Hi, I have recently moved to the Alicante area of the Costa Blanca, I am looking to start a business here but not a bar or restaurant and my Spanish is very weak, any suggestions?
Thanks

.........what have you done in the past work wise? Any skills or trade?

Or do you know your way around the internet? If you are in a country where you don't know the language, starting an online business is one of your best options.

I have no idea what business would work......everything has been done before.

But good luck.........I hope your EUREKA moment comes soon.

If I had to go back to work, I would open a secondhand shop the way things are at the moment, good luck what you ever you do !

now THAT is a good idea, we have thought of it too. There is a local spanish 2nd hand shop here called "chollos" (Bargains) but to be honest i still dont think they have quite "got it", insofar as much of teh 2nd hand stuff is priced very near to the new price.

and the stock sits there for months and they wonder why?

Noone ever heard of segundamano.com?

This is a huge second hand website which has become very popular over the past few years.

Still few bargains to be had though. The problem is that if a Spanish person decides to sell something they want at least half back from what they paid for it. I dont know if its pride or whatever, but it seems like they would rather something not sell that it be sold cheaply.

Especially applies to cars and houses!

Obviously you are not talking about the notherners, when you say they want at least half back......

Because they want at least half back, plus anything they have spent on "improvements", luxuries like an new filter in the car, or new tiles in the kitchen..

Are you from the south ,drink shandy and have a limp wrist?

I was thinking about this but gave up on the idea, they don't throw much away here and family passes stuff around. IMO getting stuff would be almost impossible.

I've been waiting almost 4 years now, for them to decide if I can go ahead with my business idea here, They say because it's something new. I have given up, they don't say yes and they don't say no, Want a meeting with the Mayor, I'm still waiting. I think they want me to do it so they benefit more than I do. I send the odd reminder but I'm not bothered now. Best of luck to you dealing with them with whatever you do decide to do.

What makes you say that?

I am from good northern peasant stock,brought up eating fabada, caldo, cocido, lacon con grelos, entejas and all the good hearty dishes. we are never ill, we are like mules, just keep going and going.

Just because something has been done, doesn't mean you can't do it better. For example, we all know how notoriously difficult it is to succeed in the restaurant business. Yet, there is a restaurant on the CDS called Terra Sana which started up a few years ago and now they have numerous locations and seem to be opening up new ones every time you look.

http://www.restaurantesterrasana.com/en/

They just decided to offer fresh, healthy food and salads.

Just because there are lots of them around doesnt mean they are making a profit, only that they have attracted investment. The current restaurant chain model is very much the Starbucks one i.e. open up lots of stores until people HAVE to consume at them because they have no choice. Starbucks has never made a profit in Europe.

We went to the Terra Sana in Miramar for breakfast a few weeks ago, it was very nice, although we were the only ones in there. Everything cost twice as much as the English breakfast places surrounding it, those places had a lot more customers. The one in La canyada always seems to be busy though.

The learning there is the closer you get to marbella the more money the foreigners have! Your average expat around Benalmadena/Fuengirola wont spend 4 euros on a juice - contoversial!?

Your average expat around Benalmadena/Fuengirola wont spend 4 euros on a juice - contoversial!?

more like your average expat won't spend more than 1 euro on a juice but will spend 5 euros on an 'English' loaf of bread

Well, all their original locations are still open and still bustling. I think now they have adopted a franchise model, so people are buying into the concept. But, the fact is that they are offering something different and at least on the CDS, they are busy and haven't shut down. That is better than 99% of the restaurants that have opened up there in the last few years.