# Relocating business to Spain -



## cgh (Feb 15, 2009)

Hello, 

first post so hello everyone. I run a graphic design and web development company in the UK, and my wife has falled in love with Spain and wants to relocate to the Valencia area. I have spoken with some of my clients (although not my employees!) and they are happy for the company to move.

However, can anyone recommend a website or newspaper for advertising for prospective employees? I have a good level of spoken Spanish and have worked in Madrid for a few years and so I am aware of the business legalities and pitfalls etc, but of course it is always the manpower that is the hard-to-control variable. We also aren't moving until June so have plenty of time.

Valencia is a great city and a great deal more artistic than I anticipated. I just wish to be prepared. And if anyone else has any more advice for us I would be very grateful. Look forward to assisting anyone else here as part of this group! And of course if anyone can recommend anything in Valencia!

Many thanks.


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## JAGUAR (Jan 5, 2009)

Hi CBH - Can't help with the potential advertising, but do share a mutual love of Valencia. Always try to call in there for a look around and have been very impressed with the City's architecture and new science park.

The beauty of your/our business is the internet. You could well be anywhere in the world and still deliver the goods. Video conferencing, large file transfers etc.
We run a media production company in the UK and like yourselves plan to move to Spain in a couple of years. We're making a few contacts on our regular visits and hope to trial a few months work there this year.
I wish you happiness and luck!


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## cgh (Feb 15, 2009)

Thanks Jaguar

I think you find that the more beautiful the surroundings and the more relaxed the work and life, the more it is reflected in the quality of work and attention to detail. That is my 5 cents worth at least, finding myself influenced heavily by my environment.

Thanks again for the encouragement. And you are right about being able to be anywhere!


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

cgh said:


> However, can anyone recommend a website or newspaper for advertising for prospective employees? .


Right now - ANYWHERE. 

BUT I'd also recommend you have a chat with the INEM. They can help and will be genuinely pleased to have JOBS to offer. You also MAY like to consider the over 45yr old option - as there is a tax/SocSecurity subsidy then too.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

You will have ZERO problem finding employees. The problem will be finding work in Spain for these people.

You could contact the owners of Guide2Valencia for Valencia Holidays, Property, Travel, Accommodation, News and Events as I am sure they can help and I know XTreme will be pleased to pass on tips.


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## Buenosdiaspet (Feb 13, 2009)

I relocated to about an hour south of you a few weeks ago - but work with exactly the same team in the UK. Why would you need new people, don't you all work online anyway? Valencia is indeed lovely, haven't spent as much time there as I'd like to yet, but can thoroughly recommend the veggie tapas bar if that's any help!


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## jaan (Feb 10, 2009)

I think, It depends on the creative level of services you provide. 

If you do regular, corporate jobs for smaller clients then probably you wont have any problems but if you would need really good designers then outside barcelona and madrid they are not so easy to find and it will surely take time.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Jaan, on what basis do you claim that there is a dearth of quality designers? You have been here 2 minutes so where do you get that opinion from? I can assure you that there are plenty of quality guys in Marbella, Alicante, Seville and .........Huéscar - to name just a few.


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## jaan (Feb 10, 2009)

Like i wrote, depends on the kind of business you are doing. I know you will find plenty of designers, but if you are looking for specific skills or extraordinary creativity it wont be easy.

I keep an eye on the global design community and im in touch with many designers also in spain.
Young upcoming, talented guys go to barcelona or madrid because there they have chance to expand their skills and work with some good agencies. 

Top notch spanish studios lik VASAVA or Serial Cut™ - Art direction + Graphic Design +Illustration are there, and if you need this kind of work to be done, how many people will you find in andalucia? 2? 3? maybe 8?


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## jaan (Feb 10, 2009)

And i only said anything because CGH is moving his business from UK (i think he didn't mention what city). In London there is so many great designers both freelancers and working in agencies and studios that comparing to that Valencia could look empty.


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## XTreme (May 17, 2008)

SteveHall said:


> and I know XTreme will be pleased to pass on tips.


Absolutely! My hot tip is only employ under 30 Espanolas!


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveHall 
and I know XTreme will be pleased to pass on tips. 

Absolutely! My hot tip is only employ under 30 Espanolas!

That would lead to nothing very productive being done - reproductive maybe!

Come on, you can do better than that XTreme. What thoughts have you got about web designers etc? I know you have moved on yourself from WebInABox and GeoCities LOL


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## XTreme (May 17, 2008)

Thoughts about web designers? Well....the web side of the business is only half of what we do....the other half is mobile hardware and software support.

The only advice I can give is that your market here is very different to the UK.....so you have to adopt a very different approach and pricing structure.

And you ain't gonna make big money here....if you've got an established and profitable UK base to offset it you should be OK. 

But I'll tell you now....it's harder to make it here than it is back in the UK.


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## cgh (Feb 15, 2009)

Hey everyone

Thanks for the replies so far. Jaan I completely agree that major corporate talent will head to the capital cities. They usually do. I had toyed with the idea of Barcelona but my Catalan is 0. Madrid I guess but sadly the wife does not want to move there. Although if we have to..

