Yes, that's the one

Hi.
We run a bar here in spain and it isnt all doom and gloom as someone else said! We don't earn a fortune, but we earn enough to live on and have a much better quality of life here than we did running pubs in the UK. The one thing i would say is do not do it if it is something you have no experience of beforehand, we had been running pubs for a long time in the uk before we decided we wanted to move, i think it comes as a shock to the system for people who think buying a bar in spain will be an easy life, its far from it! We dont earn enough to employ any staff but are quiet happy doing it ourselves, we are closed one day a week so get time off and dont open til mid afternoon. We are not on the caost though we are a few miles inland, maybe that makes a difference, we dont have the same amount to competition we would have if we had set up on the playa. Oh and we are totally legal paying all our taxes and into the social security system!
We've been here 7 or 8 months now and so far (touch wood) we are doing ok and are happy.

I think you have the right ingrediant... experience of the life involved, most don`t and soon wonder what the hell they have let themselves in for.

Anecdotally I have heard so many stories of people moving to Spain with no experience of either running a business or the nature of the business itself- eg cafes and bars. Its not real surprise to me to read that so many change hands. Maybe one question to ask yourself is could I run such a business here before I emigrate.

Many self employed businesses seem to be buy to let rental homes these days. Not sure how they pan out in Spain but whatever the business you need to know the market in the first place. Being able to drive a car doesnt mean you can compete with the Avis' of this world in the rental market.