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Company Information & Identification
Everything about company data, identification, directors, and corporate structure.
Annual Accounts & Financial Figures
Insights into annual accounts, financial ratios, and key financial figures.
Creditworthiness & Financial Health
Assess financial health, risks, and creditworthiness.
Business Data & API Solutions
API data integration and access to up-to-date, reliable data.
Monitoring & Company Alerts
Automatic monitoring and alerts for important company changes.
Directors, Ownership & Corporate Structure
Information on directors, ownership, and corporate structure.
Frequently Asked Questions by Topic
Company data consists of official identification and basic information used to legally and administratively identify a business.
This includes:
- Company Registration Number & VAT Number
- Legal Form & Date of Incorporation
- Registered Office & Business Establishment Units
- Business Activities & NACE Codes
- Directors, Mandates & Legal Deeds
- Company Status (Active, Ceased Operations, Dissolved or Bankrupt)
Company information helps you accurately identify businesses, avoid errors, and make better-informed business decisions.
Before engaging with a new customer, supplier, or prospect, it is important to verify which legal entity you are doing business with. Accurate identification supports efficient invoicing, contract management, credit checks, compliance, prospecting, and portfolio management.
A company can be searched for using its company registration number, VAT number, company name, address, or other unique identification details.
A company registration number or VAT number is generally the most reliable way to search for a business. When searching by name, it is important to also verify the company’s location (address), legal form, and business activities, as different companies may have similar names.
A VAT number is the identification number of a business registered for Value Added Tax (VAT). It is used for invoicing, VAT returns, and business transactions within Belgium and the European Union.
In Belgium, the VAT number is the same as the ten-digit company registration number (CBE number), preceded by the country code “BE”. Not every company with a registration number is automatically subject to VAT: the number must first be activated with the VAT authorities.
A CBE number is the unique identification number assigned to a company or organisation registered in the Belgian Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE). It consists of ten digits and is also known as the company registration number.
The CBE number is linked to official company information, such as the company’s name, address, legal form, business activities, and status.
The company registration number identifies the business in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE). The VAT number is the same underlying number, preceded by the country code “BE”, when the company is registered for VAT.
Check the company’s current status, registered business activities, business establishment units, and recent legal publications.
An active registration does not necessarily mean that all business activities are still operational. Therefore, check the official status alongside recent publications, financial information, and other up-to-date indicators.
Yes, international company information can be accessed through foreign business registers and specialised data partners.
The information available varies by country, as local disclosure requirements, business registers, and accounting regulations differ.
You can find previous company names by checking a company’s historical records. Search for the company using its company registration number, then review the available names along with their corresponding start and end dates.
Through the CBE Public Search, you can find a company’s registered names and their respective start dates. This allows you to check whether and when its official name or trade name has changed. Publications in the Belgian Official Gazette may also provide additional information about name changes. For a quick overview of a company’s history, you can consult business information providers.
A NACE code is a code that identifies a company’s economic activity. In Belgium, the NACE-BEL classification is used for this purpose.
A company can have multiple NACE codes if it carries out different business activities. These codes are used for administrative purposes, statistics, and business analysis.
A Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) is a unique international code used to identify legal entities participating in financial transactions.
An NSSO number is an identification number used in the relationship between employers and the National Social Security Office (NSSO) in Belgium.
Creditworthiness indicates the extent to which a company is expected to meet its financial obligations accurately and on time.
Financial health describes a company’s overall financial condition. Creditworthiness translates that condition into the level of risk for customers, suppliers, lenders, or other business partners.
Assess multiple financial, legal, and operational indicators together. A single financial ratio or set of annual accounts is generally not sufficient to provide a complete picture.
Review information such as:
- Trends in Revenue and Financial Performance
- Solvency, Liquidity & Profitability
- Equity & Debt Structure
- Historical Payment Behaviour
- Credit Score & Credit Recommendations
- Bankruptcies, Judicial Reorganisations & Other Legal Risk Indicators
- Changes in Management & Corporate Structure
A credit check helps minimise losses, determine payment terms, and better assess new business relationships.
A credit score is a standardised risk assessment that combines multiple data points and indicators to evaluate the likelihood of financial difficulties.