Our main line of business is outsourcing from large agencies in London, so the work has to be top notch and part of the remit is having people in your office to collaborate etc.. they won't allow outsourcing of outsourcing.

Thanks for the tips so far -btw any good resources on long term rentals?


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## jaan (Feb 10, 2009)

So what's your company name? website?

I also think that there is one more important factor. Maybe someone here knows how the spanish people feel about relocating from place to place.
In USA people are flexible and they move from city to the city when they have good job opportunity. But in poland for example it's not that way. Young people gladly move from small towns to big cities but if they are settled in some place they often prefer to stay there and turn down the good job offer.

My friend runs small (around 20 people), internationally respected interactive agency. They produce great projects, win lot of prizes on festivals but they are in Slask (post industrial region of poland). The cities lay there one next to each other and the whole aglomeration is around 3 million people, so its big. All the time tho, they have to keep looking for employees. They need very good professionals and they have troubles finding them locally and many good designers would love to work for them but don't want to move there from other cities.


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## cgh (Feb 15, 2009)

Hi Jaan

don't want to post it up yet in case it all falls flat! My plan entails a smooth transfer of workforce from UK to Spain. 

Glad to here you are a designer though. Design is the one thing I can outsource. In fact we do outsource production also at times, but for the nuts n bolts work it means in house team for efficiency and QA purposes.

Can you send messages to users of this forum? Happy to give more details there.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

jaan said:


> So what's your company name? website?
> 
> I also think that there is one more important factor. Maybe someone here knows how the spanish people feel about relocating from place to place.
> In USA people are flexible and they move from city to the city when they have good job opportunity. But in poland for example it's not that way. Young people gladly move from small towns to big cities but if they are settled in some place they often prefer to stay there and turn down the good job offer.
> ...


jaan please do not encourage people to break the rules of the forum.
By asking cgh to name his website/company you are asking him to break the rules and might end up getting him into bother.


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

jaan said:


> Maybe someone here knows how the spanish people feel about relocating from place to place.


Historically the Spanish have migrated in droves to where the work is. BUT they are in general REGIONAL FOLK. i.e they'd ideally like to be in the same province they are in now. The one exception is (apparently) MADRID which is full of folk who claim to be from elsewhere (despite being born there).

This said - I know a lot that re migrating back to the towns/villages that their parents (even grand parents) left to find work in the '60's

ime the problem with setting up a business in "laid back" communities is that the folk there are too. The ambitious high-flyers generally are in less laid back areas - There are I'm sure exceptions - but these are probably already ensconced in good jobs.


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## cgh (Feb 15, 2009)

Hi there,

good news from what I have read so far. I do have a concern about the high quality of the employees in the Valencia area but I am sure there will be creative individuals there who have their own reasons for staying. The company will stay a UK business until such time as it is deemed correct to set up a Spanish company. Would the Spanish have any objections to working for a foreign company? Of course they would be paid in euros into spanish accounts.

Alternatively I am looking at the freelance option for all other work except agency work.

Thanks for all the posts so far!


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Valencia is Spain's third city. There are a lot of hi-tech operations out of Paterna. It is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city where I am sure that you will have NO problems whatsoever getting quality staff/freelancers etc. If they get paid I am equally sure there will be no issue whatsoever whether you are with a Spanish or English company. 

Have you spoken to the guys at Guide2Valencia? They know the are intimately.

If we took the same view about the UK, do we say there is nobody worthwhile outside London, Birmingham, Leeds etc? I am sure that many in Brighton, Bristol/Bath, M4 Silicon Valley, Glasgow would have have something to say about that!


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Some interesting info re Valencia just come in. (No, not the monster rabbits!)


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## jaan (Feb 10, 2009)

Maybe not bad idea would be to get an advice from some good spanish headhunting company specializing in creative area.


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## cgh (Feb 15, 2009)

Hi everyone,

Can anyone recommend the Oliva area? How is it for schools, shops, supermarkets, restaurants, pubs etc? Not too worried about the expat community to be honest and the english schools as family want to integrate with Spanish way of life. But how are facilities? Is is a good place to live? How are links with Valencia etc...

Concerned as I remember this place was nice driving through, but I no doubt will spend time in London leaving family alone for a few days each month.

thanks!


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

SteveHall said:


> (No, not the monster rabbits!)


Conejos Grandes eh! -


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

I am sure Strav can help re Oliva. It's always struck me as a pleasant enough little coastal town. The expats have come over the past few years but it's not an Alfaz del Pi or Torrevieja ....yet.


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## chrisnation (Mar 2, 2009)

cgh said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Can anyone recommend the Oliva area? How is it for schools, shops, supermarkets, restaurants, pubs etc? Not too worried about the expat community to be honest and the english schools as family want to integrate with Spanish way of life. But how are facilities? Is is a good place to live? How are links with Valencia etc...
> 
> ...


Check out Valencia city. There's a buzz there that reminds me of London in the late '60s/early '70s - and anyone in the graphics biz knows that period as the golden era of creativity in ad/graphics.

I'm a photographer who worked in London through that period and I can tell you that Valencia feels like Soho 1969 - anything's possible!


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Yes, Valencia is on a roll - see www.Guide2Valencia.com


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