# just moved to spain



## eryl (May 20, 2014)

hey im travelling around spain at the moment , iv landed in algeciras , im looking for a possible place in tarifa? does anyone know what the criteria is? ie payments up front etc....also i have noticed on a lot of these forums that people are needing computers repaired and are having trouble finding places that deal with ex pats ...was thinking of starting up a business (mobile) repairing computers, thoughts? <snip>


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

eryl said:


> hey im travelling around spain at the moment , iv landed in algeciras , im looking for a possible place in tarifa? does anyone know what the criteria is? ie payments up front etc....also i have noticed on a lot of these forums that people are needing computers repaired and are having trouble finding places that deal with ex pats ...was thinking of starting up a business (mobile) repairing computers, thoughts? <snip>


:welcome:

I have to say I don't understand why you think places won't deal with ex-pats

certainly in my area, all businesses will deal with anyone who needs their service - they have to, when there's so little work around - & I live in an area with relatively low unemployment (around 20%) 

& tbh they would anyway, business is business, right?


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## eryl (May 20, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> :welcome:
> 
> I have to say I don't understand why you think places won't deal with ex-pats
> 
> ...


i didnt mean that they were being turned away , i meant they didnt understand enough english to communicate and deal with the problem , nobody im sure would turn business down but if you have an english based laptop and a computer repair guy who cant read english there in lies the problem .....sorry i should have put the first post a bit clearer


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

eryl said:


> i didnt mean that they were being turned away , i meant they didnt understand enough english to communicate and deal with the problem , nobody im sure would turn business down but if you have an english based laptop and a computer repair guy who cant read english there in lies the problem .....sorry i should have put the first post a bit clearer


ahh - now I get you

though tbh the repair guys round here seem to manage no matter what language they speak (or don't )


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Sadly, I know of two british companies that repaired computers who have gone and are back in the UK. I really dont think theres much need. The big computer giants have very competitive repair centres and cater for all nationalities.

You would also have to pay autonomo/self employment - which is around 250€ a month, altho I think its cheaper when you are starting out.

That said if you dont need much of an income, you may be ok???

Jo xxx


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## eryl (May 20, 2014)

jojo said:


> Sadly, I know of two british companies that repaired computers who have gone and are back in the UK. I really dont think theres much need. The big computer giants have very competitive repair centres and cater for all nationalities.
> 
> You would also have to pay autonomo/self employment - which is around 250€ a month, altho I think its cheaper when you are starting out.
> 
> ...


hi jo...thank you for your advice , seems a lot to pay , 250 euros per month?? i know of a few ex pats who would prefer myself doing the repair work as they prefer someone they know and can physically meet and who will be honest with them....you find that even the large companies have no clue , i know this because i worked for PC World for a time and it was unbelievable how little the supposed tech guys knew , also i was asked to lie on a regular basis which is why i left , it is the same as taking a car into a large garage and having the guy stood over it and humming and harring and saying ...cost ya !!! anyway im ranting lol xx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

eryl said:


> hi jo...thank you for your advice , seems a lot to pay , 250 euros per month?? i know of a few ex pats who would prefer myself doing the repair work as they prefer someone they know and can physically meet and who will be honest with them....you find that even the large companies have no clue , i know this because i worked for PC World for a time and it was unbelievable how little the supposed tech guys knew , also i was asked to lie on a regular basis which is why i left , it is the same as taking a car into a large garage and having the guy stood over it and humming and harring and saying ...cost ya !!! anyway im ranting lol xx


my autónomo is nearer 280€ a month - no matter how much or how little I earn - & I pay income tax on top of that


the new start up scheme is 50€ a month gradually increasing to full payments over two years iirc


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

eryl said:


> hi jo...thank you for your advice , seems a lot to pay , 250 euros per month?? i know of a few ex pats who would prefer myself doing the repair work as they prefer someone they know and can physically meet and who will be honest with them....you find that even the large companies have no clue , i know this because i worked for PC World for a time and it was unbelievable how little the supposed tech guys knew , also i was asked to lie on a regular basis which is why i left , it is the same as taking a car into a large garage and having the guy stood over it and humming and harring and saying ...cost ya !!! anyway im ranting lol xx


