justjo76

Hi there! Hoping you may be able to help in some way, i have today come across your site and it is brilliant! Currently living in the uk single mum 2 kids , 12 and almost 18. Primarily I am looking to see if it's a possibility to find childminders etc who maybe already work in the uk (or spain and can help me) I am fully qualified as a childminder and have worked as a club manager also for 5 years . I know very basic Spanish but willing to learn as I have always loved the language , and the culture of Spain since i was young. I realise a lot of culture is missing now but the UK is an unhappy place for me , and i'm not expecting to become rich. I live by my means , don't mind basic but do still want to be around English speaking people if you like. Ideally i would like to start my own business over there but it seems unrealistic as a starting point ? wondered if the more the merrier could create a bigger establishment etc It's the security aspect of going it alone but I do that here anyway and I don't mind taking risks . I wouldn't take my 12 year old out of school here but this has been a dream of mine for years and it has to start somewhere I also have more than average I.T skills and wondering if the E.C.D.L is of any use at all or am i outdated

Sue

Hi and welcome to BE

I've taken the liberty of moving your thread from the Working Abroad section to the Spain forum, as I think you will get more responses here.

I would recommend reading through a load of the threads and you may find you will stay to get the lay of the land that way and figure out what it's like to live and work in Spain. Members are great at sharing their experiences so I am sure you will pick up lots of info and tips here.

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

jojojojojo

where ever you plan to start up a business (anywhere in the world), you need to do your research and see if there is a need for what you plan to offer, then you need to research the competition and then you need to understand the rules, the costs and how it will work. So firstly you should go to spain and take a look!!!

Jo xxx

justjo76

thanks ladies! :-D trust me to post in the wrong thread lol . Not used a forum for yonks . Regarding the pros and cons of running my own business.. i am pretty sure it cant get much worse than it is now lol. I only started here in march this year though and nothing is set in stone.. thanks for being so helpful i look forward to having a look around

stuboy

What is it that you actually want to do in Spain?

Domino

ECDL seemed a bright idea and originally comprised 7 section but a further 6 were added later. It was also possible to go on to ECDL Advanced for a further 4 modules.
It is a step up from nothing and shows a basic competency in the use of computers.
Employers are supposed to accept it as an indication of that competancy, but the problem is in Spain you must also have the language skills. No employer is going to let you loose with a Spanish keyboard (there is one) unless you know what you are doing.
You may be fully competent in driving a forklift but if you cannot read or understand verbal instructions you might as well be driving an ice cream cone.

So, as others will say about the unemployment here, the problems of schooling and the nothing to do for teenagers, I will suggest you spend some time investigating further skills that are not only transferrable into the Spanish market but also needed. Aim high, using the language, aim high with training and get some experience that will pad out the CV.

You will also need money, lots of money, to exist on whilst setting up a business, but exactly what can you do/want to do (big difference). Is there a market for it, is there good income for reasonable sweat.
Remember SWOT - Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats, that is what the success of the venture in private or business will be built round.

Finally get a big red pen and put an X through Spain and replace with Thailand. If you can't do it in Thailand then you can't do it in Spain, because Spain is not a holiday annexe of UK like Bournemouth, it is a foreign country which can be very lonely and very cruel if things go wrong. And also a very nice place to be if things go right

good luck
kind regards

justjo76

thankyou, i will definately take your info on board and wouldn't make the move without taking up Spanish lessons. My 17 year old daughter has just finished her 2 year course and is fluent enough to get by for all 3 of us whenever we holiday (usually Majorca) so am sure if she can do it, so can i ! not exactly sure what i want to do, im not blind enough to expect too much and i intend to live basic. Im happy to mop floors! part of me wants to put the child care profession behind me as i know that nanny au pair jobs etc are of plenty but i'm a 37 year old single female with 2 kids ready to fly the next within the next 5 years all i want to plan is all our futures to suit all which will take probably that length of time lol so i have a good few years to get some new skills. I understand Spain can be a bad place if things go wrong but without typing out a biography i can only stress how this does not phase me . I know i am happy away from the uk, always have been and it wont leave me until i do something about it. I am a S>A>D sufferer and NEED some sunshine and am willing to do whatever is within me to get some . The uk is far more depressing and its becoming constant, no consistent summer to look forward to, cant make plans, no jobs, no customers for self employment here either. And im an introvert when it comes to privacy and real life i.e i love people but there arent many nice ones around anywhere are there really lets face it not moving just for the sun , or to become rich as stated earlier... im trying to grasp a chance of inner peace and it isnt here

justjo76

p.s my eldest may come with me for a year out.. we just don't know at this stage. My son will be coming with me but i wont be taking him out of school here, he will come fresh with good grades hopefully! obviously a language course thrown in

steviedeluxe

There seem to be an increase in similar types of post, from younger folk wanting to transfer their job to Spain. Has the wet summer really been so bad?

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=767220

jojojojojo

YES!!!

Jo xxx

Domino

I can fully understand your feelings, but having taken the car out to the big city to pick up the BH and the ac temp gauge said 45c please be careful for what you ask for - in a couple of months time, say early Dec it will be hovering around the 0c


but there will still be some sun in the sky instead of the greyness of the UK.

Cazzy1

I think that there is a demand for English 'childminders' among the Spanish as they want their children to become fluent in English. We were inundated with people asking us to look after their children in July. We live inland and the Spanish children here don't have the opportunity to mix with English speakers like on the coast. We work for a language school which is where most of the parents find out about us. It works well for the children.

JLFS

The problem is becoming a fully legal childminder. I knew someone whos child was in the "Dinky incident" where a few children died in a fire, and since then there are so many rules and regs.

http://elpais.com/diario/1997/03/01/...22_850215.html

lynnxa

as there should be


there is quite a market here in the summer for English teens to earn some pocket money either babysitting (if they are old enough) or just playing with little Spanish children (with parents/g-parents/nannies in attendance) - and speaking English with them

it's all word of mouth, but both my girls have done some this summer & had their numbers taken by other families for next summer