Absolute Barcelona Issue 1

October 2009 ISSUE 1

THE IMPORTANCE OF

SEX EVENTS • NEWS • ARTICLES • INTERVIEWS • BUSINESS www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com

WELCOME Welcome to the first edition of the “Absolute Barcelona� magazine. We are proud to present to you a modern, fresh and hip publication. Unlike most similar publications in Barcelona, we aim to offer you a variety of interesting articles, important facts and figures for businesses and entrepreneurs, vital news, events, interviews, as well as a variety of advertisers that cater to all your needs.

Published by Crystal Consulting Spain, S.L. Calle Aribau 114, 08036 Barcelona, Spain Advertising information To advertise in the Absolute Costa del Sol magazine, contact absoluteimperium@gmail.com or visit www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com.

While the publishers endeavor to ensure accurate contents, we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for writers or contributors opinions. Š CCS. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be translated, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without prior written permission from Crystal Consulting Spain, S.L. absoluteimperium@gmail.com

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MONEY TIPS

Top tips to save money

T

he result can be seen like this: With a small income you can save 50€ per month and 600€ per year. It’s good to have 600€ at the end of the year! A higher income may allow you to save 1200€, 1800€, 2400€ or even more per year. It’s cool to have this money at the end of the year.

And it’s very intelligent if you can live well balanced even if you can’t save any money! Or in the worst case you can at least survive without any financial drama.

• Smoke 20% less • Drink 20% less alcohol • Consume 20% less petrol (by driving less, driving slower) • Use 20% less electricity • Reduce 20% the amount of meat and fish that you consume • Choose products that are 20% cheaper • Use 20% less water (when you shower, wash clothes, etc.)

• Reduce heating and A/C costs by 20% (don’t use over long periods of time, and don’t create extreme temperatures) • Use your credit/debit card only when you really need it; at least 20% less • Get cash from the ATM of your bank and save the fees, minimum 20% • Pay all or at least 20% of what your credit card is charged every month • Eat 20% less snacks & drink 20% less beer while watching TV

www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com • October 2009

• Buy 20% less soda/beer/wine (alternatively drinking tea at home) • Go shopping to the local Spanish market • Reduce 20% your monthly pocket money; also that of your kids • Buy 20% less newspapers and magazines • Get a holiday package that is 20% cheaper than the one you had last year • Purchases: spend 20% less money (20% less goods/20% cheaper goods) • Perfume/Toiletry: use 20% less or buy 20% cheaper • Buy 20% less prepared meals (cook your own meals) • When going out, spend 20% less (choose 20% cheaper menus, wine, etc.)

• Use detergents sparingly and you easily save 20% • Use medicine when it is really appropriate and save 20% • Go to a hairdresser, beauty salon, gym that is 20% cheaper • Turn off appliances at home (TV, PC, Radio, etc.) when not used • Watch 20% less TV every day • Use your mobile phone 20% less and / or reduce talking by 20% • Use your computer (e.g. surfing the internet, chatting) 20% less You can find hundreds of practical tips and suggestions on how to survive the crisis in the e-book “Survive the Crisis in Spain”. Order the e-book online: www.SurviveTheCrisisInSpain.com.

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News

Free Daily news via email about Spain in English on www.SpanishNews.es

18m Spaniards earn less than 1,100 Euros a month

A

ccording to a recent study published by the Treasury a whopping 18.3 million Spaniards earn a gross monthly salary below 1,100 euros a month. The figure represents 63 per cent of the total Spanish workforce. The latest figures reveal a 5 per cent increase over the previous study which was carried out in 2006.

The study also revealed how 75 per cent of self-employed workers in Spain also earn a gross monthly salary of less than 1,100 euros a month, a total of 1.6 million businessmen and women and professionals.

The majority of “mileuristas” or

Spain to introduce a total ban on smoking in public places

1000-euro-earners are located in Extremadura, with nearly three quarters of their workers (74.7%), followed by the Canaries (69.1%), Galicia (69%), Andalucia (69.9%), the region of Murcia (68.7%), and Castilla La Mancha (67.4%).

The recently published figures though, are from 2007 – a time when Spain was still not in recession and the unemployment figure was at historic lows of 7.95 per cent. The developments over the past two years, notably the financial crisis and the burst property bubble as well as the soaring unemployment to 18% allows one to predict a huge increase in today’s number of “mileuristas”.

Spain’s Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez announced Monday she plans to implement a total ban on smoking in public places.

In 2006, Spain introduced a smoking ban in workplaces and public places larger than 100 square meters. Most bars and restaurants in Spain, however are rarely over 100 square meters.

This leaves only 40,000 establishments of the total 350,000 bars and restaurants actually smoke free or with separate areas for smokers.

