4Business Magazine - Issue 1

COSTA DEL SOL Issue No.1

GLOBAL MAGAZINE

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Contents

GLOBAL MAGAZINE

The International Global Network Magazine for Business Professionals

Business Brief

Pages 4 - 5

Online

Pages 6 - 8

Publisher:

Sue McClellan

Tel: +34 625 908 621 sue@4businessglobal.com

Editor:

Interview

Page 9

Legal Matters

Pages 11 - 13

Finance

Pages 16 - 29

Property

Pages 30 - 31

Lifestyle

Pages 32 - 41

Marketing

Pages 42 - 50

Georgina Shaw

Tel: +34 685 719 136 georgina@shawmarketingservices.com

Graphic Design Art Director:

Graham Denison / Denison Design

Tel: + 34 690 858 969 info@denisonart.com

Sales Director: Dave Edwards

Tel: + 34 652 153 608 dave@4businessglobal.com

Company Name: 4 Business Global International.

Trading as: 4 Business Networking,

Franchising

Page 52

4 Business Global Magazine, 4 Business Franchising.

Contact details: Office Tel: +34 952 781379 UK Office Tel: +44 (0)1565 745 050 Email: info@4businessglobal.com The publisher strives to make sure that all content is correct, we cannot accept responsibility for errors, defects or omissions. 4Business Global Magazine cannot accept responsibility for claims, goods or services of our advertisers. The views of the contributors within do not always reflect the views of the publisher or editor. Prices and products contained within are subject to change without prior notice. The design and layout within are protected under international copyright laws. No part of this publication can be reproduced, printed or copied in any way without prior written consent of 4Business Global International.

Letters

Pages 58 - 59

Executive Jobs

Member directory

Page 61 Pages 62 - 63

Š 4Business Global International

www.4businessglobal.com

4Business Global Magazine

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Business Brief

The NEWS

Premier Networking organisation B2B Costanetworking rebranded in December to 4 Business International

Business Women thriving on the Internet While it’s true that women still struggle to secure the top jobs in the corporate world, it seems that they are blazing a trail online.

The Sunday Times Style Magazine reported in September that many women are relishing the flexible hours, low-start up costs and level playing field that online businesses allow. This is leading to a large number of new businesses blossoming on the internet, where women can combine their family and business commitments more easily and avoid the “boy’s network” mentality which is still apparent in many offline businesses.

The company will have 3 structures: 4Business Networking - 4Business Global Magazine and - 4Business Franchising 4B Networking will continue to operate along the coast of the Costa del Sol and along with the existing La Cala and Puerto Banus Circles has now opened its Estepona circle.

With two more circles planned in Benalmadena and Sotogrande by end February 2010.

The launch of this 4B Global Business Magazine will provide an extra level of support for the business community.

4 Business International are proud to announce their franchising department, and will offer franchise advice and facilities to businesses wishing to grow their business by way of franchising.

4B franchising currently franchise the: • 4B Global Magazine.

• Key To Mijas Costa Magazine.

• The Best Of website • Linekers Sports Bars Further information on 4B meetings, 4B Advertising and 4B franchising can be found on our website www.4businessglobal.com or by telephone 652 153 608

Marbella Town hall works hard to encourage tourism To protect the important tourism sector, Marbella Town hall has implemented a range of initiatives to promote the area and encourage more investment. They are working on a very limited budget so have decided to go for a cost-effective PR strategy based around a series of events.

José Luis Hernández, Councillor for Tourism and Foreigners Department, explained to the B2B meeting in September that the promotion they undertook for summer 2009 has already seen good results. The Davis Cup Quarter Final in Puerto Banus generated 10 million Euros in direct investment into the restaurants, bars, hotels, shops and businesses in the area. They also launched the Marbella Food and Sun gastronomic festival which ran over several days and highlighted the excellent produce and restaurants in the region.

Marbella is also being promoted as a location for filming as well as a perfect place for launching products such as cars and luxury goods. Amongst the range of promotional activities being undertaken, Marbella Town Hall is working with golf courses to help them to more effectively promote themselves, funding

company name board. Seminar space and other marketing solutions are also available. If you would like to promote your company at either or both of these events, please email info@andalusian-events.com for a booking form and more information.

overseas business trips and generally working alongside local businesses to help them and the city flourish. Look out for the upcoming online public awareness campaign, to praise Marbella as the ideal place to live and develop a professional career. The key message will be “you can lead a better life in Marbella”, something which professionals working here wholeheartedly support.

