Vol 4 Edition 4 February 2004
Costa Blanca Netguide Newsletter
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com
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CONTENTS:
1) Editorial
2) Suzanna's Article
3) Buying A Business In Spain
4) Coffee in Spain
5) La Ruidera Exhibition
6) Spanish Resources
7) New Businesses
8) Sticker/Screensaver Information
9) Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information

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1) Editorial

Hola,

Well since I last wrote we have had our long weekend break
in the UK and what a fantastic time it was. In five days we
managed to fit in a dinner dance, a West End show plus some
serious retail therapy during the January sales! The flight
over was excellent considering the night before many flights
were cancelled due to the snow over in England. Our son
experienced snow for the first time in his life! His abuelo
(grandfather) was in his element with a brand spanking new
sledge to play with. I don´t know who had more fun.

Back to work though and this month we have a feature about
buying a business on the Costa Blanca. Many of those people
moving here do need to work and rather than find employment
buying an existing business is a good option. Firstly we
hear of the experiences of two newcomers plus valuable
information from a professional, Linda Mannion of Costa
Blanca Business Agency.

Coffee lovers may be interested in the explanations of
different coffees served in Spain. Some new coffee bars are
now offering many variations of coffee beans but your
standard establishment has always served these. Steven Hall
has sent a message about the next "Living in Spain"
Exhibition so you can find out dates etc.

OK enjoy and hasta la proxima.




Suzanna Editor - Costa Blanca Netguide.
editor@costablanca-netguide.com

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) Suzanna's Article

Hello ,

So you want to move to Spain permanantely but the need to
work is of high priority. What do you do and how do you go
about it?

Over the years we have lived here one of the main things we
have noticed is the younger generation moving here either of
their own volition or by coming over to be with family
already here. One of the situations that this creates is the
need to work by expats either for financial reasons or just
the need to keep themselves occupied (Oh how I wish!)

With this in mind I asked two relative newcomers a few
questions about purchasing businesses here. Many people come
here and open businesses in the vein of their work back
home, others start something completely different.

Firstly I asked Kelly about her Video/DVD Rental Shop which
she bought almost nine months ago. She moved to Spain in
March of last year and primarily worked childminding whilst
she and her partner looked for a business for her to run.
She says that they had thought about lots of other
businesses but this was the first one they had seriously
looked at and considered buying. They initially found the
business for sale through a local newspaper although it was
also advertised on the Internet which produced many
enquiries.

The business is not an S.L. company so the logistics of
buying from the vendor simply meant visiting a Gestoria
together. There the original owner closed the business down
in their name and re-opened it in Kelly´s name. The Gestoria
prepared all the necessary paperwork and all that was
necessary for Kelly to do then was sign on the dotted line
and pay the vendor for the business and the Gestoria for the
applications of licenses and the paperwork he had prepared.

Kelly is very pleased with her new business and is happy
that in just nine months she has owned it over 200 more
members have joined. She enjoys working with the public
which is what she did back in England and as she didn´t
speak Spanish it was a business ideally suited to her as
primarily she rents English videos, DVD´s and Playstation
games. However with DVD´s available in multiple languages
she now has locals joining up and those Spaniards looking to
learn or improve their English by watching English speaking
films. So she is fitting in to the local life nicely and
earning a living too.

When I asked her if she had any regrets she said,
"Absolutely not, I can´t imagine living back in England
now or not having the video business!"

Warren was someone else I put the questions to. He has lived
in Spain for 10 months and only last week signed on the
dotted line to purchase a computer retail and repair shop.
He is experienced in this line of work and qualified in the
UK however working for yourself is different to working for
a corporation as he did before. Whilst looking around a
various businesses he did among other things help out in a
bar plus his computer repairs, updates and programming from
home. He has looked at about four other businesses including
an internet cafe.

As Warren´s new business is an S.L. company his licenses and
paperwork were signed in the presence of a Notary. The
Notary costs were paid by the vendor in this case and Warren
then paid for the stock and goodwill of the business.

Warren actually found out about the business for sale by
word of mouth although it was also advertised in the local
newspaper. For the first week the vendors have been working
alongside Warren in the shop but from next week he takes the
reins and we wish him the best of luck. Sometime in the
future we will have to call in on him and see how things are
progressing.