55,000 people die from smokingrelated diseases in Spain every year and, according to the Minister, 70% of the Spanish population are in favour of a total ban.

The other side of the highly debated issue, unveils how stricter bans will be bad for business potentially putting thousands of smaller bars and restaurants out of business.

5,000 bars and restaurants to close after summer Over 5,000 bars and restaurants could close down permanently after the summer, as a consequence of the financial crisis, warns the Unión de Profesionales y Trabajadores Autónomos (Union of Professionals and Self-Employed (UPTA)).

The warning comes as the financial crisis takes its toll on domestic demand, as well as talk of new laws 6

focusing on smoke-free public places, and the rearrangement of beach chiringuitos take on momentum.

The UPTA is strongly criticising government initiatives which are tyring to clampdown on the hospitality industry, saying that this sector will severly be affected by new laws and measures which prohibit smoking.

The Union, warns that 5,000 bars and restaurants are on the verge of closing down permanently, which would result in a direct loss of 40,000 jobs as well as thousands more indirectly.

October 2009 • www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com

BUSINESSES FOR SALE IN BARCELONA Ref. Bar-Cafe-Restaurant BBR1009.

100sqm premises. C3 license. Terrace permit with 12 seats.

Leasehold: 89,000€ Rent: 2,000€ Ref. Bar-Cafeteria BB1506.

250sqm premises. Close to Sants train station. Huge terrace.

Leasehold: 150,000€ Reduced leasehold: 66,000€ Rent: 2,500€ Ref. Cocktail bar-Pub BB1509.

80sqm premises in excellent location. Ideal rent.

Unique opportunity (CRISIS PRICE: 70% DISCOUNT) Leasehold: 190,000€ Reduced leasehold: 60,000€ Rent: 1,000€

Ref. Bar Restaurant BBR1401 200sqm premises in Les Corts. Modern. Two floors.

48 seater terraze. Close to metro station. Strong revenues.

(CRISIS PRICE: 50% DISCOUNT) Leasehold: 480,000€ Reduced leasehold: 250,000€ Rent: 4,000€ Ref. Bar-Restaurant BBR0511 100sqm commercial premises in the heart of Barcelona. Busy area.

Leasehold: 270,000€ Reduced leasehold: 190,000€ Rent: 3,200€ Ref. Bar-Cafeteria-Drinks BBC0406 160sqm commercial premises. Close to Plaza Molina.

Business, offices, residential, shopping area. Two floors. Café upstairs, drinks/cocktails downstairs.

Leasehold: 180,000€ Reduced leasehold: 89,000€ Rent: 1900€

CRYSTAL CONSULTING SPAIN S.L. Businesses for sale in Barcelona: specialists in bars, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels. www.crystalconsulting.net • barcelona@crystalconsulting.net

NEWS

Free Daily news via email about Spain in English on www.SpanishNews.es

No more sex on the beach for holidaymakers Those on a holiday in Spain hoping to get away from safety and health regulations on the beach may not get the holiday from rules they were hoping for as Spanish authorities are calling for better enforcement of regulations and new bylaws.

Some of the new areas that will be enforced include music that is played too loudly, public consumption of alcohol, and amazingly enough, no more sex on the beach unless you are ordering one at the bar.

In fact, the resort of Benidorm in Spain will fine anyone caught having sex on the beach the hefty sum of 750 Euros. To help reduce these occurrences and other rule violations the resort will close the beach area down between midnight and 7 am.

Additionally fines that can be handed out at 300 Euros include violations such as playing a sport outside of the area zoned for sporting, allowing your pet to come to the beach, and using a sunshade at the wrong time of day.

EU the recession is not over yet in Spain According to statistics issued by Joaquin Almunia who is the current European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs the Spanish recession will last until the least the end of this year.

He also predicts that the economy will continue to contract by around 3.8% which is worse than previous estimates by around half a percent. He went on to say that although the recession in Spain was not as bad as in many

New law: tenants to be evicted quicker Property tenants in Spain which don’t pay their rent will find it harder in future. A new law has been passed by

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other parts of Europe it is destined to last considerably longer.

He said the main cause was a massive contraction of the Spanish construction industry.

He went on to say that Spain has suffered the largest increase in job losses in Europe during the first half of the year matching only tiny Slovenia in its unemployment rate.

Congress that will allow a property owner to evict tenants in less than 15 days once the tenant has been given 15 days for a voluntary leave after not having paid the rent.

The new law aims to offer better security and guarantees to property owners and tenants in order to increase the supply of properties on the rental market.

