32bmth

Hi Guys

Myself and my partner have wanted to move to the Costa del sol for a while now and have been really looking into things over the last couple of months in the way of long term rentals, work, and play.
But after we have stumbled on a few Youtube videos and watched the English TV program "Cost Del Street Crime" my partner has become worried as the program states crime rates there are the highest in spain and daily robberies take place and that there is a general hatred for the English.

The program goes into great detail about attacks, shootings,child abduction & Spanish youth attacks on the British... Is this true??

Also can anyone really advise a good area to live? we have been looking around Alhaurin El Grande as we want a min 2bed with private pool and a little land for our 2 dogs to play. this area came up as not the cheapest but the area with the larger selection of properties within our budget.

We are also wanting to open a icecream and milkshake venture and need to know if anyone knows if this would be difficult to start..

Soooo many questions :-/ but we would really be great full for any advice from Brits already living there...

Thanks Guys...

mikelincs

No different to the UK crime programmes, however, if you need to work then I would suggest you stay in the UK. There is little or no work even for fluent Spanish speakers, you've seen the recent demonstrations on the UK news, all about the economy.
Spanish bureaucracy is among the worst in the world, and trying to start a new venture will be difficult, you would, in any case, have to prove income and healthcare provisions before you became a resident, and without this the chances of starting a business is low, also remember that the tourist season is relatively short, ven in the area you are talking about. Wait for the Spanish economy to pick up, maybe a few years, learn Spanish, if you don't know it yet, and become FLUENT, a few phrases aren't good enough, you would certainly need it for all the official things and for dealing with suppliers etc. Remember there is NO NHS in Spain, no benefit system like child benefit. You would need to pay at least €250 a month as a self employed person to get free healthcare. If you are employed in the UK, or claiming any sort of benefit, then stay here for the present, however, if you have a few hundred thousand to gamble, then give it a go, you will almost certainly lose most of that. If you have a house in the UK, keep it, somewhere to return to.. Just have a look at the many threads in the Spain part of the forum and see just how difficult it is over there for people who have to work, or have children.

Sorry to sound negative, but I really don't see your ideas as viable at this time.

chrisjolly

I have to agree with all the above.

It really is not that easy in Spain right now and the future does not look much better.

lynnxa

since an income appears to be a requirement - South of England

bxpuser24710519

Just to add to the above most of which I would agree with, ice parlours and the like around here close end Oct till spring or ice cream is seasonal for them, They have coffee./tapas trade all year. At various times throughout Sept/Oct I never saw anyone in theyogurt bar in town. I don't line on Coasta del Sol but the town is hit with lots of visitors during the summer.

Oh and the drugs, they appear to be everywhere here too sadly.

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

Domino

Concur
Why do people get the idea that the CDS and surrounds are always baking hot and that no one has tried these things before.

we have a bar which is also an icecream seller and his icecream has been put away for the winter.
who goes out for an icecream when its hissing down with cold rain, the temp is 12c in the middle of the day.
and its going to get colder for the nex 5 months.
perhaps there would be a market for someone who makes icecream in bulk for sale to both private individuals and hotels etc - but it would have to be really in bulk and have a unique Positive Selling Feature to take on the current makers. It could take several years to get a viable client list by which time any relationship would be in shatters.

There just isnt the turnover and profit to be made in such a venture without coming out of the enclave and "going global" - well at least the major cities and towns in Andalucia.The thought of someone trying a small scale niche market idea fills me with horror at the result - bankruptcy.

so on this one I will not be my usual helpful self and provide all sorts of information about starting a business - this one has to be a non-starter.

`

Shoptilludrop

Hi I live in Alhaurin el Grande and we have plenty of ice cream parlours for such a small area so we definitely do not need any more. As for property you would definitely find a country house with pool for around 600 euros. At the moment it is very difficult to find work here and even my Spanish friends who are bilingual cannot find work so that about sums it up here, it is very difficult for everyone. You should come out here and have a look at every option before you commit yourselves.

amideislas

Popular quotes about Spain which should be taken seriously:

"Spain is a good place to have money, not a good place to make money".

"If you want to be a millionaire in Spain, bring 2 million with you".

steviedeluxe

I share people's doubts about the ice-cream/frozen yoghurt venture. Not to say this can't be done - I saw a new place in central Madrid serving up these frozen yoghurts - but it really needs to be a local Spanish person who knows the local market, and even then it's a risky venture. How long will frozen yoghurts remain fashionable?
However I do feel that there are opportunities in Spain for people wanting to start up a business. It's a country that recieves 50 million tourists every year, and foreign ventures like Apple, Amazon, Ikea, even Primark are expanding all the time!
On my recent visit to Madrid and Valencia I discussed ideas with local partners for 4 separate new business ventures, and will be progressing at least 2 of them fairly soon (the other two will hopefully follow soon after). I'll probably put it in my signature when we launch (est. early Feb) - it's in the educational sector, and it's something we'll probably start in the Turkish market as well as the Spanish one. Ok, so it is something that requires a native speaker partner in both markets, so finding a good partner is key.
As shoptilludrop states, it's probably a good idea to go out and look around. You may find (as I did) that you hit upon good ideas. If not, you can at least enjoy yourself whilst doing your research. But get your Spanish up to a reasonable level - it will prove invaluable if you need a Spanish partner in your business.

big wheels

As there is no option for neither, I will not be voting.

32bmth

The agents I have spoken to say that the Marina in Benalmadena is nearly always busy and that opening a ice cream kiosk requires very little legal paperwork as there is no food preparation involved.
This is what as confused me a little...Maybe I really should research this more..
But I really do thank you for comments.

32bmth

Income is not a massive requirement.
I'm looking more to doing a casual business and aslong as I can generate a small income out of a seafront ice cream kiosk then I should be ok.
I will still maintain a income from the uk, the business is just ment to top that up and stop boredom kicking in...

agoreira

You're not alone, it's had nearly 250 views with 12 voting.

steviedeluxe

On this LinkedIn page there are 3 events on Innovation and Startups, taking place in Marbella. May be of use for anyone (not just the OP) looking into starting a business on the CDS

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/THREE...er_share=1ba88