# Setting up a business in Spain



## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

Hello all. 
Has anyone got any advice on how to go about setting up a business in Spain ? I'm sure its not a straight forward as I'd hope, so any advice would be appreciated. Its a furniture business.
Many thanks


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

calahonda said:


> Hello all.
> Has anyone got any advice on how to go about setting up a business in Spain ? I'm sure its not a straight forward as I'd hope, so any advice would be appreciated. Its a furniture business.
> Many thanks


do what the Spanish do - find yourself a good gestor to walk you through all the licences/contracts/tax etc. etc......


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## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

Thanks for that....erm, and a gestor is a what ?? haha. You wouldn't happen to know of one ? Its in the Javea region that I'm looking at.
Cheers for the advice


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

calahonda said:


> Thanks for that....erm, and a gestor is a what ?? haha. You wouldn't happen to know of one ? Its in the Javea region that I'm looking at.
> Cheers for the advice


If you want to open a business in Spain you better get googling fast, start with "gestor or gestoria" after that move over to "health care in spain", "spanish income tax" and "autonomo"


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## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

I'll do just that, many thanks....Your comment about googling it fast, is something about to change, or do you just mean to start with ??

I'll get googling anyhow.
Cheers


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## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

Googled it, OK I'm clear now thanks.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Haqve you carried out market research on your likely prospects in the area around Calahonda?
There are several furniture outlets within a twenty minute drive and of course the ubiquitous IKEA half an hour away...


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

Contact Miguel or Manolo at "Centro Finacial Xabia" in the old town of Javea, they are both fluent, I've used them for years and can recommend them


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## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

Hi, I should change my name really as this was from when I lived in Calahonda, I moved back to the UK three years ago, but am now on the verge of coming back to Spain. 
I'm planning on moving to Javea area as its lovely, and it doesn't have the levels of crime that I encountered in the CDS. Do they still gas peoples villas?? Popular one when I lived there....shocking. 
Anyway, back to the business at hand. 

The business I had in mind is to make the furniture myself, I've been making wooden garden furniture for friends and family for a few years, so was hoping to start a little workshop up and expand on my range. I work away at sea so it wouldn't be my main income, more just something that I enjoy doing and would like to take further. More arts and crafts than high end......I'd love to give it a go, it would be nice not to have to spend 6-7 months of the year at sea.

Any advice is always welcome......Cheers


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## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

djfwells said:


> Contact Miguel or Manolo at "Centro Finacial Xabia" in the old town of Javea, they are both fluent, I've used them for years and can recommend them


Many thanks for that, thats ideal. :clap2:


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

calahonda said:


> Thanks for that....erm, and a gestor is a what ?? haha. You wouldn't happen to know of one ? Its in the Javea region that I'm looking at.
> Cheers for the advice


Asesoria Jávea Vera Cruanyes | Laboral, fiscal, mercantil, contable

very good reputation in Jávea - & my gestor


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

calahonda said:


> The business I had in mind is to make the furniture myself, I've been making wooden garden furniture for friends and family for a few years, so was hoping to start a little workshop up and expand on my range. I work away at sea so it wouldn't be my main income, more just something that I enjoy doing and would like to take further. More arts and crafts than high end......I'd love to give it a go, it would be nice not to have to spend 6-7 months of the year at sea.
> 
> Any advice is always welcome......Cheers


We have a friend who set up a similar business here in Granada.
Beautifully made furniture, plus expert fitting of any type of furniture you could mention.
He paid out a great deal of money into the business - renting a suitable outlet, getting a website built, accountant as well as gestor to work out the costs of registering as a business (and of course autonomo).

He promoted his business all over the place - word of mouth, flyers, notices, advertisements in all the local papers and mags.

Sadly he had to close down a few months ago.
Everyone liked his furniture and spoke highly of his expertise, craftsmanship and reliability.
But in this economic climate, few could afford him, even when he lowered his prices to unsustainable levels.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

The gassing of villas seems to be, on closer inspection, yet another urban myth.
Several questions spring to the minds of the sceptics: what kind of 'gas' was used, how did the robbers know how to calculate the correct proportions of gas/air volume, how was this gas introduced, why were the robbers immune, how come no traces were found..and so on and on...

Just recently I read in a reputable British newspaper (i.e. not the Daily Mail and its ilk) that insutance companies had noticed a growing number of allegations of 'crimes' committed on British tourists in Spain. These 'crimes' seemed to follow a pattern regardless of whether they occurred in Benidorm, Sitges or Torremolinos. They took place shortly before the 'victims' departure date, involved some stupifying agent which had rendered the 'victims' unconscious and unable to give details of the alleged crime, occurred in hotels where no other guest was robbed or noticed any suspicious activity...in one case, a woman alleged she had been raped whilst sleeping next to her husband who failed to wake up during the attack.
The ability to believe several incredible things before breakfast, to quote someone or other -I can't remember who - is a talent I have sadly failed to acquire, even although I have lived in Spain for four years...