October 2009 • www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com

THE JOY OF SEX

The importance of

sex W

Up to 70 % of all divorces are caused directly or indirectly by a non satisfying sexual life, from wrong sexual attitudes and disinterest in giving the necessary importance to living sex with creativity.

hen we write about sex, we always mean sex with love from the soul. If we are able to talk about our most intimate “dreams”, we are able to live them with the partner. If we feel well with the partner’s exciting sex dreams, we are made to be a couple. If we feel good together about our sexual fantasies, we will be happy together. You want to live all kind of erotic settings, madly in love, making love wherever, whenever and however: to make you happy, to be happy with your partner. Do you want this happiness? Then you are o.k.

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Mind and soul become very rigid if the sexual desire of both partners is not sufficiently satisfied. Our body can easily get sick if we suppress our sexual drive. If you want sex only once or twice a week and always only with a romantic prelude or never with a romantic setting, then your expressions of love is very small. Sometimes an erotic massage or making love smoothly helps to sleep, to calm down, to find peace, to relax, to reconcile, to get rid of nasty thoughts in the mind, to find distance from matters in your daily life, to find strength, to get motivated, to get new drive for daily issues, etc. And: October 2009 • www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com

THE JOY OF SEX

boring sex kills love! When living together in a relationship you will have many situations where having desire to make love “just as it comes”.

The source is always LOVE! You want to feel accepted by your partner and allowed to say “Darling, I need sex now”. If you don’t feel well with that and if you feel unable to say to your partner “darling, I need sex now”, then with the time serious problems will arise. You need to have an equally high interest in living your sexual desire and to feel well with each other talking about it. If you say “I want to make love to you now” or “I need sex now” – then your partner shall say “I am here for you!”

Your sexual desire shall have higher

You need to have an equally high interest in living your sexual desire and to feel well with each other talking about it. importance for your partner than his / her “I am not in a mood”!

In other words say to your partner: “If you are sick, I take care of you.

If you want a tea, I bring you a tea.

If you are hungry, I cook for you. If you need sex, I make you happy. If you want a romantic evening, I want it too. If you need support, I give it to you. If you need consolation, I

www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com • October 2009

console you. If you want to talk, I am listening. If you feel weak, I give you strength. If you have a concern, I deal with it. If you need a strong shoulder, I am here for you. And all this I do at any time 24/7!”

Certainly we express an attitude, a state of mind; nobody can always and at any time be ready for the partner’s wishes, desires, and needs. n 11

PROPERTY ADVICE

Leasehold vs Freehold

When buying a business in Spain, the property holding this business will either be freehold or leasehold. This is called tenure. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Disadvantage: Freehold property is usually more expensive than leasehold to buy.

If you have ample funds to buy a freehold business, you would be better off investing all those funds into a better leasehold business than to tie a substantial part of your capital in the freehold of the property.

FREEHOLD businesses Buying freehold means you acquire ownership of the land and building forever, and are able to do with it as you wish (subject to the law obviously). As specialists in bars, restaurants, nightclubs and hotels, we at Crystal Consulting Spain SL get many enquiries from people who wish to buy a business, yet who are unfamiliar with the advantages and disadvantages of the two types of tenure. Many buyers resolutely set their sights on purchasing a freehold, yet because of their limited capital (and restricted market conditions) are unable to find anything they are capable of buying.

Let’s say you buy a freehold bar and after some time decide you no longer fancy working in the bar, you can then: • rent the premises by selling the business (and charging a leasehold-traspaso for the license, machinery and business).

• rent the premises to a manager (keeping ownership of the license and machinery).

• perform a sale and leaseback (whereby you sell your premises but make an arrangement to rent it back for a good rent for a number of years).

• or sell off both the premises and the business to a new business owner.

Advantages: Property normally appreciates in value over time and so would show on your balance sheet as an increasing fixed asset.

When you sell, you may make a considerable capital gain.

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Leasehold businesses In Spain leasehold is called a “traspaso“. The leasehold sum is the amount of money paid to the existing tenant (business owner), to take over the business. The new owner will then take on the right to re-sell the business whenever he or she desires. In a leasehold operation, the owner of the premises is entitled to a percentage of the traspaso-leasehold paid, this can be from 10% to as high as 25% - different on a case by case basis.

Understandably, given that you are not buying property a leasehold business is much cheaper than freehold and more accessible to most investors.

Advantages: Leasehold property is usually much cheaper to buy.

2 months deposit and a traspaso payment can get you a business (some owners require an aval - bank guarantee).

For the price of one freehold you could buy several leasehold businesses.

Including a purchasing option in the rent agreement could allow you to secure owning the property in the future.

Disadvantage: You can only change the use of the building or make alterations, perhaps even decorate, with the prior approval of the leaseholder so operating in a leasehold property can be far more restrictive.

Leasehold property is actually written off in the balance sheet over the life of the lease and so shows on the balance sheet as a ‘depreciating asset’.

You do not own the “bricks and mortar”.

