britishbull

You could try a stall on one of the coastal promenades, low overheads and loads of passing trade... if you can do something that stands out rather than the endless sunglass and DVD vendors might work out well. Also you might think about renting out your UK house rather than selling which would give you enough to live on in Spain. I do not think that putting a whole load of money in the bank will work as it will be eaten by inflation whilst there is a lack of supply for property in the UK which could twitch prices up nicely over the next few years.

Ex-pat

I have read your entry and I know of a business, similar to what you describe, that is up for sale at the moment in Calpe. Why not talk to the owner?

I would like to give you the details in a pm but you need to post (I believe 5 postings) more before I can send you the details.

BTW, I have no interest in this business and am not connected to the owner, just saw it advertised.

Domino

market stall traders are treated as autonomo but are subject to IIRC a 50% reduction on the normal €260 per month autonomo charge.

I would suggest that settling into a small community and doing jewelery as a hobby for pin money is one thing, but actually making a living - which you already do in the Uk, is another matter. Local business is just that, probably only 5mile radius if you are lucky.
for what you do you really need a lockup base to do the work, making pieces etc. presumably your existing customers will be following you so you will require good internet access - which opens up further possibilities for making your products available to a much wider audience with an online catalogue.

as to cards, well as others have said, it is a dying market - even in the UK, the cheap and cheerful is taking over from the quality, do you wish to be associated with that.? Spain doesnt have much of a market that I have seen. One memory of Salou was dusty English cards looking bent and forelorn on the racking in shops. I don't think you want to be associated with that. I bought a number of c&c last time in UK but send most cards via Moonpig who have filled a void in the market place..

watch batteries and straps - well no skill needed, anyone can do this, and they do, and no real profit.

I am sure you can give it a go, you both have skills and pre-existing (UK) markets that can be transferred. It will be a hard slog, but I am sure you have the endurance to make it happen.

keep us informed and post (in the appropriate place) your online catalogue, I may well be in the market shortly
kr

Barriej

Thanks to all of you, I'm getter a wider picture than the one I had before.

I know things are hard but as Domino said, people have to take chances.

We've owned and run a couple of business's here and you have good years and really bad years. I've been in my trade for over 30 years and have managed to ride out the worse (although I'm working nights in a factory to make ends meet)

Whatever we do and where ever we go, the house is going to be sold, house prices in this part of the uk are dropping by about 4% a year and have been for the past 3 years, there is no hope of a rise anytime soon.
Young people are not buying homes they are staying at home longer (something the Spanish have done for years) because its impossible to get mortgages and who can save if you earn £6.00 an hour?

We will be setting up another shop, its either in Spain and work long hours, for just enough to get by on, with warm summers and not so cold winters, or a shop in the UK on the coast or in a large town, working long hours, for just enough to get by on with cold summers and wet winters...

See not much choice then I already do an 80 plus hour week, I work sundays, bank holidays and christmas for no extra money, and my wife does at least 60 not including the housework (I cook). We dont go out much so life here aint that rosy either for the self-employed.

I know its going to be harder in Spain with the paperwork and terms in a different language, and even once we have mastered (i hope) speaking Spainish, I bet the written side will still be a nightmare.

Anyway, please keep the comments coming even if they are NO DONT DO IT, but please if you are going to this, at least quantify your comment.

And to answer you last post Domino. There will be internet, we have agreements in place for some of our suppliers to 'drop ship' in the Uk. My jewellery is retailed in a couple of Uk stores as well and while the Uk website is closed at the moment we have sold via that to friends and others in Spain.
I agree about Moonpig and there is a way of doing this sort of thing in a shop. Cant give too much info as its only just been rolled out here and I dont want any possible competition in Spain to beat us off the mark, but it would mean keeping very little stock in a shop.

Oh forgot to add that we would look to be located in one of the larger towns along the coast. Hopefully not Benidorm but if we have too, wont live near there though....
Thanks again..

Rosemary

I think that you can now PM them the details.

Rosemary

JLFS

So not to put to fine a point on in, it seems that you are prepared to swap a life of slavery in the UK, to a life of slavery in Spain, with all the added costs involved.

Out of the frying pan into the fire, or the Spanish equivalent, Guatamala.....Guatapeor.....

[COLOR="Red"] .

agoreira

I think the Guatamala Guatapeor will be lost on them, but like you, I think if they are struggling in UK, I can't see a move to Spain improving that situation. Apart from a bit more sun, I can only see things being worse, no language skills, no knowledge of all the papaleo involved, two lots of autonomo tp pay, and absolutely no safety net. Seems he is working long hours here to stay afloat, but that would not even be a choice in Spain.

Barriej

Prepared yes, determined no. We have to take all of the pros & cons into consideration before making decision.

with my limited spainish I know mala = bad and peor = worse but whats the Guata bit ? Google translates it to wadding, lie, padding or belly..

We may end up just coming over and having a year long holiday instead, rent a nice little place (or camp in the father-in-laws back garden). Do some more research, make a nice circle of friends and get to know some locals. Find a nice cheap property to keep for a few years as a holiday home and try again or not in 5 years time.

I do appreciate all the comments good and not so, as you are the people who are there.
At least I'm not a builder or handyman with 5 kids and no knowledge of Spain not willing to learn the language and think the streets are paved with gold

steviedeluxe

Spending a year to do your research sounds like a very good option. There are stores expanding in Spain (budget end stores like Tiger, luxury end Apple and even Branson fitness studios are opening up in the major cities) but they have obviously done their research. There is a huge difference between the resort towns and the major cities, that even some people living in Spain never quite realise. In many resorts you'd have to make your money in a few short months - in the big cities it's the opposite, they close down at the height of summer for a month or so. Plus in a resort area you will be at the mercy of whichever group of tourists (Germans and Swedes this year, who next year? also, will all the airline operators keep flying to the local airport) are prevalent that year.
My biggest worry would be that if by chance you hit upon a winning formula, then it will take just a few days for the local Chinese community to copycat you and play "beggar-my-neighbour".

cricketman

If you can afford to have a 1 year holiday then you must be doing very well. Why risk that?

If you will be funding your holiday with the proceeds from your house sale then dont spend it all and end up homeless!

Btw, as someone else said, Spaniards dont buy cards and when I was in the CDS it seemed like every second British shop was selling them. And the British people I know now send cards online, either to email accounts or on services that send it direct to the home address. imo its a dying industry. Jewelry, I have no idea

rugbymatt

It would be lovely to see the post I have linked to made a sticky, written by probably one of the most trusted and least hysterical members of the forum...

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...91&postcount=3

lynnxa

I just had to click that didn't I

rugbymatt

You are SUCH a glory hunter!

Domino

Just a thought, coming from not too far from you in the UK, although the house prices seem to be falling - where else can you get a good 3 bed semi for £100k ? Not even in Spain !!
If it is possible to retain the property, letting out to give an income that will cover any mortgage, letting means you will still have a place to go back to if Project Spain goes pear shaped. The letting market is quite bouyant, many tenants are covered wholly or partially by Housing Benefit and Working Tax Credit (Luxuries not available in Spain.)
So you will also have some money coming in to help fund Project Spain before even starting the new business.

It is your decision at the end of the day, but it is a subject to be considered surely.

montgomail

Hmmm ... you weren't drinking with her in Javea Port yesterday, were you!?!?!?