarterScience; I had already transferred the web site had already been transferred to that domain long before.

On December 31, 2004, I relocated to the United Kingdom and fiscally speaking, the Dutch company then ceased to exist. SmarterScience is now English.

That changed the way I am able to present the business. In The Netherlands, the emphasis had to be on the activities, not on the person - to avoid the semblance of a so-called "verkapt dienstverband". In the U.K., however, that (IR35) only plays a role for Limited companies, not for sole traders.

There were several reasons (personal and business) for the move to the U.K.

• I wanted to live in an English-speaking nation again, but my spoken English has actually deteriorated since I moved here. I spoke much more often English and at a much higher level when I was still in Holland. I find that bizarre and am working on remedying that and keeping my conversation skills at an acceptable level. I am also strengthening my ties to the U.S.
• I also wanted to be in an environment where the air is cleaner as that is very important to me. Unfortunately, the indoor air in English homes and other buildings is often of very low quality and unhealthy. To me, that is totally unacceptable - also with regard to my business activities - and I am addressing it. I have no desire to develop COPD and heart and eventually liver disease - and I won't.

  This is my solution, also to combat other issues:
  
  

• I wanted to live closer to the sea. I love the sea. I love looking at waves. Unfortunately, I am not near the seashore at the moment, but I will remedy that at some point.
• I had wanted to move to a more sociable environment (than The Netherlands). In retrospect: what was I thinking? LOL!
• I also wanted to move my business to a less rigid and more emancipated society, signifying more and better opportunities and better working conditions for me and my business. That I certainly have realized and is also reflected in my turnover, even though some opportunities I had been really looking forward to here never materialized. The U.K. is a lot less rigid than The Netherlands and much more emancipated in terms of women's lib. It is a great relief!

Unexpected bonus is that the British tax authorities are wonderful or, as the English say, "brilliant". There are for instance several workshops (yes, provided by the tax authorities!).

One of the ways in which the Brits are much more flexible than the Dutch is that they consider rules (and taxes) inventions intended to serve people - which they are. In Holland, it tends to be the other way around: people have become slaves to rules and regulations. Holland is overregulated, and rigid in how it deals with those regulations.

It takes a while to get used to the British mindset and see the opportunities here, the room for negotiation in all sorts of matters that simply does not exist in Holland, where rules are rules, period. The other side of the coin is that many things are a "zootje ongeregeld" here. Holland is an exceptionally well-running place.

Ultimately, I do want to move back to the States - the country I still see as home. But I also wonder how much it has changed since I left and whether the country I love and am so proud of may only still exist in my dreams. Current developments in politics (D, of course) do make me suspect that the true American spirit is still alive, though. A woman and a black person going after the presidency? Both have me so thrilled! This is history in the making.

Want to know more? Don't hesitate to e-mail me or call +44 (0)23 8044 8125. You can also try to skype me at SmarterScience.

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Most recent changes to this page:
April 4, 2008