The methodology used varies by provider. A credit score should therefore always be interpreted alongside the underlying data, its recency, and the relevant context.
A credit recommendation translates available company information into practical guidance on whether to responsibly establish or expand a business relationship.
A credit limit is the maximum amount of outstanding customer credit considered acceptable based on the risk profile.
Negative trends, payment difficulties, and recent legal or management-related developments may indicate increased credit risk.
This includes:
- Declining Equity or Recurring Losses
- Negative Cash Flow or Liquidity Pressure
- Late Filing of Annual Accounts
- Increasing Payment Terms
- Judicial Reorganisation or Warning Signs of Bankruptcy
- Frequent Changes in Management or Business Address
- Deterioration in Credit Score or Credit Recommendation
A company’s creditworthiness indicates its ability to meet its financial obligations on time. The assessment is generally based on a combination of financial, legal, and operational data.
Key factors include:
- Liquidity: Can the company pay its short-term debts?
- Solvency: Does the company have sufficient equity to absorb financial setbacks?
- Profitability: Is the company sufficiently profitable?
- Debt Burden: How significant are the company’s financial obligations relative to its revenue and assets?
- Payment Behaviour: Are invoices and other financial obligations paid on time?
- Trends in Annual Accounts: Are revenue, profit, cash flow, and balance sheet structure improving or deteriorating?
- Company Age and Continuity: How long has the company been in business, and how stable is its track record?
- Legal Risk Indicators: Have there been any bankruptcies, judicial reorganisations, asset seizures, or other adverse legal events?
- Sector and Market Conditions: What risks are associated with the sector in which the company operates?
- Management and Corporate Structure: Have there been any significant changes in directors, shareholders, or business locations?
A reliable credit assessment considers the entire company profile and how it evolves over time, rather than relying on a single figure. A credit score or risk score summarises these various factors and helps compare companies.
Creditworthiness is not static. A company’s financial situation can change due to new annual financial figures, payment difficulties, changes in management, legal events, or shifts in market conditions.
It is therefore advisable to reassess creditworthiness:
- at least annually, for example after the publication of new annual accounts;
- more frequently for key customers, suppliers, or higher credit limits;
- immediately if warning signs arise, such as late payments, negative reports, changes in management, or legal proceedings.
For companies with a higher risk profile, continuous monitoring is recommended. This allows changes to be detected more quickly and credit terms to be adjusted in a timely manner.
Historical payment behaviour provides insight into how consistently a company has met its payment obligations on time in the past. Frequent or increasing payment delays may indicate liquidity problems and a higher risk of late payment or default. A stable payment history is generally a more positive indicator.
Focus primarily on trends: a sustained deterioration is more significant than a single isolated incident. Also consider the industry, standard payment terms, and how up to date the information is.
Never assess payment behaviour in isolation. Combine it with the credit score, credit recommendation, financial ratios, debt structure, and any legal or administrative issues. This provides a more complete and objective picture of the creditworthiness of a customer, prospect, or supplier.
Annual accounts are official financial documents that present a company’s financial position and performance over a financial year.
Annual accounts contain the following components:
- Balance Sheet (Assets, Liabilities & Equity)
- Income Statement (Revenue, Expenses & Profit or Loss)
- Notes to the Annual Accounts (Additional Information & Accounting Policies)
- Social Balance Sheet (Employee Information, Where Applicable)
The balance sheet consists of assets and liabilities. Assets show what resources the company owns, while liabilities and equity show how those resources are financed.
More specifically:
- Fixed Assets (Resources Typically Used for More Than One Year)
- Current Assets (Inventories, Trade Receivables & Cash and Cash Equivalents)
- Equity (Contributed Capital & Retained Earnings)
- Debt Capital (Short-Term & Long-Term Liabilities)
The income statement presents the revenue and expenses for the financial year and shows whether the company has made a profit or incurred a loss.
Annual accounts help assess a company’s financial health, performance trends, and risk profile.
These figures are relevant to shareholders, banks, customers, suppliers, investors, and other business partners. Analysing financial data over several financial years generally provides more insight than examining a single year in isolation.