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## Solwriter (Jan 10, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> The gassing of villas seems to be, on closer inspection, yet another urban myth.
> Several questions spring to the minds of the sceptics: what kind of 'gas' was used, how did the robbers know how to calculate the correct proportions of gas/air volume, how was this gas introduced, why were the robbers immune, how come no traces were found..and so on and on...
> 
> Just recently I read in a reputable British newspaper (i.e. not the Daily Mail and its ilk) that insutance companies had noticed a growing number of allegations of 'crimes' committed on British tourists in Spain. These 'crimes' seemed to follow a pattern regardless of whether they occurred in Benidorm, Sitges or Torremolinos. They took place shortly before the 'victims' departure date, involved some stupifying agent which had rendered the 'victims' unconscious and unable to give details of the alleged crime, occurred in hotels where no other guest was robbed or noticed any suspicious activity...in one case, a woman alleged she had been raped whilst sleeping next to her husband who failed to wake up during the attack.
> The ability to believe several incredible things before breakfast, to quote someone or other -I can't remember who - is a talent I have sadly failed to acquire, even although I have lived in Spain for four years...


Gassing actually does bother me, because it's the only way that burglars could gain access to our property with 9 very protective dogs sleeping there!

We heard the rumour about gassing some years ago, when we were travelling around in our RV.
Whenever we parked at an aire, we would soon find other RVs, owned by Brits, French, Dutch, German and Spanish, would park alongside us - for safety reasons they always said.
I guess that the idea was that if anything odd was noticed, each would inform the other (and our dogs - 2 at that time - would let everyone know...).
But if they gassed us all at once...! 

So, I hope it's a myth, spread because of people doing a runner, making an insurance claim, or something similar.
But like most myths, there will be an element of truth there somewhere..... I guess!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Solwriter said:


> Gassing actually does bother me, because it's the only way that burglars could gain access to our property with 9 very protective dogs sleeping there!
> 
> We heard the rumour about gassing some years ago, when we were travelling around in our RV.
> Whenever we parked at an aire, we would soon find other RVs, owned by Brits, French, Dutch, German and Spanish, would park alongside us - for safety reasons they always said.
> ...


The element of truth is that people have been robbed....The gassing I very much doubt. As I said, no-one seems to be able to answer detailed probing questions about these alleged gassings - the most obvious being as I said, what gas, how introduced -how do you introduce an alien substance into an air-con system? - where the gas originates andso on.

I have been told that this mysterious gas is brought to Spain by Eastern European criminal elements who have got hold of it from Russian military or police sources......Oh yeah...furry hats and Soviet stars, maybe. Gas canisters....???

Intersting, isn't it, that there has afaik been no police confirmation of this kinde of robbery involving gas...or any traqce of it being found by forensic experts...

It is rightly said that it isn't crime per se but the fear of crime which is the most important issue. That fear leads to myth-creation.


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## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

Dear All

The gassing is real. They use a normal fire extinguisher with the powder removed, its C02 I believe. It happened to three of our friends, one even had it all recorded on his CCTV.
Also, in Elviria my mother was held up a knife point while taking the rubbish out one afternoon quickly followed by my sister in-law having the exact same experience the following week. The police said it was that work of Moroccan gangs who then nip back to Morocco.
The gassing is extreamly bad, one of our friends was pregnant at the time, and they departed the next week. Just upped sticks and left, which is understandable. 
Thats the reason we left the CDS, if an old lady cannot take her bins out in a lovely 'affluent area' in the middle of the day, without been robbed at knife point, really.
Its very sad, my parents have lived on the CDS for 35 years, but not any more. Reason, Crime.


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## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

....and yes, they simple put the gas near your AC intake and in seconds its all round your villa/apt. Simple and cheap and terrifying


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## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> Asesoria Jávea Vera Cruanyes | Laboral, fiscal, mercantil, contable
> 
> very good reputation in Jávea - & my gestor


Many thanks, I will talk to them when I'm over next........


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## calahonda (Jun 12, 2010)

Solwriter said:


> We have a friend who set up a similar business here in Granada.
> Beautifully made furniture, plus expert fitting of any type of furniture you could mention.
> He paid out a great deal of money into the business - renting a suitable outlet, getting a website built, accountant as well as gestor to work out the costs of registering as a business (and of course autonomo).
> 
> ...


Hi Solwritter...thanks for the post, and a great shame about your friend. Fortunately I have a main income working in marine surveys so this was just going to be a small enterprise while I was at home initially, if it works out then maybe I'll employ someone, but if not I'd like to try it on my own anyway as I enjoy making the furniture anyway and I might just find a market for them ?
Thanks for the cautionary words.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

calahonda said:


> Many thanks, I will talk to them when I'm over next........


.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

calahonda said:


> ....and yes, they simple put the gas near your AC intake and in seconds its all round your villa/apt. Simple and cheap and terrifying


But we don't use our air-con in the summer in the day or at night....Our villa is spacious...Also...what if your intake is inaccessible? Sorry, however much you may believe it, I don't. But I believe you believe it.

So...what is the toxic chemical ingredient in this fire-extinguisher powder???
I'd be interested to know its chemical composition. Carbon monoxide? Very difficult to determine the precise amount required to stupify a person. Since presumably the gas had evaporated by the time the police arrived....how did they know which gas was used? If the carbon monoxide was in a powder form, what other reactive agent caused iot to change into a gas from a solid? Too many things unexplained. Like ghosts and spiritualism, some believe, others don't.

And yes, the incident involving the elderly lady is dreadful. The beating up of the ninety year-old in the UK recently was equally deplorable. Violent crime happens everywhere and will get worse here because of the staggering unemployment rate.

We were robbed in our luxurious villa in our affluent area just before Christmas.
No poison gas,none needed....I should have left a 'Welcome' sign on the gates. No shutters down, key left in back door, alarm not set.

The thieves escaped wioth a small amount of cash and my IPod. They tried to prise out the safe under the stairs but we returned with our Rhodesian Ridgeback and they fled.

It taught us a relatively cheap lesson.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

It’s a myth. This was issued by the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2007

Despite the increasing numbers of reports of people being gassed in
motor-homes or commercial trucks in France, and the warning put
out by the Foreign Office for travellers to be aware of this danger, this
College remains of the view that this is a myth.
It is the view of the College that it would not be possible to render
someone unconscious by blowing ether, chloroform or any of the
currently used volatile anaesthetic agents, through the window of a
motor-home without their knowledge, even if they were sleeping at
the time. Ether is an extremely pungent agent and a relatively weak
anaesthetic by modern standards and has a very irritant affect on
the air passages, causing coughing and sometimes vomiting. It takes
some time to reach unconsciousness, even if given by direct application
to the face on a cloth, and the concentration needed by some
sort of spray administered directly into a room would be enormous.
The smell hangs around for days and would be obvious to anyone the
next day. Even the more powerful modern volatile agents would need
to be delivered in tankerloads of carrier gas or by a large compressor.
Potential agents, such as the one used by the Russians in the Moscow
siege are few in number and difficult to obtain. Moreover, these drugs
would be too expensive for the average thief to use.
The other important point to remember is that general anaesthetics
are potentially very dangerous, which is why they are only administered
in the UK by doctors who have undergone many years of postgraduate
training in the subject and who remain with the unconscious
patient throughout the anaesthetic. Unsupervised patients are likely
to die from obstruction of the airway by their tongues falling back. In
the Moscow seige approximately 20% of the people died, many probably
from airway obstruction directly related to the agent used.
If there was a totally safe, odourless, potent, cheap anaesthetic agent
available to thieves for this purpose it is likely the medical profession
would know about it and be investigating its use in anaesthetic
practice.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> It’s a myth. This was issued by the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2007
> 
> Despite the increasing numbers of reports of people being gassed in
> motor-homes or commercial trucks in France, and the warning put
> ...


Yes Mary but there are confirmed reports of truck drivers being gassed for robbery. They know this as the drivers were found dead. 

As regards to 'leaving by the a/c intake' , well that is nonsense. There is no connection whatsoever between the outside, condensing unit, & the inside , evaporative, unit .


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

gus-lopez said:


> Yes Mary but there are confirmed reports of truck drivers being gassed for robbery. They know this as the drivers were found dead.
> 
> As regards to 'leaving by the a/c intake' , well that is nonsense. There is no connection whatsoever between the outside, condensing unit, & the inside , evaporative, unit .


I know that you can buy aerosols with CS-type gas - you could buy them for self-defence from shops in Prague, along with tazers, knives, knuckledusters etc. But to kill someone??

I think that some of these people who claim to have been 'gassed while they slept' were daft like us when we got robbed...left keys in doors, windows open and so on. Of course the insurance company won't pay out if you've been careless. 

Others probably left windows open or doors unlocked and slept through the robbery but couldn't believe that they had heard nothing. They have convinced themselves that they were gassed. It makes a good story too.

Strange that there have been no medical reports as to the type of gas allegedly used. Carbon monoxide would leave traces, as would most other gases.

The clincher for me is that insurance companies are now receiving so many stories of robbery with gas from tourists who claim they've been robbed of cash - note 'cash' - just before returning home that they are understandably suspicious. I think the same applies to people who have been robbed because they didn't secure their properties.
Given the drinking habits of many immigrants, it's easy to forget to set the alarm, and to lock the door and to fall into a deep, alcohol-induced stupor -sorry, slumber....

These myths would be easy to laugh off -one guy on a forum here claims to have been gassed five times!!! - but they can cause alarm amongst elderly people especially those in remote areas.


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