Unlike lots of other expats, I live in a very traditional Spanish town, with only about 20 or so other English speaking people dotted around, about a 10 mile radius, and who I rarely ‘bump’ into. It wouldn’t be my first choice of place to live, but its where my partner works, so can’t really change my location.
I am struggling with the lack of English communication, and spend many hours on my own. I only just get by with Spanish in shops etc, and am slowly getting a better grasp of the language but its slow progress, as I’m sure is the same with many people, and even learning the language doesn’t really solve the lack of social interaction. I often feel like throwing in the towel and returning to the UK, but really want to see if there is an answer to my dilemma.
I’m computer friendly ( its my new best friend ) and in the UK, my background is in sales and marketing, but of course where I am doesn’t lend itself to getting involved in property sales, or any other expat service, which wouldn’t have a high demand anyway!
Can anyone suggest anything I might try, in a small Spanish town, without a good grasp of the language and a lack of English speaking people? I don’t want to start a mega business, just something that would be a good idea, appeal to the Spanish, and keep me occupied. Is there anyone else in the same situation as me?
Hey jbish,
It’s funny, I was thinking about this kind of thing yesterday actually. I was wondering how there can be so damn many “old man bars” (just my nickname for them - you know what I’m talking about). I realized that there are probably a lot of people who have, say, a big group of friends and spend a lot of time in the bar themselves, so why not open your own bar instead of hanging out in someone else’s? Perhaps I’m oversimplifying. Point is: maybe open a small, modern, friendly pub or bar that keeps relatively sendentary hours with good quality and okay prices.
You are definitely not alone…Lots of people in the same boat, Im afraid! Us included. Where are you located?
There are a few things you can do on the net to bring in some extra cash…takes a while though.
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I don’t want to start a mega business, just something that would be a good idea, appeal to the Spanish, and keep me occupied. Is there anyone else in the same situation as me?
Thanks
Now there is a difficult question to answer.
You may well have noticed that Spanish people especially in the rural parts are very stuck in there ways and don`t change.
You may want to think towards culture, heritage etc etc, if your region is known for something, say a particular type of cheese, but not many are doin it, I`d suggest reawakening the tradition and add some form of foriegn influence as well as traditional Spanish.
So say start making this cheese, open up a traditional type of shop and start selling to locals and use the Internet.
That way the people will think your the best Guiri in the world, buy lots and welcome you with open arms.
A guy I knew once did it with Olive Oil, bought an old farm which had started decaying, reopened it, reinvented the old ways and sold on the net and locally, he was well liked and loved.
If you try to bring in something from outside Spain or the region, they may try it, even like it, but they won`t go mad for it.
I oftern woundered though how an English style Fresh cream cake and bread shop would fair in Spain, there bread is pretty good, but they use artificial cream in the cakes, which tastes like crap.
My mother in Law loves English cakes and she`s from Jaen.
That’s a really good idea Santi. If you could get some kind of person like Rick Steves to do a documentary on how you’re reviving the old ways, you’d be world famous in no time.
About the breads and all. My mom tried selling her oatmeal and banana bread along with brownies at a Panader?a in Gines (Sevilla) for a while. But people were kind of weirded out by it and it never caught on. Better to go with something they know.
Once you understand Spain it`s quiet easy to work around.Although regions and towns vary greatly.
When I worked in Malaga I had a call out up to Canillas de aceitunas, once word spread around the office we were inundated with requests and plastic bottles to call into the small sweet/newspaper shop to collect local Moscatel.
They make it themselves and its even well know 50 kms away in Malaga city and sell it from the shop, all you need is a suitable container to carry it home.
And its bloody good stuff.
Very popular in the region and I`m sure if someone had the money and the knowledge could take a traditional product with a history and make a commercial success of it.
I`m pretty sure the easiest way in Spain is by revivine the old methods and sprinkle some modernism on top.
I agree with the crap Spanish cakes comment. They charge alot for a sponge full of soap and food colouring.
I made a few for the local bar, chocolate fudge cake, Coffee and Walnut, Lemon, even a Bakwell tart, the Spanish loved them especially my Baileys cheesecake.
So now I make 2 or 3 a week for the the bar and birthday cakes to order, usually for kids who are into all sorts of weird things.
Doesn’t earn me much but it gets me talking to people and lots of compliments from Spanish an English.
A cake shop would probably do well once tastes were made, but like all things Spanish you need to get them through the door and tasting it.
I`m sure if someone made the pretty decorative styles they`d be popular, most of the supermarkets offer a service, but the quality is rubbish.
As for the fresh cakes, I`m not sure if using artificial cream has something to do with storage and the climate.They only seem to sell UHT cream which tastes like crap and useless.
In the south there tastes are for very sweet things, like the bread thats soaked in milk and cinamon then fried (Always) and covered in a horribly sweet sticky honey based coating, YUK, but Andalucians love them.
Worst I had though was at Semana Santa, picture flat puff pastry pastie with a raw egg in the middle that had gone hard because of the cold, even more YUK.
It wouldn`t take much to improve there cakes, but the propblem is getting them to try something new.
There is a small Pork Pie/Pastie shop in Benalmadena that supplies all the British Pubs with Steak and Kidney pies,Sausage rolls etc etc, he`s making a pretty good living, but he knows the job as he had a business in the UK which won awards for there products.
Thank you to everyone for your replys to my original message which started this thread, and has somehow moved onto cake making !!
There’s definitely ‘food’ for thought, but the ‘thought’ of slaving over a hot stove knocking up pies and scones in this heat, sounds like hell to me! BUT, that said, I do agree with the idea. Its so true you cannot buy a decent cake here.
I’m certain there will be an idea looming, just not sure what it might be yet.
Thank you to everyone for your replys to my original message which started this thread, and has somehow moved onto cake making !!
We deserve free cheese cake for the idea`s !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Its difficult in Spain to come up with an idea for a business that you`ll be succesful at.
Most of the self employed tend to either rip people off/have no idea of the business or they brought a success from the UK and made it work in Spain.
Chances are if you ran a successful buisness in the UK a large percentage of the work is covered, in my experience most Expats come unstuck because they`ve never been self employed or they didn`t think it through well enough.
A friend told me about one of the Spanish programs on in the UK, the family set up a delivery service from there home delivering take aways.
You ring them with your order, they`d ring the take away, order the food, pick the food up from the take away and deliver it to you.
For a charge.
Now I`m no expert but why would you believe this would finance you and your families life.I remeber they needed 19 deliveries a night to break even, so they`d need to be delivering solid for 3 hours before makin a profit, thats a lot of deliveries.
If the Take aways notice your doin good business, they`d simple employ there own delivery people and charge there clients.
I know you are not into manual labour jbish..
But we are growing home grown/organic veg.. and ‘those in the know’ can’t get enough!
Seems that altho Spain is one of the biggest growers in Europe - nearly all of it is exported! So prices down here
are high!
We are only doing it as a cottage indurstry tho… and keep it quiet… but our client base keeps expanding (mosly N.Europeand but including the more aware Spanish)...
I love the ideas/stories around re-viving a traditional craft/food production. I think this is very important to the locals…
But not sure what you could do for your situation. (Internet cafe would go down a bomb if there is not already one in the village - but this is ‘modern’ - but it sure would be a good service for the locals if they didn’t have ordenadores at home!).. plus it might keep the kids off the streets…
Thats a great idea, that when you read it makes sense and leaves you scratching your head as to why others don`t do it.
After-all Spain is a growers dream once water issues are overcome, the weather rarely an issue and the client base is huge as the Spanish love eating fresh well produced fruit, vegetable’s tend to be less consumed dependant on the region but still a market place.