Consolidated annual accounts present the financial position and results of a group of companies as if the group were a single economic entity.
They combine the financial figures of a parent company and its subsidiaries, eliminating intra-group transactions.
The obligation to file annual accounts depends on the legal form, size, and statutory characteristics of the company or organisation.
The applicable criteria and reporting formats may change. Therefore, always consult the latest guidelines issued by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB).
Not all companies report their financial figures in the same way. This depends on factors such as the annual accounts format used, the company’s legal form, and its disclosure requirements.
Annual accounts are only prepared, approved, and filed after the end of the financial year. As a result, there is always some delay between a company’s actual financial situation and its most recently published financial figures.
Compare the same financial items across several consecutive financial years. Look beyond the absolute figures and focus on trends in revenue, operating profit, net profit, equity, debt, and liquidity.
When comparing financial figures, also take into account changes in the length of the financial year, the reporting formats used, and exceptional income or expenses. Trends Business Information brings together annual accounts from different financial years and financial ratios, making it easier to identify trends over time.
Belgian annual accounts are filed with and published by the Central Balance Sheet Office of the National Bank of Belgium (NBB). You can access a company’s officially published annual accounts there.
Through Trends Business Information’s solutions, you can access this data alongside previous annual accounts, financial ratios, and other company information in one comprehensive overview. This makes it easier to analyse a company’s financial health and creditworthiness. Not every company is required to publish annual accounts. For example, this obligation generally does not apply to self-employed individuals and sole proprietorships.
A company required to publish annual accounts must first have them approved by the general meeting of shareholders. In principle, this meeting must take place no later than six months after the end of the financial year.
The annual accounts must then be filed with the Central Balance Sheet Office of the National Bank of Belgium within 30 days of approval and no later than seven months after the end of the financial year. For a company whose financial year ends on 31 December, the filing deadline is therefore generally the end of July of the following calendar year.
Equity consists of the funds contributed to a company by its owners or shareholders, together with profits retained in the business. Losses from previous years reduce equity.
Revenue is the total income a company generates from its normal business activities during a financial year, before deducting the associated costs. Revenue provides an indication of the company’s size and level of commercial activity.
Operating profit reflects the result of a company’s ordinary operating activities. It is calculated by deducting operating expenses from operating income. Financial income, financial expenses, and taxes are generally not included in this calculation.
Net profit, also known as the net result, is the final amount remaining after all operating, financial, and other expenses, as well as taxes, have been deducted from revenue. If the result is negative, it is referred to as a net loss.
Financial ratios are metrics that compare financial figures to assess a company’s financial health, performance, and risks.
Financial ratios are best analysed together and compared over multiple years, against companies in the same industry, and in the context of the company’s specific circumstances.
Liquidity indicates a company’s ability to meet its short-term financial obligations.
- Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities
- Quick Ratio = (Current Assets − Inventories) / Current Liabilities
- Net Working Capital = Current Assets − Current Liabilities
A higher liquidity ratio generally indicates a greater ability to meet short-term liabilities, but the ideal value varies depending on the industry and business model.
A company with fast-moving inventory can operate with a lower current ratio than a company with slow-moving inventory. Excessively high liquidity may also indicate that resources are not being used productively enough.
Solvency indicates what proportion of a company is financed by equity and how much of a financial buffer is available to absorb losses.
The most commonly used formula is: Equity / Total Assets × 100. A higher ratio generally indicates greater financial independence, but it should be assessed in relation to the industry, growth, and capital requirements.
Profitability measures a company’s ability to generate profit relative to the capital employed, revenue, or other relevant financial metrics.
- Return on Equity (ROE)
- Return on Total Assets (ROA)
- Profit Margin on Revenue
- Operating Profitability
Cash flow is the amount of cash a company generates or uses over a given period.
Profit and cash flow are not the same. Profit also includes non-cash expenses, such as depreciation. Cash flow focuses on the movement of cash and a company’s ability to repay debts, finance investments, and build financial reserves.
A simplified approach is to add depreciation and amortisation to net profit after tax. For a complete cash flow analysis, cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities are examined separately.
Operating cash flow is the cash flow generated by a company’s normal business activities.
