If you fall in love with Andalucia and want to base yourself in the area, but still need to make a living, what options are available to you?

If you speak several languages you could look into the large and successful tourism sector, or look into the opportunities in the Spanish sector. However, if you live on the Costa del Sol there are also many opportunities within the expat sector even if you don’t speak Spanish. There are always sales jobs available if this is your sector. To take a look at the job opportunities, you can sign up with employment agencies which cover Southern Spain and Gibraltar, or look at the popular classified section in the Sur in English newspaper. Please note, Spain has been hit hard by the recession and so jobs are hard to find also wages are lower than in countries such as the UK and Ireland. However Spain has been rated second highest in terms of the quality of life, so you have to make a decision what would work best for you.

Many people come over to Andalucia to set up their own business from bars and cafes to marketing and property companies. There is support for new businesses from CADE which is supported by the Andalucian Commission for Innovation and Development. They can help you with your business plans, guide you through the grants available and advise you whether your idea would work in the area. www.andaluciaemprende.es

If you are looking for more guidance on starting or growing a business, Rose & Clavel Chartered Accountants will be running a series of three seminars themed around the subject of “Nurturing your Business”. These seminars are being organised to help business people gain a better understanding of Spanish business practices and make their companies more successful.

The first seminar tackles the important topic of Starting a Business and covers the key steps any entrepreneur should take when venturing into business in Spain. This was held in February, but will be repeated later in the year.

The key points to be covered are:
1.    The importance of conducting thorough market research on your competition, target market and relevant Spanish law before starting a business

2.    How to ensure that the numbers stack up in terms of set up costs, overheads, profit margin and volume required to be a viable business

3.    An overview of the compliance system in Spain and the issues which often trouble new businesses, e.g. employment law

4.    The issues with starting a business as an SL company

5.    The funding required to see you through the first few years of business

6.    Why it is important to consider your exit strategy before starting the business

The second seminar will be held on Tuesday 2nd March entitled “Cultivating Your Business”. This two-hour presentation will contain practical, useful information on running and managing a business for predictable results and profit.

Cultivating Your Business will be an interesting, interactive seminar, avoiding technical jargon and illustrated with case studies. It will cover several important subjects which every business should understand, including:

•    The importance of management accounts for controlling your business
•    Why good housekeeping is key for business-efficiency
•    The ins and outs of employment law
•    The dangers of missing tax deadlines
•    How to speed up debt-collection and improve cash-flow

The final seminar is entitled “Pruning and Re-potting” and will deal with the issue of management accounts and why a good understanding of these accounts can be a life-saver in weathering the economic storm.

All these seminars will be presented by Susana Serrano-Davey A.C.A, Founder and Director of Rose & Clavel Chartered Accountants. She is a Spanish national who is also a U.K. registered Chartered Accountant and has worked with prestigious firms including PriceWaterhouseCoopers UK. This has given her the understanding of both the Spanish and English systems. Susana is excellent at explaining complex issues in plain English and using practical examples to help business-people get to grips with their compliance responsibilities and learn how to manage their financial affairs more productively.

To register your interest for any of these seminars visit www.roseandclavel.com or email info@roseandclavel.com. They cost 25€ per person, but the first five people to register can attend free of charge.