Introductions are in order. I've been reading this forum (and others) for 2 yrs now. I'm quite familiar with the regulars, thanks for the education. We (husband/2 toddlers/my elderly mother/myself) are hell bent on moving from Miami/FLA to Espa�a in early 2005. We want to live in Europe, we speak fluent Spanish (we're Cuban-Americans) so Spain seemed the logical choice. Plus, we have family there and love the place itself.
All is in order, we have an immigration lawyer, and feel very positive our visas will be approved. At first on a non-lucrative status, then w/ a work permit.
My concern lies in my husband's occupation. He is a plumber and has a plumbing company here. Everyone we speak to says that is a very lucrative business in Spain. He concentrates on high end remodels, very high end.
Here are my questions:
1. Do you agree that this would be a good line of work in Spain? 2. How difficult would it be to start a company (after living/assimilating ourselves)?
Thanks for the wisdom...It's much appreciated!
There is no security in life. There is only opportunity.
Posts: 11 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: 21 January 2004
I don�t know how lucrative the plumbing business is here although I have friends in the handyman / general contracting business in the States and know that they aren�t exactly in the poorhouse.
If your husband intends to continue with the plumbing here, tell him to keep the American mentality of customer service in mind and he will win over many customers. Customer service, as we know it in the USA, just does not exist here in Spain...and in a service oriented business such as plumbing, I am certain he could do quite well for himself once he gets established and known. He can even target the expat community as an additional bonus!
My experience with plumbers. If they think your job is too small... they won�t take it. They will hold out for the bigger one . If they tell you they will come in the morning...that could mean anywhere between 9am - 2pm. It�s difficult to get them to commit to a more concrete time. That�s all well and good if you are a housewife...but both my husband and I work and cannot take a half a day off just to wait for the plumber to show up. A little professionalism and customer service would be nice.
If you do some searches on the board, there was a recent thread started by jer regarding starting a small business. There is some helpful information and great links in that thread.
Abosolutely Cust Serv is his fort�! That is how he has built his business here. He's very savvy on winning over customers, meeting their needs, delivering on expectations. I'll keep your hints in mind when building a client base.
Aslo - you hit the nail on the head w/ the expats. Family lives in Granada, so we'll start there, just to get our feet wet. Then we plan on checking out Malaga b/c of proximity to Marbella (target market), expat community there (target English speakers), good weather, good size city (not too big/not too small) with plenty of options. But...then again, we might get there, find we don't like Malaga, so we'll explore another city. Tentatively Malaga it is.
Thanks again for your input, I was hoping to get positive feedback.
There is no security in life. There is only opportunity.
Posts: 11 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: 21 January 2004
hey grayhighlights, congrats on the big decision to move over
WOW!!! 2 years and you only joined now, amazing!!!
plumbing was a lucrative biz in the u.s.a. last i looked as well, in fact, i am pretty sure it is all over the world, spain included (Chica, you did not know that since your Chico is a whiz at all that stuff so ya never need to hire anyone ).
my answers to your questions:
1) yes, especially if your hubby sets up his own plumbing biz or works for himself as an "aut�nomo". As Chica says, being cuban americans and bilingual, you will also be able to work many types of clientelle (spaniards, english-speaking ex-pats and latin americans). i would suggest you go for the ex-pats heravily.
i totally agree with Chica about the american customer service. my cell phone rental service (AKA www.onspanishtime.com ) has grown 100% this second year i have been at it and i owe it 90% to my excellent customer service, especially since most of my clients are americans and brits.
for example, i had a SIM card inquiry last week from a british co. here in spain about a huge order (200 cards). since i wrote them back within a half hour of recieveing their e-mail, i got the order from them and now have an excellent new client. the director was shocked and even wrote..."Hi jeremy and thanks for the prompt response, a very refreshing change when doing business in Spain" :jeje:
since that day we have been exchangine e-mails about how hard it is to do biz efficiently with the spaniards
2) will let you know within a month or so. in the meantime, keep a close eye on my setting up a company in spain thread as i am working on that right now
quote:
Family lives in Granada, so we'll start there, just to get our feet wet.
and hi from me too! Reading the above posts, sounds like you are on a winner!! I know you say your husband is at the high end of remodelling etc, but perhaps a really good way to start is to be on time and take on the smallest jobs, that way you build a reputation. People will remember you for being reliable etc, and that will count for a lot!!!
________________________________________ Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional
Whoa...a little emotion here...been reading you so long, it's kinda weird virtually talking. Cool.
Thanks so much for the "respaldo". I needed that. I'm adventurous, but with serious boundries. I'm lookin' for gaurantees where none exist.
