if i choose to live in an area with a high concentration of british expats (solves language problem) would there be any likelihood i could obtain work doing specialist tile and grout and hard floor cleaning. i expect most houses have hard floors some of which would need specialist cleaning and polishing and some just an annual deep clean to remove residues left behind through day to day mopping. i am a carpet cleaner in the uk and also clean and recolor leather furniture / car upholstery and fabric upholstery too. I also clean rugs and in the summer do a lot of pressure washing would these skills be transferable to spain.

I would assume that the Spanish already have this market covered - if they haven't, why not?

Just because you're a Brit, why do you think Brit expats will use you in preference?

There are plenty of companies doing this in Spain and the market is very competitive, so why should people go with you? That would be the first question.

Yes, as above, concentrate on developing a USP to stand out from the crowd, and get to grips with the usual small business start up issues, cash flow, P&L, marketing etc. etc. Assuming you'll be legit, there's also the added hurdle of Spanish bureaucracy. Plenty of help and guidance available though in print/online, do don't be put off.

A web site is an increasingly useful marketing tool with the expat silver surfers being more confident finding local services online these days.

Cleaning rugs might be viable, but personally, not been aware of widespread commercial pressure washing, and without the damp conditions there's much less of a problem with algae, moss and lichen.

Good luck.

there is always room for one more in any market, the fact that there are lots of other companies doing this work is encouraging as it shows there is a market for it.

why would people choose me ? no particular reason, but with respect that wasn't the question i just wanted to know if there was a market for this work. having lived and worked in france i found that expats usually prefer to deal with brits as long as the work was good and the prices competitive.

thank you all for the replies

Yes, there is a market, and you're right in that people without the language generally do prefer to do business with 'one of their own'. Re-reading the OP, guessing you're currently self-employed anyway ?

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary


__________________

Of course there is always room in any market, but the people who make money are the ones who started the trend, or added something else to it. It just depends what your goal is and do you want to make money, or just survive? You will also have to register your business in Spain, pay taxes etc. Starting a business is the easiest part in Spain, but there are a lot more things to consider. Don't want to be negative, but so many people have failed before you.

There are literally thousands of bars/cafes in Spain but that doesn't mean that if you open another one it will succeed.

My point was that the market might be saturated!


Best try and find that USP and I don't think the fact you're a Brit will do it - especially when you see how little other people do the same work for.

Probably best is find an area where you think that you might like to live and work, and come over to do some research and leg work. We are always inundated with " flyers" so another one in the post box won't make any difference. Chat to some brits in the bars/ car boot sales etc. You could also see about living costs and accomodation availability. Nothing like seeing for yourself.
Pete

we are thinking of a three month winter rental to see what things are like in the quiet months.

You would still need a reasonable level of Spanish to deal with suppliers, officialdom etc, so you need to get working on that even before you come.
There are plenty of tool hire companies there as well so people can hire their own buffers etc, much cheaper than getting someone in. We had to do that moving into a rental where the floor had never been done after the builders had left, we just got the cost deducted from the rent.

Never had my tile floors professionally cleaned, nor have any of my friends. I seriously doubt there is a market and would suggest you need to do more research.

Got to agree with Missile on this one. I have lived in houses with tiled floors for the last 8 years. I've never had them professionally cleaned and can't imagine I ever will.

My guess is that the proffesional cleaning would be done once, after the floor had been laid and the place decorated, after that not many people would want something they can do themsleves.