Help Marbella Town Hall cater for ex-pat businesses Jose Luis Hernandes, the Councilor for Tourism, Foreigners and employment in the Marbella Town Hall is setting up a business community “Think Tank” responsible for developing the relationship and integration of the foreign business community in Marbella to bring the two parties together for the mutual benefit of both.

This can only be a positive thing for businesses and residents of the Costa del Sol! If you would be interested in having your say and joining the Think Tank please contact Mr. Hernándes’ secretary Rocío Recuero T: 952 77 14 42 / 952 86 89 77 E-mail: secretaria.turismo@marbella.es

Business & Careers Show 2010 looking for exhibitors Event company Andalusian Events are launching their new concept to bring together the business community on the Costa del Sol under one roof. This show will allow businesses to promote their products and services, network, learn from top professionals and explore new business and career opportunities. There will be two showcase events, the first at the Palacio de Congresos in Estepona on 29-31 January and the second inland at Sol Andalusi Health and Spa Resort, Alhaurin de la Torre on 12-14 March 2010.

Stand costs are €960 for a 4mx3m space and €765 for a 3mx3m space; including shell scheme, power supply spot lights and a

On the Costa del Sol women are also doing well online. Founder of the Best of Marbella, Maria Petrak was picked as one of the top 101 women bloggers to watch in 2009 according to WE Magazine in the USA. She is working hard to develop the site into an invaluable resource for businesses and individuals on the Costa. The Best of Marbella is a website that promotes selected businesses, services, venues, events, social, clubs and associations and the cosmopolitan lifestyle we enjoy on the Costa del Sol. Take a look at www.thebestofmarbella.com and www.thebestofmarbella.blogspot.com

New Recruitment Company launches in Gibraltar SRG is Gibraltar’s newest recruitment agency, offering a high quality service to companies and job seekers in the sectors of Accounting and Financial Services, IT and Gaming.

What makes SRG different is their specialist and targeted recruitment style, personal approach and commitment to matching the right person with the right job. Their experienced consultants have an in-depth understanding of their market place, knowledge of the employers and available positions and an excellent network of contacts throughout Gibraltar.

SRG are looking to fill a number of Customer Service positions with native speakers of Czech, Greek, Italian, French, German, Chinese, Hebrew and English. They are also looking for Accounting staff, Trust Administrators, Financial Services and Personal Insurance staff and candidates with experience in the online gaming industry. To find out more contact SRG: Tel: (+350) 21621111 Email:info@srgibraltar.com Web:www.srgibraltar.com

Festival Internacional de Arte Marbella 2010 Next year’s art festival will take place over a four day period from 17 – 20 June in the very heart of Marbella. The 2009 Festival was an unequivocal success. An estimated 20,000 visitors took part and sales of 200,000 Euros were achieved.

In 2010 over 100 selected artists - painters, photographers and sculptors - will take part, supported by a dazzling array of live performances of music dance and theatre targeted at all ages.

To achieve our goal of making the Festival an annual cultural event, we need the help of the business community. Sponsorship will bring a host of promotional and networking opportunities to the participating companies. For details of the sponsorship opportunities contact Caroline 677167310 or email: festivalartemarbella@gmail.com

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Online

The word on the WEB

Breaking the link rules according to Google

Excessive reciprocal links or excessive link exchanging (”Link to me and I’ll link to you.”)

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last few years you will have no doubt heard about, been asked for, considered buying or given out a link from your site or blog. Many people talk about the value of these links, but it can be hard to define exactly what their value is.

This type of linking used to work but means nothing now. A few years ago there existed a massive amount of FREE directories that listed businesses or services and you simply added in the listing details and then they gave you some code that you inserted on your site creating a free link back to them. This no longer works.

Google has a nice bunch of pages telling you all about links and what they mean and explaining the do’s and don’ts of it all in nice webmaster speak so everyone can understand it… or not.

The only people who will have read those pages are web developers and SEOs (Search Engine Optimisers) who need to understand the linking policy of Google in order to make educated decisions on where, how and when to link out and get links in without breaking the Google Terms of Service, or getting what is affectionately known as a “Google Slap” (rankings on search results suffer) or even an outright ban.

http://www.

Examples of link schemes can include:

However, it’s important for business-people to also understand these rules so that you aren’t penalised for something with breaks Google’s rules. Let’s try and break it down here into simple terms to help you comply.

Link Schemes according to Google

Many of these types of sites can be disguised very well and arguments still exist in regards the meaning and use of spamming, but it still exists, can be very hard to spot and people are still making money from it.

