I connected with Mel and Marie honest recently, from one webmaster to another, through working on our mutual websites. I found out that the couple had honest recently moved to Spain from Britain and spot up an adventure disappear company that after one only year in business is already doing aesthetic well.
Many of you know already that Spain is one of my favourite countries, so I absolutely had to bag out how these Northern Europeans made the transition into the hot south of Andalucia and how there were adjusting personally, socially and with their novel business in this trace recent lifestyle. Here is what they had to say:
1. Please roar us a bit about your background. Where are you from, what is your work background?
Mel: I’m from Bedworth, Warwickshire, England. Formerly a coal miner and policeman.
Marie: I’m from Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and am a nurse.
Prior to spirited to Spain, we lived in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. We have 3 children; Stuart (19), Niall (15) and Stephanie (14) .
2. How did you near up with the view of opening an adventure holiday company in Spain?
Marie: For all of his adult life, Mel has been a alive to glide runner, cyclist and cross-country skier; the children and myself are also lovers of the enormous outdoors. As a family we had holidayed all over Europe, including a number of cycling breaks in Spain. Having experienced the local climate, the delicate scenery and the apparently limitless tracks and incredibly mild roads, captivating to Spain to keep our occupy activity holiday business seemed the perfect choice.
3. How did you bewitch your site? What type of property did you decide and why? Please talk to us about the genuine estate purchasing process in Spain.
Andalucia is the most fine fragment of Spain. We wanted to avoid the mayhem of the wing, but didn’t want to be more than an hour away from Malaga airport, in order to sever the traveling time for guests. It was then unprejudiced a demand of drawing a line on a device and visiting available properties within that circle.
We did a lot of browsing on the internet, then made appointments with estate agents to opinion the properties that seemed just. We eventually chose this property because of the glorious views, the edifying road access and because, with only a dinky work, we were able to convert an outbuilding into a self-contained guest apartment.
The purchasing process was relatively simple for us. We granted power of attorney to a local solicitor, who then handled everything on our behalf. All we had to do was transfer over the money whenever it was required. The only aspect of the process that we would caution people about is the tactics of some of the estate agents. Not all of the properties listed on websites were actually for sale and some of those that were for sale were only available at a powerful higher stamp than advertised or were not at all like their descriptions!
4. Did you have to do any renovations to the property you bought? If so, what was it like to deal with Spanish contractors and construction workers?
We had to convert a building with 2 very basic rooms and 2 shed type rooms into the guest accommodation. However, we were able to do a lot of the work ourselves and only employed builders for the more skilled tasks. We have learned that there are marvelous and terrible builders amongst the Spanish and the British builders working locally, but only a properly registered firm does work with any sort of guarantee. And that is an principal consideration.
5. Please talk to us about Rio-Frio, the adventure holiday company that you founded. When did you originate it?
We founded Rio Frio Holidays in the summer of 2004, with the scheme of offering activity holidays and holiday accommodation specifically tailored to the requirements of our guests, whether they are individual travellers, families or groups.
6. What does your company offer? How is it different from other adventure holiday operations? What type of people vacation with your company?
We offer holiday accommodation, activity holidays and training camps for families, single travelers, corporate groups and groups of sports people. Mel is the main guide/coordinator for hiking, mountain biking, road cycling and running; other activities, such as canoeing, rock climbing, abseiling and archery and provided by local Spanish companies.
We have had visits from interested cyclists and runners, as well as families wanting a multi-activity shatter and people who wanted to do nothing more than relax in the garden between visits to Granada, Seville and other sightseeing highlights.
7. What was it like opening a business in Spain? What processes did you have to go through?
Our first step was to hire a marvelous accountant (“Gestoria”) who took us through the process of registering with the Spanish authorities as self-employed and helped us with the bureaucracy of registering the business with the local tourist authorities. He also handles our regular tax returns and ensures that we comply with all of the relevant tax and other legislation.
8. Please converse us how the first year has gone for you with your fresh business. What has been your biggest challenge of operating a business in a original country? What have been your greatest rewards of operating this business?
The first year has been astonishing! We have had nothing but sure feedback from all of our guests and their comments, to their friends and in our online guestbook, have been our best create of advertising.
The biggest challenge has been identifying where to consume our marketing budget. We are constantly receiving calls from sales reps trying to sell us advertising spot and it is very difficult to pronounce which publications are likely to have the greatest impact. We are quiet learning!
The greatest reward is the thanks of the guests and quick-witted that we have helped someone to have a mountainous holiday or helped to save them on track to achieving their health or fitness goals.
9. How great was your knowledge of Spanish when you moved there? How has it improved since then?
We barely spoke a word of Spanish between us – and even less Andaluz (the local dialect!) However, after many hours of hard work, we are all well on the design to learning the language now.
10. Please impart us about your interaction with the locals. How powerful contact do you have with local people? What about the cultural adjustment process, adjusting to Spanish culture, coming from England for yourselves and your children?
The children went straight into the local Spanish secondary school. Unfortunately, the new influx of British children has left the school struggling to cope.
Outside of school, things are remarkable better. Our Spanish neighbours and friends are terrific; there is a precise sense of community in our village and, through Mel’s membership of the local cycling club, we have developed a wide network of Spanish friends.
Until you relax and net that the Spanish – especially the bureaucrats – do not work to deadlines in the same plot that the British do, life in Spain can be quite stressful for the average Brit. However, there is shrimp about the plan of life that doesn’t advance out favourably in comparison with British culture.
11. What advice would give you someone who would like to relocate to Spain and open a business there?
Do it! And please feel free to plunge us a line if you have any specific questions.
Thanks, Mel and Marie, for sharing with us how you achieved your dream of living in the South of Spain and suitable luck with your business. It’s titanic to hear that you were able to fit in in your unusual environment so like a flash and have managed such a quiet transition. It’s upright, sometimes you objective gotta do it….