A commonly used approach is: operating profit plus depreciation and amortisation, adjusted for changes in working capital.
Working capital is the difference between current assets and current liabilities. It indicates how much financial flexibility is available to support day-to-day operations.
Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) indicates the average number of days customers take to pay their invoices.
An increasing DSO may indicate slower payments, weaker accounts receivable management, or a change in the customer mix. Always compare trends against payment terms and industry benchmarks.
Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) indicates the average number of days a company takes to pay its suppliers’ invoices.
A high DPO can be beneficial for cash flow, but it may also indicate payment difficulties. The relationship between DPO and DSO, as well as trends over several years, is important.
Directors help shape company policy and represent the company within the powers defined by law and its articles of association.
Company directors can be identified using the company registration number, company name, and official publications relating to directorships and articles of association.
A director makes management decisions, a shareholder owns shares, and a company manager is an older or context-specific term for a person responsible for the company’s day-to-day or statutory management.
The exact meaning depends on the company’s legal form and the applicable company law.
Changes in management may indicate normal succession, a new strategy, restructuring, changes in ownership, or increased uncertainty.
A single change is not necessarily positive or negative. Its significance also depends on the frequency and timing of changes, as well as any accompanying financial or legal indicators.
A parent company is a company that exercises control over one or more subsidiaries.
A corporate group is a collection of legally separate companies that are connected through ownership, control, or management.
An Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) is a natural person who ultimately owns or exercises control over a legal entity.
Yes. Through Trends Business Information, you can access not only a company’s current directors but also its directorship history. This provides insight into former directors, previous appointments, and changes in the company’s management.
A mandate is an official role held by an individual or legal entity within a company or organisation. Examples include director, managing director, chair of the board of directors, etc.
For a mandate, the role, start date, and, where applicable, end date are generally recorded. An individual may hold multiple mandates in different companies.
A subsidiary is a company that is directly or indirectly controlled by another company, known as the parent company. This control may arise, for example, from holding a majority of the voting rights or having the authority to determine the company’s management.
Subsidiaries are part of a larger corporate group and may be included in consolidated annual accounts.
An amendment to the articles of association is an official change to the fundamental rules governing a company or association. The articles of association include provisions relating to the name, purpose, registered office, management, shares, and decision-making processes.
Depending on the legal form and nature of the amendment, a decision by the competent governing body and, in some cases, a notarial deed are required. Amendments to the articles of association are officially registered and published.
Bankruptcy is a court-supervised insolvency procedure for a company that has permanently ceased making payments and has lost the confidence of its creditors.
Judicial reorganisation is a procedure under Book XX of the Belgian Code of Economic Law that can provide a company in financial difficulty with time and protection to preserve all or part of its business operations.
Bankruptcy is aimed at liquidating a company that is structurally unable to meet its financial obligations. Judicial reorganisation seeks to preserve the continuity of a viable business activity.
Book XX applies a broad definition of a business. As a result, not only traditional commercial companies but also other types of businesses may fall under insolvency regulations.
Financial difficulties often develop gradually and may become apparent through a series of warning signs.
- Persistent Losses
- Negative Equity
- Liquidity Problems
- Late Payments
- Debt Collection Cases or Legal Proceedings
- Late or Missing Annual Accounts
- Negative Credit Recommendations
Company monitoring and alerts can automatically flag relevant legal changes, eliminating the need to continuously check customer or supplier portfolios manually.
Dissolution is the legal decision to terminate a company, association, or other legal entity. Following dissolution, the organisation generally ceases its normal business activities and typically enters the liquidation phase.
Dissolution may be voluntary, for example by a decision of the shareholders, but it can also occur by court order or by operation of law. The company does not necessarily cease to exist immediately: during liquidation, it retains its legal personality to the extent necessary to settle its assets and liabilities.
Dissolution does not automatically mean that a company is bankrupt. It may, for example, result from a voluntary business closure, restructuring, or the fulfilment of its statutory purpose. Within Trends Business Information, dissolution is nevertheless considered a significant change in company status that warrants further investigation.
Liquidation is the phase that generally follows the dissolution of a legal entity. During this phase, assets are sold or distributed, outstanding receivables are collected, and debts are settled. A liquidator is responsible for managing this process.
