![]() “Helen and I established the Bodega in 2002 when we relocated to Spain from South Africa. Not too long ago I spoke to Peter and Helen, a South African couple who started the vineyard La Bodega del Garroferal in the Jalon Valley on the Costa Blanca. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of expat start-ups failing in Spain. La Bodega Del Garroferal: A Vineyard in the Jalon Valley Go for it and keep in mind that you can always move back!Īlso Read: Why Moving Abroad is Such a Valuable Experience 2. Their story proves to me that there really is no excuse: do you want to start a new life abroad? Don’t let fear hold you back. And with The Coffee Box opening the Costa Blanca now finally has a place offering good quality coffee! That’s how The Coffee Box opened: a small coffee bar just meters from Calpe’s beautiful beach. They started looking for a new business to set up. That does not mean a person then stops dreaming though… Craig and Wendy got restless again. I’m sure it hasn’t always been easy and of course every business comes with its ups and downs, but they did do it: they decided to leave, they decided to follow their dream and they made it work. They completely renovated the farmhouse, added a swimming pool and eventually started their Bed & Breakfast. All we could see was the total beauty of its unique surroundings.” Its lack of easy access and no utility services did not present defects in our eyes. So, to make things even more challenging, we decided on a traditional, stone-built, mountain farmhouse that was badly in need of rescuing. Our love of country life meant that a simple house in a straight forward street was never going to satisfy our sense of adventure. For many reasons Spain came to the top of the list because of its location, climate, school choice, language, scenery and coast line. So we then had the task of deciding where to go. Despite a busy professional life as London Metropolitan Police officers as well as being “hands-on” parents for all hours off-duty, we still felt there was more to life and new adventures to experience.Ī move abroad, literally to expand all our horizons and the welcome promise of more sunshine, seemed to be the answer. ![]() We found ourselves annually pacing the beach on holidays abroad discussing what new challenges lay ahead. “Our love of the UK and a traditional family life with a house, two cars, two children and a dog still left us questioning what was missing. They found a place to live, a new school for the kids and work for themselves. I could have picked many success stories and probably greater successes, but the business and life Craig and Wendy have created for themselves to me proves that the dream of packing up everything and starting a new life abroad is very possible no matter what stage of your life you are in.Ĭraig and Wendy moved to Spain 11 years ago with their two kids. Calpe Mountain: A B&B in the Mountains and a Coffee Shop in Calpe 2 Interviews with Expat Entrepreneurs About Starting a Business in Spain 1. ![]() Having started a company in Spain myself I know how hard it can be and how much perseverance and patience it takes to get a business off the ground in Spain.īut, if you get through all of that and manage to build a name for yourself you end up with a great lifestyle in a beautiful country with a good quality of life. Not knowing the local language, local customs and the level of bureaucracy you will have to deal with can make your start-up fail very quickly. But setting up a business in a foreign country adds a few extra difficulties. In any country setting up your own business is a challenge. And that’s why, ever since I first moved to Spain 15+ years ago, I’ve seen many foreign entrepreneurs come and go…
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |