Demir Advocatuur

After years of working at other firms, lawyer Gökhan Demir decided to set up on his own at the beginning of 2024. From March he worked under his own name, Demir Advocatuur. At Business Centre he found a professional workplace where a lot had already been arranged.

Why did you decide to start your own law practice?

Gökhan worked as an employee for years and built up his own client base during that time. Over time, being his own boss became more and more appealing. The freedom the move gave him was an important reason to take the step. "At a large firm you are bound by a corporate structure. Now I really do my own thing. I can also make my own selection of what I do and do not want to handle. I now focus mainly on criminal law."

Why did you choose Business Centre Breda when you started?

Business Centre was not entirely new to Gökhan. He had been there a few times through an IT colleague. Once he decided to set up on his own, he contacted Daniël Kandel, owner of Business Centre.

The combination of the location, the working environment and the facilities was decisive for him. "I was actually sold fairly quickly. Because of that, I did not look much further at office buildings that do not have those facilities. I notice that it takes a lot off my plate that all kinds of things are arranged here."

Business Centre really lowered the threshold to start on his own. "I would have taken that step anyway, but it did make it easier."

What did you not have to arrange yourself?

Anyone starting their own law practice suddenly has to deal with all kinds of practical matters around an office, on top of the legal work. At Business Centre, that stayed limited for Gökhan. "There is not much I have to arrange myself. Internet, gas, water and electricity are arranged centrally. Cleaning and other practical matters around the office are taken care of too. I have my laptop, a phone and a printer. It is really plug-and-play."

His office was even largely furnished when he started. That meant his attention could go to building up Demir Advocatuur, rather than to everything that normally comes with furnishing and running an office of your own.

What does a lawyer need from an office environment?

For Gökhan, a professional office is not just about appearance. In law, privacy, confidentiality and accessibility are essential.

"For appointments with clients I have a meeting room where I can receive them discreetly. That is included in the package. If I let them know in time, a room is always available."

That matters, especially in his work as a criminal defence lawyer. "Clients are often in a vulnerable situation, and conversations need to be able to take place in peace."

The location of Business Centre Breda plays a part too. Gökhan assists clients from all over the Netherlands, and not everyone has a car. "Then it is really good that they can also get here by public transport."

How does Business Centre help with receiving clients?

When Gökhan receives a client, he does not have to organise everything around that appointment himself. "The reception receives the client, who then waits in the waiting area. Then I come downstairs and we go to the meeting room together. If the client would like coffee, I can ask the reception. Those kinds of things are worth a lot, because then I can focus on the client."

Does the office suit the dynamics of your work?

A criminal defence lawyer's working day cannot always be planned. "I might not be in the office for three days because I only have hearings and appointments in prisons. And then suddenly I am in the office for three days again."

That is exactly why Gökhan likes that his office is also accessible outside regular working hours. "I can get in at any time. If I need to keep working at the weekend, I can quietly get on with things at Business Centre."

His mail keeps flowing during busy days as well. The reception scans incoming mail, so Gökhan can deal with it digitally whenever it suits him. "If I am out of the office for three days because of hearings, my practice simply keeps running. That is great and it saves me a lot of administrative work."

What does Business Centre mean to you as an independent entrepreneur?

For Gökhan, the main added value is that he can run his own business without being completely on his own. He decides how he runs his practice, but does not have to deal with all the side issues of a fully independent office. At the same time, he has a professional environment that suits his work as a lawyer, and at Business Centre he is also in touch with other entrepreneurs.

"Business Centre takes things off our hands, so we can focus on the real work, and that is helping our clients."

For Gökhan, Business Centre above all made the step to his own practice easier: the independence and professional image of an office of his own, without having to organise everything around it himself.

"The lines are short and almost anything can be arranged. They think along with you."

For Gökhan, that brings together exactly what he was looking for when he set up on his own: running his own business, without having to organise everything around his office himself.

Would you also like to start out professionally on your own without first having to arrange everything around an office? At Business Centre you have your own workplace and the facilities you need to get started right away. See the options in Breda