Buying a Business in Spain

If you have ever though about starting a new life in a new country, you are not alone. Many people leave their home shores every year to make a new start or to change their environment; in fact, in 2004 around 75,000 did just that to purchase homes in Spain.

So why choose Spain? Why do people go there specifically to begin a new and exciting life? Well, for one thing, Spain has sunshine year round, and offers a good quality of life in general. However, the biggest problem facing almost all future émigrés is employment. How does one provide for oneself while living abroad?

On solution is to buy your own bar. This, a much-cited common dream of many ex-pats, is an attractive and low price option for those wishing to move offshore into the lands of sunshine. In fact, this dream has become so common - and so commonly attained - that there are thousands of bars, pubs, and cafes just around the Costa Del Sol area.

Remember that, although owning your own bar in Spain can be a rewarding experience, full of excitement and fun, your business will also need much care. It’s a commitment for the long haul, and needs nurturing to help it grow and stay interesting. If you neglect it, like any relationship it will lose its excitement and charm.

David and Lorena Fairweather, a husband and wife team, set up their own relocation property agency called Bars in Spain SL. This company specializes in new businesses and bars in the Costa Del Sol area. The Fairweathers realized quickly in their dealings that many people were not ready for the rigors or owning a business offshore, and unprepared for the work that was required to maintain their new perfect lives.

David says, ‘One of the major problems that we see on a regular basis here in Spain is that historically many agents here will tell you (prospective buyers of bars and businesses) as little as possible about the life and laws associated with their chosen business, then pocket their commission and walk away, leaving the unsuspecting buyers with a wide range of potential problems’. He goes on to say that their goal at Bars in Spain is to bring integrity to the unstructured state of affairs, and to provide a place where potential bar owners can get an honest picture of what it will be like to own a bar in Spain.

‘Having been through the whole process ourselves by coming to live and work here with a family (and pets) we know what people really need’, he says, which is why they started Bars in Spain. ‘… our clients have access to a Real Estate Agent here that will provide them with all the information and services they need before they actually make a buying decision and in that way eliminate as many of the potential pitfalls and problems as possible!’

Indeed, running your own bar is like nurturing a relationship or marriage. To keep your dream from turning into your nightmare, the Fairweathers say you should consider the following points carefully before you dive into the business.