As long as the liquidation process has not been completed, the legal entity continues to exist, but solely for the purpose of settling its assets and liabilities. Once the liquidation is completed, the legal entity permanently ceases to exist.
A company in liquidation is not necessarily bankrupt. In principle, liquidation assumes that creditors can be paid in accordance with the legally established order of priority. If it becomes apparent that the company is unable to meet its financial obligations, insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings may still follow. The status ‘in liquidation’ is therefore an important factor to consider when assessing a business relationship.
Cessation means that a business fully or partially discontinues its activities. For a sole proprietorship, this may coincide with the closure of the business. For a company, a distinction must be made between the cessation of business activities and the legal termination of the entity.
For example, a company may have already ceased its commercial activities while still legally existing, whether or not it is undergoing dissolution or liquidation. Conversely, only a single business establishment unit or activity may be discontinued while the company itself remains active.
Therefore, always check exactly which status has changed: the business activity, a business establishment unit, or the legal entity itself. Cessations and status changes are recorded in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) and can be viewed in the broader company context through Trends Business Information.
Bankruptcy judgments are officially published in the Belgian Official Gazette. The publication generally includes the name and company registration number of the bankrupt company, the date of the judgment, the competent Enterprise Court, and the appointed bankruptcy trustee.
Trends Business Information processes information from sources including the Belgian Official Gazette, Enterprise Courts, RegSol, and other official sources.
Look up the company using its company registration number. This helps avoid confusion with companies that have similar trade names.
Through Trends Business Information, you can access the company’s current legal status, bankruptcy information, and relevant court judgments in its company report.
You can also check whether a company has been declared bankrupt through the Belgian Official Gazette.
Insolvency usually does not occur overnight. Several financial, legal, or administrative warning signs are often visible beforehand.
Possible warning signs include:
- Negative or Sharply Declining Equity;
- Recurring losses and negative cash flow;
- Deteriorating Liquidity or Solvency;
- Late or Missing Annual Accounts;
- Increasing Payment Arrears;
- Debt collection cases, summonses, or other legal proceedings;
- Changes in Legal Status or Frequent Changes in Management;
- A Declining Credit Score or a Negative Credit Recommendation.
No single warning sign proves that a company is insolvent. The combination, frequency, and development of multiple indicators determine the level of risk. Trends Business Information brings these indicators together, helping you identify changes early and assess a company’s creditworthiness in its full context.
Yes. With Trends Business Information’s monitoring solution, you can automatically monitor customers, suppliers, prospects, and other business partners.
When a company you are monitoring is declared bankrupt, you will receive an alert. You can also be notified of other relevant changes, such as updates to its credit score, credit recommendation, CBE status, directors, or financial and legal incidents.
Book XX of the Belgian Code of Economic Law governs insolvency proceedings for businesses in Belgium. Since its introduction, the legislation no longer relies solely on the former definition of a ‘trader’, but instead applies the broader concept of an ‘enterprise’.
Book XX applies, in principle, to:
- Natural persons who carry out a professional activity on a self-employed basis;
- Private-law legal entities, such as companies, non-profit associations, and foundations;
- Organisations without legal personality that have a profit-distribution objective or that actually distribute profits to their members.
As a result, self-employed professionals, associations, and foundations may also be subject to judicial reorganisation or bankruptcy proceedings under certain conditions.
Not every organisation automatically falls under all provisions or is subject to them in the same way. Exceptions or special legal regimes apply to public-law legal entities, public authorities, and certain regulated financial institutions. The specific application must therefore always be assessed based on the legal form and activities of the entity concerned.
Company monitoring is the automatic tracking of significant changes and risk indicators affecting businesses over an extended period.
Company alerts are notifications sent when a predefined event or change occurs.
Depending on the solution, financial, legal, management-related, and administrative changes can be monitored.
- Bankruptcies and Judicial Reorganisations
- Changes in Management and Business Address
- New Annual Accounts and Financial Indicators
- Business Closures and Reopenings
- Changes in Legal Structure
- Changes in Credit Scores or Risk Assessments
Monitoring is particularly useful when a business relationship is long-term, there are outstanding payments, or changes need to be detected quickly.