That amount would also cover your healthcare costs - so its not so bad. If you really know enough expats who could and would pay you a living wage every month, then maybe its worth it

Jo xxx


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## eryl (May 20, 2014)

*costs*

Hi jo ...yes at first i thought it did sound quite a lot ie £250 euros, but £50 to begin 

with seems ok , i fixed my first spanish computer today , iv realised that even

though i had no clue what anything said , my experience led me to the right places

anyway, which has encouraged me to widen my perspective, in other words i can 

repair ANY computer in ANY country provided it runs an operating system im 

familiar with,also i have found an app for my android phone called talking translator

which has proved invaluable.....although i accidentally set it to basque and had 

some pretty odd looks for the day untill an english speaking lass told me i was

speaking in basgue lol.....


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

eryl said:


> Hi jo ...yes at first i thought it did sound quite a lot ie £250 euros, but £50 to begin
> 
> with seems ok , i fixed my first spanish computer today , iv realised that even
> 
> ...


Then keep at it - just remember, if its that easy for a "foreigner" to repair Spanish speaking computers, then the opposite is going to be true. Personally, having lived in Spain and seen computer experts disappear back to the UK, I dont rate your chances at making enough to pay your autonomo - let alone make a living - but what do I know??!!! If I ever have problems with my pc or laptop, my husband (an IT man) repairs it - or my son (NOT an IP man lol). Kids seem to understand these things dont they!!??

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

eryl said:


> Hi jo ...yes at first i thought it did sound quite a lot ie £250 euros, but £50 to begin
> 
> with seems ok , i fixed my first spanish computer today , iv realised that even
> 
> ...


that's a good start - just goes to show that the language of the computer doesn't matter!

have you registered as autónomo already then?


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## eryl (May 20, 2014)

jojo said:


> Then keep at it - just remember, if its that easy for a "foreigner" to repair Spanish speaking computers, then the opposite is going to be true. Personally, having lived in Spain and seen computer experts disappear back to the UK, I dont rate your chances at making enough to pay your autonomo - let alone make a living - but what do I know??!!! If I ever have problems with my pc or laptop, my husband (an IT man) repairs it - or my son (NOT an IP man lol). Kids seem to understand these things dont they!!??
> 
> Jo xxx


Its true ....they take to it like a duck to water.....and yes i do agree with you although, 

diagnostics, full operating system replacements are definitely not for psuedo

amatuers especially now that new computers have locked bios systems,

probably over yr head all that, i don't mean to be predantic, just saying

computer manufacturers are in cahoots with microsoft to stop husbands and 

sons being able to repair computers, apart from malware which is quite easy to

fix, im lucky in the fact that i have saved money and also have websites that i do

s.e.o for so dont NEED to work here ...always nice to keep yr options open though xx


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

eryl said:


> Its true ....they take to it like a duck to water.....and yes i do agree with you although,
> 
> diagnostics, full operating system replacements are definitely not for psuedo
> 
> ...



aha, but my husband installs multi media and computer systems for a living lol!!!! So I'm alright lol - For me???? I just yell for help when something's not right with it all. I'm computer illiterate

Jo xxx


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## StevejR1 (May 21, 2013)

eryl said:


> i didnt mean that they were being turned away , i meant they didnt understand enough english to communicate and deal with the problem , nobody im sure would turn business down but if you have an english based laptop and a computer repair guy who cant read english there in lies the problem .....sorry i should have put the first post a bit clearer


Computers are another language to me, so I'm baffled on two levels!!


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## eryl (May 20, 2014)

*computer language*

when i was 16...we had to learn cobol and pascal, all a waste of time really lol non were fully used, you have to remember EVERY computer has a basic ms dos operating system underneath....apart from Apple. Who still rely on software from microsoft !! although they dont like telling you ....anyway ....hope that cleared it all up lol


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## akshulman (Apr 30, 2014)

Starting a business in Spain requires a lot of logistical and administrative steps - the bureaucracy isn't the easiest to work with, but it can be done! I work for a startup started by an Italian expat in Spain so we've experienced a lot of hoops to jump through, but are proof that it's possible


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