Researched and Written by Suzanna
info.es@costablanca-netguide.com
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if you know someone who may benefit
from any of the articles in this newsletter please feel free
to pass it on.

PLEASE NOTE: These articles are for personal use only and
may not be posted on any website, newsgroup or bulletin
board. If you wish to use any of our articles for commercial
purposes please contact us articles@costablanca-netguide.com




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3) Buying A Business In Spain

Running your own business in Spain can be the greatest
adventure of your life, offering you infinite satisfaction -
or the worst possible nightmare. Giving you nothing but pain
and worry. Whether it becomes the great success of your
dreams or a total and dismal failure is up to one person -
YOU!

You will need:- Ambition, drive, energy, vision and lots of
stamina.

Purchasing a business in your own country is something not
to be taken lightly and in Spain you also have the language
barrier to contend with. It is vital to obtain the help of a
lawyer (abogado) or a reputable estate agent to help, to try
to do things on your own can be an expensive mistake.
Outstanding debts on the business can be passed on to you
and even something like the rubbish bill not being paid up
to date will result in an opening licence for the premises
not being granted. Before buying a business you need to
check the following:

1. Make sure the seller has the right to sell.
2. If leased premises, is all the rent paid up to date.
3. All bills relating to the business are paid up to date.
4. Does the business have the correct licences to operate.
5. Are all suppliers paid up to date.


As in the UK, there are different ways of purchasing a
business in Spain.


Freehold

There is the freehold option, which is the same as in the
UK, when the purchaser buys the property outright.


Leasehold (Traspaso)

Until a few years ago this was the most prevalent type of
lease, usually valid for an indefinite period. It normally
consisted of a perpetual rental contract and the owner of
the traspaso has the right to sell it on to a third party.
The purchase price would usually include all fixtures,
fittings and goodwill. The law governing this type of lease
has changed and as a consequence traspasos are becoming a
thing of the past, although previously constituted
leaseholds continue to be valid.


Finite Lease (Cesion)

As in the UK, finite leases are now replacing traspasos. In
Spain they are called "cesions" and there is no exact format
required, i.e. a property owner and business tenant can
agree on any conditions they choose and this often means
that the deal is much more like a normal rental contract.


Funding

First you need to decide how much you want to invest, always
leave yourself money to spare, you will need to pay for
opening licences and this can vary from area to area, but an
average bar will cost you from 500 pounds to 2,000 pounds
for legal work. If the business does not have living
accommodation you will need to rent or buy a home. Most
people prefer to rent when they first move to Spain, most
rentals on the coast for a years contract average at 600€
per month. A two months deposit is normally required and 1
months rent.

You will need to look for the services of a Gestoria
(Professional Administrator) who will arrange your N:I:E:
number (Identification Number for Spain), and the opening
license for your business and all relevant paper work, also
advise on tax in Spain.

Opening a business may seem complicated at first, but is
quite straightforward. The success of the business is up
to you, running a bar can be extremely hard work and a lot of
hours, many people fail as they are not prepared to work at
it, a well run bar in the right location will succeed and
can be a lot of fun, meeting new people every day. If you
feel you are not right for running a bar and want a quieter
lifestyle then there are many other options open to you and
this is something you need to give a lot of thought to
before going ahead.

Purchasing a business in Spain you need to be prepared to
work hard and be confident and your confidence will rub off
on your business, and you will succeed to have a better
lifestyle and a much brighter future. Most things in life
are a gamble as is opening a business and if you never try
you will never know.

*Information supplied by Linda Mannion of Costa Blanca
Business Agency.
To contact Linda directly find her on the Costa Blanca
Net Guide Directory:

www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings.247html.

Her new office number is 00 34 96 585 0396.




Researched and Written by Suzanna
info.es@costablanca-netguide.com
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4) Coffee in Spain

Do you enjoy a coffee and brandy at the end of your meal? Do
you take your coffee black or white? Such a simple decision
but in Spain that decision is extended to many different
varitions of coffee. A friend of mine is a waitress in a
busy restaurant and she always takes her notepad and pen
when approaching a table for the coffee order as it can get
very convuluted! How many coffees are there? Next time
you´re ordering take your choice of.........