* Links intended to manipulate PageRank * Links to web spammers or bad neighborhoods on the web * Excessive reciprocal links or excessive link exchanging (”Link to me and I’ll link to you.”) * Buying or selling links that pass PageRank”

“Your site’s ranking in Google search results is partly based on analysis of those sites that link to you. The quantity, quality, and relevance of links count towards your rating. The sites that link to you can provide context about the subject matter of your site, and can indicate its quality and popularity.”

This is the bad bit. Basically it says “Don’t create links artificially” and try to manipulate the system. Let’s have a look at each bullet point.

So back links and links are what help determine your position in Google based on the site that the link is coming from. Basically if BBC or CNN link to you it’s happy days and if the link comes from a related issue or matter it’s even better. In other words if you write about cars, you want the BBC to link to you from their car section not the cuisine section, which obviously makes the most sense. This is a powerful reason for generating interesting content and distributing it to online news sources.

All links affect your site but if you go out and create 50 sites and then link them all back to your main site that’s artificial. Not really a problem for legitimate business or people as they don’t have the time, budget, resources or expertise to instigate this type of “link farm” but there are people who can and do. Are they caught? Not always. Do they care? Nope they don’t. Does it work for them? Probably (until it stops working)

The thing is, you can swap links with close associates and friends but not in excess. What’s excessive? No idea, I don’t have that many friends I guess so I can’t say, but Google do have “secret” filters in place to catch websites that have 5 links one day and 5000 the next, so make sure your link building is organic and gradual.

When Paid links are OK “Not all paid links violate our guidelines. Buying and selling links is a normal part of the economy of the web when done for advertising purposes, and not for manipulation of search results. Links purchased for advertising should be designated as such.”

Although this is slightly repetitive, it does expand a little on why Google don’t want paid links and how they recognise that advertising is a legitimate form of paid links. The last paragraph shows how they want these types of advertising handled. * Adding a rel=”nofollow” attribute to the <a> tag * Redirecting the links to an intermediate page that is blocked from search engines with a robots.txt file Continued overleaf

Buying or selling links that pass PageRank This one point is the real smacker. There are various types of links and according to this statement Google do not mind you advertising someone else’s website on your own and vice versa provided that the intent is not to pass PageRank and benefit the receiving site in terms of organic listings as a consequence. In other words, they don’t want you to receive money for adding link benefit to another site and helping it obtain better organic or natural search results.

Links intended to manipulate PageRank

Links to web spammers or bad neighborhoods on the web However, some webmasters engage in link exchange schemes and build partner pages exclusively for the sake of cross-linking, disregarding the quality of the links, the sources, and the longterm impact it will have on their sites. This is in violation of Google’s webmaster guidelines and can negatively impact your site’s ranking in search results.

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Ok, don’t put links on your site that point at, recommend or lead people to sites that are bad. What are bad sites? Sites that promote things like hacking, spamming or such like and basically break the rules or laws. The issue is here, that Google has one view of what a “bad” site is and we have another.

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The answer apparently is to get them for free by writing and producing good quality content and advice. This means releasing press releases, articles and comments to well-respected sites and hoping they will be picked up. Of course this takes investment in producing the content and distributing it and even then, there is no guarantee that it will be of enough interest to people who do see it to give you that all important link. There are websites which distribute press releases for you such as PRWeb and article sites such as Ezinearticles which can help take the pressure off businesses. Forums and business networks such as Linked-In can also enable us to get links out there, but unfortunately it is a time-intensive and gradual process now that Google has cracked down on link exchange.

Author: Justin Parks Company Name: Independent Social Media Consultant Justin has extensive experience in online strategy implementation, project management, design, social media, seo and branding for business online.

You can contact: info@justinparks.com or call (0034) 617 325 727

www.magazine.4businessglobal.com www.magazine.4businessglobal.c

inessglobal.com www.networking.4businessglobal.com www.networking.4businessglobal.co us al.com www.franchising.4businessglobal.com www.franchising.4businessglobal.co

So the difficulty for a lot of us is how do we get these links? We can’t buy them, we can’t reciprocate and we can’t sell them, so what’s the answer?

