Can I get free advice on starting a business

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11 May 2013 3:57 PM by Maxine_spain Star rating. 4 posts Send private message

Hello. My name is Maxine. I have been trying to get some advice on starting a business

I have seen two "solicitor/advisers" who offer a free consultation but when I meet they both said they dont know about my type of business and want to charge me between 60 - 135 euros to find out!

My business is simply going to be a care agency for the elderly. I have done this all my life and run a successful business in the UK for the last 14 years which I have now sold to a partner.

I love Spain and want to move here - but I dont want to work for anyone else and I believe from my market research that a good care agency should do well.

BUT trying to get information to get this set up legally is proving to be a challenge. I have scoured the internet but sources are limited.

If anyone could help me on whats required I would be really grateful

 





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11 May 2013 4:43 PM by baz1946 Star rating. 2327 posts Send private message

Hello. My name is Maxine. I have been trying to get some advice on starting a business

I have seen two "solicitor/advisers" who offer a free consultation but when I meet they both said they dont know about my type of business and want to charge me between 60 - 135 euros to find out!

My business is simply going to be a care agency for the elderly. I have done this all my life and run a successful business in the UK for the last 14 years which I have now sold to a partner.

I love Spain and want to move here - but I dont want to work for anyone else and I believe from my market research that a good care agency should do well.

BUT trying to get information to get this set up legally is proving to be a challenge. I have scoured the internet but sources are limited.

If anyone could help me on whats required I would be really grateful

I own and run my own business's in England, I wouldn't dare to give you advice on your type of set up, but I would think that the very first thing you should do is find out if their are any care agency's in Spain, if their are none that must be the reason to no information, or you might have to admit defeat that no one wants them.  

On the face of it sounds to me to be a very good idea, after all plenty of British people in Spain are getting old and staying put and no doubt would like that little bit of extra care now and again or maybe full time. I myself have often wondered about the care situation in Spain as opposed to England.

I am sure you don't need reminding of the hundreds of "Experts" around who will take your money for next to no advice while   telling you something you already knew, or not in accordance to your business.

Your business surely is no different then any other legal business in Spain, you set up shop, you get customers, you charge them, you pay taxes, cant you just go to any reputable solicitor and ask "How do I go about starting a business being self-employed in Spain" don't mention what you intend to do unless you have to.    You know many of the rules and reg's required by doing this work in the UK, and most likely Spain will come up with another thousand or so more, which you could just sort out as and when you go along.

Of course their is another way, have a word about and see if someone tells you, or knows of someone else who is in need of your type of care, see if they want you, do it without telling anyone (Authorities) for a while, maybe build up a customer care base, see if it will happen successfully, then go through the legalities afterwards... if you want to, then perhaps if it didn't work out you wont have lost to much.

Sounds a good business idea to me, hope it works,  and I wish you well.





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11 May 2013 5:19 PM by nitram Star rating in castalla. 175 posts Send private message

First thing about setting up in Spain is ask ,seek questions

1) Is anybody else doing it ¿

2) If not why ¿

3) Do the Spanish provide this service ¿, if not why ¿

4) If something is that good why has nobody done it before ¿.

5) Why do the Spanish look after their own ¿

I´m sure there are tons of info on seeting up a company on this web site use your search bar, however with millions unemployed, young people leaving the country for other parts of Europe doe´s this not send alarm bells ringing for starting up a buisness.

Good Luck





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11 May 2013 6:07 PM by ojosazul88 Star rating. 171 posts Send private message

I don't really understand your surprise that a solicitor wants to charge for advice, then again I don't understand why you title the thread "free advice", surely what's more important is to get the correct advice especially as rules and regulations can be different in Spain. I have seen those who have tried to set up care homes come unstuck and there are a few examples of empty shells of care homes that were supposedly going to make fortunes for the owners. Paying for the correct advice surely has to be the no 1 priority in setting up your business where the language is different among many things.



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13 May 2013 10:46 AM by Maxine_spain Star rating. 4 posts Send private message

I don't really understand your surprise that a solicitor wants to charge for advice, then again I don't understand why you title the thread "free advice", surely what's more important is to get the correct advice especially as rules and regulations can be different in Spain. I have seen those who have tried to set up care homes come unstuck and there are a few examples of empty shells of care homes that were supposedly going to make fortunes for the owners. Paying for the correct advice surely has to be the no 1 priority in setting up your business where the language is different among many things

I guess I was hoping to find an organisation equilivant such as the UK's - Business Link, where you can get not only free advice but factual advice as well. What gets my goat is your telephone these advisers and explain what you want to do, they confirm the first meetin is free and then when you get there they tell you that they have no experience of this and to find out more will cost ....

If I was told the advice is not free and the cost is .... then fair enough

My business is NOT going to be a care home. It will be a care agency. I am looking to employ staff (so need advice) I am looking to ensure all regulations that the Spanish impose are met (so need advice) I am looking to open a small office (so need advice), do I need licences ( I need advice), what qualifications are needed?, will UK qualifications suffice?, how do I carry out credit checking on staff etc etc etc - In the UK, care agencies are strongly regulated (which is a good thing) but I cant find out if these rules exist here

Before I do all this I just need someone to sit down and create a checklist for me of what I need to do in step by step process. If this is going to cost a few hundred euros then fine. I know now that the advice I require wont be free.

From what I have found out, there are a few agencies

 

 





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13 May 2013 11:28 AM by Maxine_spain Star rating. 4 posts Send private message

I should have mentioned I am not interested in doing things illegally (i.e not telling authorities)

I have no problem in paying my taxes, rates or whatever. I dont agree with the black market ethos here in Spain. I think that is a large part of the problem - but that debate is for another day

To be doing "care work" illegally just does not feel right or fit the person I am. I dont want to be worrying about who is going to be knocking on my door just to save a few hundred euros per month

I have spoken to one lady who who looks after a few elderly clients and is paid cash in hand. Thats fine as she does not wish to grow a business and is just looking for enough to earn her a wage to pay her outgoings. I guess there will be a few of those

I have also discovered that neighbours and friends help out a lot and thats good too - but what happens when real care is needed??

I will keep on plodding away and see what happens





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13 May 2013 3:07 PM by camposol Star rating in Camposol. 1406 posts Send private message

The reason that Spanish ladies are doing care work, cash in hand is because perhaps not many can afford the 20 euros(approx) per hour that these nursing agencies charge. As a business they have to ensure everything is legal and they are insured, something the Senora won't be worried about-till something happens.

There is definitely a need for this sort of business, particularly with dementia and stroke patients who may be very difficult to care for if the partner is also frail and elderly, but it must be affordable. Neighbour do help but cannot be exoected to long term;they have their own lives, may have health problems themselves. Families cannot drop everything to be with people here.Some end up going back to UK.





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13 May 2013 4:54 PM by steve and anita Star rating in in San Cayetano. 324 posts Send private message

steve and anita´s avatar

 I have worked self employed (autonomo) and have worked for a company and ended up by not getting paid. It has, to be honest, left us in dire straits. So take advice, if it were mine, DONT BOTHER, you are better off where you are.

 

Regards, Steve.





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