Meet Monique—an eyebrow specialist, permanent makeup artist, and the heart behind Brows by Monique, a boutique studio based in Amsterdam. Originally from South Africa, Monique moved to the Netherlands nearly four years ago in search of a fresh start. And just over six months ago, she decided to bet on herself and turn her passion into her profession.

“I wanted more freedom, more control over my time,” she explains. “Launching my own business felt like the right next step.”

Today, Monique helps clients feel confident and polished through her high-precision beauty treatments, from brow shaping to microblading. But building a business from scratch in a new country comes with plenty of challenges—especially when it comes to managing your finances. That’s where bunq comes in.

Freelancing in a New Country

Freelancing can feel like you’re doing everything at once: finding clients, building your brand, paying taxes, and figuring out how to actually get paid. Doing all of this in a country that’s not your home? That’s a whole other level.

“I was worried about how I’d manage it all,” Monique admits. “From separating personal and business expenses to having something reliable and easy to use—I needed a solution that made sense.”

With bunq, she found exactly that. “It made everything feel a lot more doable,” she says.

A POS in Her Pocket

When you’re a service provider, the last thing you want is for the payment process to be clunky or awkward. That’s why Monique uses Tap to Pay—a feature that lets her accept card payments directly from her phone. No extra hardware, no fuss.

“Clients are always quite taken aback by it,” she laughs. “They call it fancy.”

The simplicity makes a real difference to her day-to-day. Whether she’s at her studio in Amsterdam or doing mobile appointments, Monique can get paid on the spot. No waiting. No chasing. Just one smooth transaction.

“It works consistently and seamlessly,” she says. “The interface is snazzy, and having it on my phone at all times just makes everything more efficient.”

One App, All Her Accounts

Beyond the tech, what really won Monique over was how easy it is to manage everything in one place. With bunq, she’s got her personal account, business account, savings, and joint account—all neatly organised in a single app.

“I love how user-friendly it is,” she says. “Everything is in one place, and it just makes sense. I even have a joint account with my partner now, so managing shared expenses is simple too.”

Coming from traditional banking systems in South Africa, bunq felt like a huge step forward. “It’s not even comparable,” she says. “It’s definitely up a notch. Because of how easy and simple bunq is, I haven’t had the desire to move to another bank.”

Why bunq?

Monique first heard about bunq through her partner, who’d already made the switch. At first, she was just curious. But now? She’s a loyal fan.

“It’s simple, user-friendly, affordable—and the customer support is always on point,” she says. “They respond promptly, and all my questions get answered.”

She also appreciates the added peace of mind that comes with knowing her money is protected under the Dutch deposit scheme. “It’s something I value,” she adds. “Especially when you’re self-employed, you want to know your finances are secure.”

And let’s not forget the perks: competitive interest rates, and low fees all add up to more money saved—something every freelancer can appreciate.

Building a Business with bunq

As Monique continues to grow Brows by Monique, she knows she has a solid foundation behind her.

“bunq helps me feel in control,” she says. “Everything is streamlined, from payments to savings to expenses—it’s all just there, working in the background so I can focus on my clients.”

For anyone thinking of going freelance, Monique has one piece of advice: find the tools that make your life easier.

“There’s already so much to figure out,” she says. “Your bank shouldn’t be one of them.”

Follow Monique’s journey:

• Brows by Monique website

• @brows_bymonique on Instagram

Want to run your freelance business with ease, just like Monique?

Try bunq today and experience banking that actually works for you.