Americano - large black coffee.
Cafe con leche - large white coffee.
Cafe solo - small strong black coffee.
Cortado - small strong white coffee.
Bonbon - small black with condensed milk.
Carajillo (pronounced carahilyo) - small black coffee with
brandy a coffee bean and a small piece of lemon rind. This
can also be ordered with a different liquer i.e.whiskey,
anis, ron (rum).
Descafinado con leche - decaffinated with milk.
Descafinado con agua - black decaffinated.
The decaffinated will be de sobre or de machina - sachet or
machine coffee.
Cafe Irlandes - Irish coffee (usually served with "squirty"
cream) plus all the variations of alcohol.

Then of course you can ask for any coffee "del tiempo" which
is popular during the hot months. This is a glass filled
with ice to accompany your choice of coffee, you can sweeten
the coffee with sugar or sweeteners (sacharina) and then
pour over the ice to enjoy an iced coffee.

Any bar or restaurant will have this selection to choose
from. Also mint (poleo) and camomile(manzanilla) teas are
available plus te con leche (tea with milk).

So much choice and we haven´t even started on the
liqueurs!




Researched and Written by Suzanna
info.es@costablanca-netguide.com
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5) La Ruidera Exhibition

All is going well in the run-up to the La Ruidera
exhibition. 250,000 leaflets are being distributed as we speak.

Exhibition space is fully booked and we have a waiting
list. Further exhibitions are planned for Mallorca,
Portugal, Norway and Sweden.
Obviously, we will not be forgetting Torrevieja
and details of the next exhibition here will be announced
very soon. If you have queries, concerns or suggestions please
do not hesitate to contact us on
96 570 8476 / 659 173 108 or 627 409 881




Kind regards,
Steve Hall & Christine Roche
See you at the This Is Spain Exhibition, Benijofar
12th, 13th & 14th March 2004
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6) Spanish Resources

Books
i) The Arts in Spain
The arts in Spain tangibly illustrate the unique course of
Spanish history. In this wide-ranging critical overview,
John F. Moffitt concentrates on paradigms of painting,
sculpture, the decorative arts, and architecture, situating
them within their historical context. Professor Moffitt
first traces Iberian and Roman beginnings and examines the
Islamic and Christian foundations of Crdoba and the
Escorial.

http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/books/tais.html





ii) Conquest of New Spain
A 16th-century account of the conquest of the Aztecs by
Hernan Cortez, penned 50 years after the events. Diaz,
writing as an old man looking back at his experiences as a
young soldier with Cortez's army, presents the bloody
conquest as a romantic tale of high adventure.

http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/books/cons.html





iii) Spain for Dummies, Second Edition
Spain for Dummies is your insider's guide to the best places
and prices to help you plan the perfect trip to Spain. With
this handy guide at your side, you'll be able to zero in on
the highlights with down-to-earth trip-planning advice and
lots of detailed maps.

http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/books/sfd.html





CD's
i) Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain / Albeniz: Iberia
This classical CD compilation is a much-loved orchestral
work with Barenboim conducting the Orchestre De Paris and
featuring Martha Argerich on piano.

http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/bac/CDs/fa.html





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7) New Business on the Guide

Bespoke Adventure

Bespoke Adventure are now offering groups and companies a
range of outdoors activities with top quality accommodation
in various locations throughout the Marina Alta region.
Based in Pedreguer, equidistant from Alicante and Valencia
and close to the popular holiday resorts of Javea and Denia,
Bespoke Adventure concentrates on the provision of
tailor-made activity packages in beautiful settings.

http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/listings/305.html




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8) Sticker Information

We have available our Costa Blanca Netguide car or shop
window stickers that we will send out to you free of charge.
Just email stickers@costablanca-netguide.com with your name
and postal address and how many you require (3 Max) and
we'll post them out to you anywhere in Europe at no cost.

Screensaver Information

Version 1 of the Costa Blanca Screensaver can be downloaded
at http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/screensaver.html.
The Free version has a few limitations but gives you a good
idea of what you can expect from the Full version which is
priced at 7 EUROS


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