Monitoring enables faster responses to warning signs and timely adjustments to credit terms, limits, or follow-up actions.
Accounts receivable management encompasses all the processes a company uses to track outstanding customer invoices and encourage timely payment.
Doubtful debtors are customers whose ability to pay their outstanding invoices in full and on time is uncertain.
Effective accounts receivable management protects cash flow, reduces the risk of non-payment, and supports business continuity.
Software automates follow-up processes, centralises information, and enables more consistent management of larger volumes of outstanding receivables.
- Automated Reminders and Workflows
- Prioritisation Based on Risk and Amount
- Overview of Outstanding Receivables
- Reporting to Finance and Management
- Improved Collaboration Between Sales, Finance & Credit Management
Up-to-date credit and company information helps segment customers, set credit limits, and identify high-risk accounts more quickly.
A start-up is typically a young company developing a scalable product, service, or business model, often with the ambition to grow rapidly.
Not every newly established company is automatically a start-up. Innovation, scalability, and growth potential are generally more important than the company’s age alone.
A scale-up is a company that has moved beyond its initial development stage and achieved
There is no universally accepted definition. Therefore, always specify which criteria are being used.
Newly established companies can be selected based on their date of incorporation, industry, location, legal form, and other business characteristics.
First, define your ideal customer profile, then select companies based on relevant criteria such as industry, region, size, growth, age, and financial situation.
Company data enables businesses to segment a market into relevant target groups in a consistent and measurable way.
Identify comparable companies and analyse their business activities, size, location, financial performance trends, management, and market position.
Company data includes structured information about businesses, such as identification details, financial figures, directors, legal events, and risk indicators.
A company data API is a technical interface that allows company information to be automatically retrieved and integrated into internal systems.
An API is particularly useful for handling large data volumes, frequent updates, automated processes, and integration with CRM, ERP, onboarding, or risk management systems.
Company data can be used for customer onboarding, credit assessment, compliance, prospecting, data enrichment, dashboards, and monitoring.
Automated decisions are only as reliable as the underlying data. Incomplete, outdated, or incorrectly matched data can lead to poor decisions and operational errors.
A platform supports manual lookups, a data export provides a file at a specific point in time, and an API integrates data directly into processes and systems.
Download the Trends Business Information API one-pagers below for a brief overview of each topic.
Module: Activities
Official business activity data for accurate segmentation, market insights, and risk analysis.
Company information is compiled from official registers, financial publications, legal sources, partners, and additional data sources.
- National Bank of Belgium
- Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE)
- Belgian Official Gazette
- FPS Justice and Other Government Sources
- National Social Security Office (NSSO)
- Validated Commercial and International Data Sources
The update frequency varies depending on the source and type of data. Some changes can be processed daily, while financial figures depend on the publication of annual accounts.
Official data comes directly from statutory registers or official publications. Enriched data is created by combining and standardising information from multiple sources, analysing historical data, or transforming it into actionable insights.
Conflicting data must be assessed based on source authority, recency, completeness, and context. Where necessary, data is flagged or manually validated.
Establish a clear correction process that allows users to report the company, the disputed information, and supporting evidence or a source.
Trends Business Information primarily collects and processes information about Belgian companies. However, company information may also contain personal data when it relates to an identifiable natural person.
Examples include:
- The name and role of a director, company manager, or other professional contact person;
- Professional contact details, such as a business email address or telephone number;
- Data relating to a sole proprietorship or self-employed individual, where the business and the natural person are closely linked;
- Information about directorships, representation rights, or professional activities.
This data is processed exclusively in a professional or business context.
Company data relates to a business as an organisation or legal entity. Examples include the company name, company registration number, registered office, industry, key financial figures, and business activities.
Personal data is any information that directly or indirectly relates to an identifiable natural person. A name, individual business email address, telephone number, or directorship may therefore constitute personal data.
A single database can therefore contain both purely company-related data and personal data. Particularly in the case of sole proprietorships, self-employed individuals, and company directors, the distinction between these two categories can be difficult to establish.