The Website for Business Professionals

www.4businessglobal.com

m www.networking.4businessglobal.com www.networking.4b

Advertising makes websites profitable, but if you announced that all the adverts on the site do NOT include a beneficial link to the advertisers site what would you lose in terms of advertising revenue? A little, a lot, or would you be laughed out of the park?

www.magazine.4businessglobal.com om

nessglobal.com www.networking.4businessglobal.com www.networking.4businessglobal.co usi

Why this puts us in a difficult position

www.franchising.4businessglobal.com www.franc

ing.4businessglobal.com www.franchising.4businessglobal.com www.franchising his

That’s all well and good, but just how many people actually know how to do this properly? It’s coding after all and the aforementioned SEOs and Webmasters are the guys who handle the websites. Internet surfers, amateur (and sometimes pro) bloggers and business people will have no idea what any of this means, never mind how to do it.

m

www.magazine.4businessglobal.com www.magazine.4businessglobal.co

Right. So if I mention someone on my site, who have paid me to be there, then I should follow these instructions in order to deny them the benefit of my site’s PageRank and helping them to move higher for their own target keywords.

m www.networking.4businessglobal.com www.networking.4b

usinessglobal.com www.franchising.4businessglob .4b

cont. . .

m www.magazine.4businessglobal.com

Online

In the HOTSEAT

interview

New Business Profile – WaynesWorld This section of the magazine will focus on a new and exciting business on the Costa del Sol each month. For our first issue we are looking at WaynesWorld, an online social networking site and a global brand for lifestyle, business and creativity, which is being officially launched early in 2010. You can take a look at www.waynesworld.com The team behind this new concept hope that WaynesWorld will become “your life online”, which sounds like an ambitious claim! We spoke to Vincent Quantinet, Advertising Director of WaynesWorld to find all about it.

4B Magazine – Hi Vincent, thanks for talking to us about your new venture. What made you set up WaynesWorld?

Vincent - WaynesWorld was conceived through the fated meeting of two visionaries in the fall 2008, Patrick King and Wayne Lineker. Their idea was to create a community site embracing next generation concepts and technologies. From this bespoke platform, anyone could seamlessly control almost every aspect of their lives - whether it be personal or professional.

4B Magazine – Would you say the site will be predominantly for business users or for social users?

Vincent - Thanks to its multi-profile platform, WaynesWorld answers the needs of both social and business users and offers a complete range of solutions for every type of user.

4B Magazine – There’s obviously a lot of competition online. How will WaynesWorld be different from other social networking sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn? Vincent - This is something that we asked ourselves when WaynesWorld was just an idea. We identified a huge gap in the ever-growing online market as an alternative to Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, LinkedIn and many other social and business networking platforms. None of the above have found a consistent revenue stream, neither have they attempted to integrate a complete online solution for people who wish to operate their personal and professional lives on one single platform.

We undertook a lot of research and debated at great length before we decided to embark on this project, deducing that it would be absolutely pointless to spend considerable sums of money only to offer a clone of existing online networks. We knew we had to build on their success AND offer something original.

With the WaynesWorld project, we have achieved what they said was not possible; we have devised the complete online solution. WaynesWorld: • will be the first ever social and business networking platform which will encompass every aspect of your life integrated within one sole platform • will be the first networking site to have a groundbreaking three profiles (Intimate, Personal, and Professional.) All are seamlessly controlled by the user, who will be the architect of their own social, professional and private life • goes beyond the conventional to bring you the next generation of social and business interaction online.

The options and possibilities to maximise your personal and professional life is unlimited.

4B Magazine – Sounds great, how do our readers become a part of it?

Vincent - The great thing about WaynesWorld is that it is an exclusive solution open to anyone! Anyone can join and become a part of the phenomena. It's going to be the biggest online party in the world and everyone has an invitation!

WaynesWorld itself offers the user the opportunity to become a part of the phenomena in several ways. Firstly, we are inviting them to contribute to our marketing strategy and become a part of the global buzz... This could be simply by participating in the renowned 'W' gesture for the WaynesWorld gallery or something more elaborate. For example, in future weeks we will be asking our ever-growing and receptive audience to express their creativity by daring them to make more imaginative and innovative contributions via other media platforms. We will be running a competition inviting contributions for a viral marketing video - with the winning video being adopted as our official marketing video. Not only does this give the winners the opportunity to display their talents to an unrivalled online audience, it optimises opportunities and inspires creative and productive thinking!

4 Business - Thanks for your time Vincent, What are your contact details if people want to find out more?

Vincent - We encourage you to log on to www.waynesworld.com, discover the ‘W Gallery’ and upload your ‘W’ image, already a cult phenomenon. You can also find more information about the launch and give us your feedback.

Otherwise, for further information or advertising enquiries, do not hesitate to contact me: Vincent Quantinet Advertising Director vincent@waynesworld.com

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You & The LAW The legal implications of setting up a business in Spain

By: Irwin Mitchell Abogados José María de Lorenzo, Managing Partner of Irwin Mitchell Abogados and Partner of Irwin Mitchell in the UK, provides a brief insight for UK businesses into some of the legal considerations when doing business in Spain.

Even in a globalised market, trading in a foreign country can become a difficult task. The Spanish market is no exception.