Funny, you guys mention "American Cust Serv"...I live in Miami...there ain't no such animal. Everything is ma�ana and with a bad attitude to boot. Kinda like a kiss my blank attitude. My hubby is a very unusual type of plumber...he'd be wearing a tie if it weren't a hazard around toilets! And yes...funny about the feet. Just no plumber's crack jokes...man he hates those.
I will be reading your thread on starting a biz. I read it recently, but will keep up with it. I just needed to know, it can be done.
No longer a voyeur!
PS Any thought on our target markets of Marbella? Definitely gonna be hittin' the expats!
There is no security in life. There is only opportunity.
Posts: 11 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: 21 January 2004
I thought you were from FLA...are you in Miami? If so, we'd love to have you over and chat.
I am very concerned about housing prices, health care costs, sources of income...you name it, I'm worried about it. Not to mention the EURO! At this rate we'll have to leave our funds in dollars until the exchange rate improves. Will it ever? Who knows.
We don't have a house/apt...nothing picked out in Spain. I thoughts are to first explore before spending any cash. I have to be careful were we settle. I need a wholesome environment for my kids. My 3 yr old is approaching school age.
Great talkin' to ya...and please let me know if you'd like to get to together in Miami.
There is no security in life. There is only opportunity.
Posts: 11 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: 21 January 2004
hi grayhighlights...don't want to put a damper on your plans for making contacts with expat brits...but the Costa Del Sol has a fair amount of British tradesmen. It will be your husband's manner and effiency that will win over customers. Even the brits are non commital and not all have the right manner in dealing with the general public. What ever the outcome, I wish you all the very best of success.
I love spain
Posts: 71 | Location: Manchester England | Registered: 26 May 2001
the marbella area (playground of the rich and famouse here in spain) may be impossible to move in on business wise.
it is my experience that brits relocated in that area (and in spain in general) tend to stick to their own. meaning they will look for a british tradesmen to take care of their plumbing needs.
the brits here tend to stick to their british enclaves and i am almost positive they would not want to hire a cuban american over a fellow brit for those types of things.
Other madsue here!! I too would tend to agree with Mad-Sue and jer re Marbella in particular, but going inland towards Alora , or (the other side of Malaga) towards Velez, and the not so rich and famous, who may be very glad of a bilingual plumber, perhaps would be good? Also much nicer areas to bring up children IMO.
I came to live here with my two young children, thinking that I could carry on doing the work I had been doing in UK (advising companies on what type of computer systems they needed, buying them, installing them etc etc - would you believe!!), only to arrive and find that the vast majority of people here didn�t even own computers!!!! Change of plan then, I started off cleaning apartments, progressed to working in a supermarket, then doing official paperwork for brits, etc etc.
The point of this aside? Be prepared to compromise to give yourselves, and more importantly, your children, the quality of life you want!
________________________________________ Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional
originally posted by jer: [qb] i agree with Mad-Sue to a certain degree.
the marbella area (playground of the rich and famouse here in spain) may be impossible to move in on business wise.
it is my experience that brits relocated in that area (and in spain in general) tend to stick to their own. meaning they will look for a british tradesmen to take care of their plumbing needs.
the brits here tend to stick to their british enclaves and i am almost positive they would not want to hire a cuban american over a fellow brit for those types of things.
saludos, jer... [/qb]
Interesting post...
I'll post the URL to my website in about 4 weeks time - you will get on fine with the Brits if you want to put your business on the www for all to see. It's getting about 400 hits per day at the moment.
Spk soon hopefully :cheers:
Spanish Inquisition
Posts: 97 | Location: South UK / Athens | Registered: 11 January 2004
I understand perfectly what you are all saying. Concentrate on winning over customers by offering professional, dependable work. My husband is a bit of a cameleon. He doesn't look/sound hispanic. Actually, they won't know what to make of him in Spain. He looks Anglo, sounds American. So we'll see how he is accepted. It's true us humans tend to stick to our kind. It's like that here in Miami...Cubans hire Cubans, etc.
The reason I ask about Marbella is because my husband's biz here in Miami concentrates on Fischer Island (private island for the filthy rich). He is accostomed to dealing with people that are so rich, you know don't even know who they are...you deal with their staff! So we deduced the equivalent to that would be Marbella.
We will keep an open mind when targeting a market. And will be prepared to do what it takes to succeed.
Thanks so much, I'm vaulting all this info up!
There is no security in life. There is only opportunity.
Posts: 11 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: 21 January 2004
. If they tell you they will come in the morning...that could mean anywhere between 9am - 2pm. It�s difficult to get them to commit to a more concrete time. That�s all well and good if you are a housewife...but both my husband and I work and cannot take a half a day off just to wait for the plumber to show up. A little professionalism and customer service would be nice.
).
- rent or buy a cell phone from me for your stay in spain, more info at 
- already have a cell phone, get a spanish SIM card for it at 