Trends Business Information only processes personal data when there is a valid legal basis for doing so. Depending on the processing activity, this legal basis may include:
- The legitimate interest in providing up-to-date and reliable business information about Belgian companies;
- The consent of the data subject;
- The performance of a contract;
- A legal obligation.
Trends Business Information largely bases its processing of professional information about companies, company directors, and sole proprietorships on the legitimate interest in providing a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the Belgian business landscape.
The customer receiving or accessing the data generally acts as a separate data controller. The customer must therefore independently determine and document the legal basis for its use of the data.
Company information may be used for commercial prospecting, but not without restrictions. For each use, the customer must have a valid legal basis and a clearly defined purpose, and must comply with the applicable regulations on privacy, electronic communications, and direct marketing.
This means, among other things, that the customer must:
- Assess whether consent or legitimate interest is required;
- Properly inform data subjects about the use of their personal data;
- Respect objections and unsubscribe requests;
- Deduplicate contact lists against relevant opt-out lists, including, where applicable, the Belgian Do Not Call Me list;
- Not send commercial emails to individual business email addresses without a valid legal basis or the required consent.
The mere presence of contact details in Trends Business Information does not, in itself, constitute automatic consent to contact that person for commercial purposes.
A data subject may request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data. The request can be submitted through the contact channels listed in Roularta Media Group’s privacy policy or via the Trends Business Information contact person.
To ensure the request can be processed correctly, the data subject should preferably provide:
- The company;
- The information they believe to be inaccurate or incomplete;
- The requested correction;
- Any supporting documents or references to official sources that substantiate the correction.
If the error results from incorrect processing by Trends Business Information, the correction will be handled as quickly as possible in accordance with the agreed service arrangements. If the original official source contains inaccurate or incomplete information, the data must first be verified and, where necessary, corrected at the source.
In addition to rectification, a data subject may, depending on the circumstances, exercise other GDPR rights, such as the right of access, the right to object, the right to restriction of processing, or the right to erasure.
Trends Business Information does not retain personal data for longer than necessary for the purposes for which it is processed. The specific retention period may vary depending on:
- The type of data;
- The source of the data;
- The purpose of the processing;
- The relevance and timeliness of the information;
- Legal, accounting, or contractual obligations;
- The need to establish or substantiate legal rights or claims.
The contractual documents do not specify a uniform retention period for all types of business information. Data is therefore periodically updated, replaced, deleted, or archived according to its purpose and applicable obligations.
After the termination of a data supply agreement, previously provided data may remain in the customer’s operational files in accordance with the contractual terms. The customer remains responsible for ensuring lawful processing, applying appropriate retention periods, and complying with data subjects’ requests.
Data exports and supplied datasets may only be used for the customer’s own internal business activities and purposes agreed upon in the contract.
Without prior written consent from Trends Business Information, the data may not be:
- Sold, rented, or commercially redistributed;
- Transferred in bulk to third parties, whether free of charge or for a fee;
- Made available to other business information providers;
- Used to build a competing business information service or database;
- Systematically copied using bots, scraping software, or other automated methods outside the scope of the agreed use.
When a third party processes the data solely on behalf of the customer, the customer must ensure that the third party treats the data confidentially, does not use it for its own purposes, and does not disclose or redistribute it further. The specific permitted uses, volumes, users, delivery channels, and export options are defined in the agreement, order form, or product terms and conditions.
The customer is responsible for the security, interpretation, enrichment, and further processing of exported data.
Trends Business Information applies the GDPR according to the role it fulfils in a specific data processing activity.
When providing business information, Trends Business Information and the customer generally act as separate data controllers. Each party independently determines the purposes and means of processing and is responsible for its own compliance with the GDPR.
This means, among other things, that each party must:
- Have a valid legal basis for processing;
- Be transparent with data subjects;
- Only use data for specified and lawful purposes;
- Not process more data than necessary;
- Take reasonable measures to ensure that data is accurate and up to date;
- Apply appropriate data retention periods;
- Implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures;
- Respect the rights of data subjects.
When Trends Business Information processes data solely on behalf of a customer in the context of database management, data matching, a file audit, or customer analysis, it may act as a data processor. In such cases, the customer remains the data controller, and Trends Business Information processes the data only in accordance with written instructions and for the purposes specified in the agreement.
