This a the first of a series of articles focusing on starting a new business maybe in Nerja.
Nerjanow interviewed a series successful local businesses & asked some questions about their business.
If you would like to have your business considered to be featured drop me an email at admin@nerjanow.com

Many people dream of moving to Spain to start a new business, the Spanish lifestyle and the weather here being two huge attractions, but what is the reality?
The cold hard fact is that here  like anywhere else, staring a new business is fraught with pitfalls and a very high percentage of new businesses fail within their first year of trading.
Your idea for your new business might seem infallible to you but will it really work in the real world?
Ask everyone you know and not just your family and close friends who might just agree with you to be nice.
Look at the number of people that try to win competitions like the x factor and when they fail at the auditions their families all cry foul…”what do the judges know”, “they are so wrong!” He/she is a star etc.
The reality is that they shouldn’t have entered in the first place because they are rubbish, but no doubt were urged on by family and friends who made them think that they were brilliant!

Try and find people who are already in the business you choose and ask some questions.
When Richard Branson first thought about setting up Virgin airlines the very first thing he did was invite Sir Freddie Laker for lunch and ask him the hard question, what  did he do wrong, why did Laker Airlines fail!
You must have a passion and knowledge of what you want to do.
The last thing you should do is try to re-invent the wheel, learning about a new product or service will take you loads of valuable time.
You need to know that people will not flood to your door with work for you. Right now we are in a recession and people are spending less on everything, the new kitchen/car/extension etc will simply have to wait.
There is an upside to a recession, suppliers will negotiate on prices, and landlords will negotiate on rents.
OK so you have a product or a service to sell, then you need to ask yourself some questions:
Who will your customers be and how will you reach them.

Who already offers the same thing in the area you want to reach.
How many people have tried and failed?

Research is the keyword here and that may be difficult if you haven’t moved here yet.
If you already live here you need to grab every free and paid newspaper and magazine and see who is doing what and where.
If the market is already full of people doing the same thing as you, when you start your new business you will be a little fish in a big pond.
Be totally honest, what will make you succeed where others aren’t. is the really big question.

Nerjanow has asked local businesses some questions, the answers may help anyone thinking of starting a new business:

The first company is Blue Sky  a Nerja based real estate agent.
Read the interview at:  Business Focus

Despite severe weather warnings (mainly very high winds) for 28 regions of Spain in the national press today, Nerja is fine and sunny but still with that cold wind.
Nerja certainly been lucky even though there has been loads of rain. There has  severe flooding elsewhere along the coast including Malaga, Mijas Costa, Marbella and in the Guadalhorce valley people had to be rescued from their homes when rivers broke the banks.

Nerja’s micro-climate wins again!

do they just like to get out at night to party or maybe just to meet other snails?
Walking along the banks of the Rio Chillar last night (which seems to be coping admirably with the heavy rains)  there were dozens of snails on the footpath, and apart from the original question, I also wonder if can you eat them lol.

Although it is quite windy at least we have some sun today woo hoo

It seems that the government has decided to postpone implementing the blanket smoking ban (apart from bullrings and football stadiums sic) until discussions have taken place with the societies that represent restaurant and bar owners who are concerned that it would result in the closure of many places  resulting loss of many  jobs.
What do you think?
Total smoking Ban or a choice?

Once again the Athletic Club Nerja Cave-Nerja – UMA make the news.
In the of Andalucia Indoor Youth championship held last Sunday  in Seville  they won a total of 18 medals (9 Gold and 9 Bronze)
Of special merit: Sergio Sanz got the double with a Gold in both the 60 and 200 meters. Eve Soto  triple jump, also  Isabel Pérez in the 60 meters, Julia Campra in 1500 meters, Candela  Guijarro high jump and Antonio Joaquin Ramirez and Ines Ivison on polevault.

Amazing!

The origin of  Nerja athletics dates back to the fifties when a group of kids from Nerja decided to participate in the provincial championships. In February of 1957 they became champions of provincial cross crountry , later representing the province of Malaga in Spain in the cross country championships held in Getxo.
Among them was one kid that later became a local celebrity, Francisco Ortega Olalla “Ayo”
The first official participation of Nerja Athletic Club in an official competition took place on January 8, 1984 in the second edition of Cross CAIM in Malaga city.
What started with fifteen or twenty people is now a club with more than 600 athletes!

The procession for the burial started on Plaza de España yesterday and I have got to say it seemed to be the coldest day of the year!
But that didn’t stop a great procession and the sardine was brilliant (in the past I have seen an inflatable dolphin used!)
Burial of The Sardine