Generally speaking, both freehold and leasehold premises are viable options and will depend on both the personal situation of a business investor and the market they are looking at.

October 2009 • www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com

ABSOLUTE

www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com • October 2009

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WHERE TO GO…

What to do in winter Museu del Llibre Frederic Marès (Biblioteca de Catalunya) Hospital, 56. Tel. 93 270 2300

Caputxins de Sarrià – Museu Etnogràfic Andino Amazònic Cardenal Vives i Tutó, 16. Tel. 93 204 3458

Museu de les Arts Aplicades Museu de Ceràmica Museu de les Arts Decoratives Avda Diagonal, 686 Tel. 93 280 1621

Museu de les Arts Decoratives – Gabiner de les Arts Gràfiques Avda Marques de Comillas, 13-27

Fundació Antoni Tapies

Museu Tèxtil i d’Indumentària

Aragó, 255 Tel. 93 487 0315

Montcada, 12-14 Tel. 93 319 7603

Museu d’Història de Catalunya

Fundació Joan Miró

Pl Pau Vila, 3 Tel. 93 225 4700

Avda Miramar, 1 Tel. 94 443 9470

Institut del Teatre – Centre de Documentació i Museu de les Arts Escèniques Pl Margarida Xirgu, 1 Tel. 93 227 3900

MACBA – Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona

Museu d’Història de la Ciutat Centre d’Interpretació del Park Güell Olot, 7 Tel. 93 285 6899

Conjunt Monumental de la Plaça del Rei Pl Rei, 7-9 Tel. 93 319 0222

Museu Casa Verdaguer

Pl Àngels, 1 Tel. 93 412 0810

Ctra Església, 104 Tel. 93 204 7805

Museu Barbier - Mueller d’Art Precolombi

Bda Monestir, 9 Tel 93 203 9282

Museu Monestir de Pedralbes

Montcada 14 Tel. 93 310 4516

Museu Diocesà de Barcelona

Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya

Av Catedral, 4 Tel. 93 315 2213

Pg Santa Madrona, 39-41 Tel. 93 424 6577

Museu Etnològic

Museu de Ciències Naturals de la Ciutadella Pg Picasso, 5 Tel. 93 319 6912

Museu de Geologia Pg Picasso, 7

Museu de Zoologia

Pg Santa Madrona, 16-22 Tel. 93 424 6402

Museu Etnològic Poble Espanyol Av Marques de Comillas, 13-27

Museu Frederic Marès Pl Sant Iu, 6 Tel. 93 310 5800

Museu i Centre d’Estudis de l’Esport Doctor Melcior Colet

Pg Picasso, 5 Tel. 93 319 6895

Buenos Aires, 56-58 Tel. 93 419 2232

Museu de la Guàrdia Urbana

Av Drassanes, 1 Tel. 93 342 9920

Guàrdia Urbana, 3 Tel. 93 291 5021

Museu de la Música C F Zona Franca, 22 Tel 93 263 1349

Museu Marítim de Barcelona Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya Mirador Palau Nacional, 6-10 Tel. 93 622 0376

Museu Picasso Montcada, 15-23 Tel. 93 319 310

Facts & Figures: BARCELONA population Barcelona is Spain’s second most inhabited city.

In 2007, according to city council statistics, the population is 1.595.110, from which 755.370 are male and 839.740 are female.

Together with the nearest 36 small tows and villages the population counts 3.161.081 residents (2007). In total the Barcelonaoriented extended area counts 4.841.365 inhabitants.

The population of foreigners in Barcelona is still increasing and counts now in total 17.3%, in figures: 280.817 foreign residents (January 2007). 2007 the population increased by

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Foreigner in the following areas are: Ciutat Vella: 39.7%; Sants-Montjuïc: 19%; Eixample: 17.2%; Sarrià-Sant Gervasi: 11.40%; Horta-Guinardó: 12.5%

11.97%, in figures: 30.028 people.

These foreigners are from: Countries from the EU: 25% = around 70.200 EU-expats; Latin-American countries: 46%; Asia: 16%; África: 8% The most relevant Nationalities are: Ecuadorians: 22.943; Italians: 20.843; Bolivians: 18.759; Pakistanis: 15.966; Peruvians: 15.240; Moroccans: 13.998; Colombians: 13.998; Chinese: 12.938; French: 12.557; Argentines: 9.992; Brazilians: 9.007; Dominicans: 7.101 ; Germans: 7.070; Philippines: 7.023; Rumanians: 6.733; British: 5.993

In around 30% of all births in Barcelona the father or the mother is a foreigner. In 18% of cases, both, father and mother, are foreigners.

In the year 2000 around 7% were “mixed” couples (father or mother foreigner) and 6.7% father and mother foreigners.

October 2009 • www.AbsoluteBarcelona.com