Only data that is relevant, necessary, and proportionate to a clearly defined professional purpose may be stored in a CRM.
These may include, for example:
- The name of the company;
- The company registration number;
- The company address;
- The industry and business activities;
- The name and professional role of a contact person;
- Business contact details;
- The source and date on which the data was obtained;
- Relevant contact history;
- Marketing preferences and valid consents;
- Objections, unsubscribe requests, and other opt-outs;
- Information necessary for the performance of a contract or the management of a business relationship.
Free-text fields must not contain inappropriate, subjective, or sensitive comments. Special categories of personal data, such as health information, political opinions, religious beliefs, or information about an individual’s private life, should generally not be stored in a commercial CRM.
The organisation using the CRM must also:
- Have a valid legal basis and a clearly defined purpose for each data item;
- Be able to demonstrate where the data originated;
- Restrict access rights to authorised employees;
- Protect data against loss and unauthorised access;
- Keep data up to date;
- Immediately respect opt-outs and objections;
- Delete or anonymise outdated data or data that is no longer necessary in a timely manner.
The fact that data is available through Trends Business Information does not automatically mean that it may be added to any CRM or used for any commercial purpose without further assessment. The customer remains responsible for ensuring that the inclusion and subsequent use of the data are lawful.
Trends Top supports marketing, sales, prospecting, and market insights. Trends Pro focuses on financial, legal, and risk-related company information.
A company report brings together relevant identification details, financial information, legal events, directors, and risk indicators in one comprehensive overview.
A company report saves research time, supports risk assessment, and provides a comprehensive view of the company and its business context.
- Less Time Wasted Searching Across Multiple Sources
- Insights into Financial Health and Risk
- Overview of Directors and Associated Companies
- Support for Customer, Supplier & Competitor Analysis
- Faster, Better-Informed Decisions
This depends on the product and frequency of use. For occasional use, an individual report may be suitable; for regular company lookups, monitoring, or integration, a subscription or API is generally more appropriate.
Yes, you can purchase individual company reports through the Trends Business Information webshop without taking out a subscription. This is ideal if you only need company information occasionally.
Yes, you can download a sample report using the link below. This will give you an overview of the available company data, financial analyses, credit information, and other insights.
Trends Business Information offers various subscription plans tailored to the number of users, usage volume, and required features. The publicly listed plans are Marketing, Finance, Business, Discovery, Standard, and Expert.
Depending on the plan, you can access features such as company data, financial ratios, legal and financial incidents, bankruptcy risk assessments, credit recommendations, directorships, corporate relationships, monitoring, and sales and marketing tools. Custom solutions are also available for specific needs.
Yes. The number of included users depends on the chosen subscription plan. Some plans include one user, while others allow multiple users. Depending on the plan, additional users can be added as an upgrade.
Reports in Trends Pro can be viewed and printed. The availability of additional export options depends on the report type, selected subscription plan, and product configuration.
For regular data exchange or integration into your own systems, Trends Business Information also offers data solutions and an API.
Select the companies you want to monitor and add them to your monitoring list. You will then receive notifications about changes such as financial incidents, changes in management, or other company developments. The exact settings may vary depending on your subscription plan and access rights.
You can request a demo through the demo request or contact form on the Trends Business Information website. A specialist will then discuss your information needs and demonstrate which solution best suits your organisation.
For the Trends Pro API, you can also schedule a meeting, request a demo, or apply for test access through the developer portal.
For questions about your account, reports, or using a TBI solution, you can contact Trends Business Information through the contact form or using the available contact details.
The general email address is info\@trends-business-information.be, and the telephone number is +32 2 702 70 11.
A report provides an overview of the available information about a specific company. It is particularly suitable for a targeted check or analysis.
A platform, such as Trends Pro or Trends Top, gives users access to company information, search functions, financial analyses, credit insights, corporate relationships, and monitoring in a single online environment. It is designed for regular or intensive use.
An API integrates Trends Business Information’s company data directly into your own systems, such as a CRM, ERP, or internal application. This allows data and processes to be automated without having to access the platform separately each time.