Considering its corporate regulations, protective labour law, changes in the taxation regime and the application of local and national funds, Spain is an attractive market to invest in.

However, good knowledge of the legal system is needed in order to succeed with your venture.

The different type of companies and legal forms which you could use to set up your business, include becoming self employed or a Spanish Capital Company.

In most of the cases, the decision about the legal form depends on the • business type • number of employees • access to finance • licences and the administrative authorisations required to trade legally • business turnover and tax implications Depending on the type of company you opt for, the requirements that should be complied with are different.

Becoming Self Employed An identification number for foreigners (NIE) must be obtained and it is compulsory to register with the Tax Authorities and Social Security System if you become self employed. Trading licences and administrative authorisations should then be granted. It is also recommended that you take out an insurance policy for civil liability.

Please note the self employed are liable for all business actions.

Unlimited liability covers all personal assets without any limitation of quantity.

Legal Matters

• appointed the company’s body of administration • company registration from the Tax Authorities (IAE) • obtained the corresponding Trading Number (CIF) • registered with the Corporate Office and the Social Security Office.

Similar to being self employed it’s also compulsory for companies to have the correct trading licences, administrative authorisations and insurance policies.

For most companies, the liability is limited to the value of start-up capital, whereby, personal wealth of each partner is not affected. Spanish law states that a company director may have responsibility for the management and direction of the company’s daily activity. To avoid any liability, they have to carry out their duties with diligence and respect for all partners.

Withholding taxes, VAT and Tax returns are also responsibilities of the company.

Once the company is set up, employment of staff maybe the next step. The Spanish Labour Regime is very bureaucratic and quite protective of employees. A detailed labour plan including continuity of supervision is important in order to avoid uncomfortable situations with the employees.

Other aspects that could also affect the daily running and future of the business include; industrial property rights, software licences, data protection, public contracting and town planning.

Being proactive in all these areas could help make a successful and profitable venture.

Author Details: José María de Lorenzo, Managing Partner of Irwin Mitchell Abogados.

If you have a business in Spain or are considering setting one up and would like no obligation legal advice on any of the issues discussed in this article please contact us on 0870 1500100 or email us at: imabogadosirwinmitchell.es.

Setting up a company The most common type of company is the Sociedad Anónima (Public Limited Company) and Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (Limited Liability Company).

To set up a company you are required to have: • initial share capital, transferred by shareholders • the correct preparation of the company’s articles of association • an incorporation public deed to be granted before a public notary

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Legal Matters

Recruitment FACTS

Recruitment: How to make it work for you One of my favourite self-development gurus Brian Tracey taught me a useful phrase many years ago: “failing to plan is planning to fail”. He probably pinched it from someone else as seems to be the habit of gurus generally but he had lots of these phrases which I refer to as tee-shirt philosophy. They are blinding flashes of the obvious which could conveniently be printed on a tee-shirt. In the case of recruiting someone new for your team, if you fail to do it properly by not planning, the repercussions can haunt you for years.

Many leaders in Human Resource Management will tell you that interviewing will help you recruit the perfect person in about 50% of cases. Some candidates are blindingly brilliant at interviewing but don’t deliver the goods once they start the job.

Some employees become disenchanted and leave. In other cases the expectations of employer and/or employee are not met, a good reason for the employer not to over-sell the role in interview.

Putting world of recruiting into perspective, unless you are a human resources practitioner where recruitment is your full time job, you are unlikely to be taking on more than 2-4 people for your business in a year. So for most managers the skills involved in recruitment are used rarely. Furthermore, most people agree that such is the volume of day-to-day work activity that time for planning is scarce. The day job takes over and you are left to grab 5 minutes to read the applicant’s CV just before you walk into the interview room. Not ideal!

-based tests. Having a third party doing this on your behalf can be very useful. Incidentally, completing questionnaires is really good to help with the formation of development plans for those people who have a longer term future in your business.

So to you managers who are recruiting a few questions: Do you have people working for you who you wish you had not recruited? What are you doing about it? What are you doing to ensure that it does not happen again?

Author Details: Ray Jardine Quad Group Recruitment www.quadconsultancy.com 00350 200 44517 Executive Coaching, Training and Interim Management www.quadlearning.com 0044 7827442657

It is possible to boost the chances of success at interview. You can use your competence lists to design some competencebased interview questions or use psychometric tools to analyse candidate’s preferences.

For senior or critical roles I recommend interviews and an assessment centre. Assessment centres are usually a combination of questionnaires and individual and sometimes team exercises. They’re not cheap, but you have a better chance of employing the right person.

The Recruitment Process Your key performer just resigned and you start to panic at their departure, or your business is growing and you decide that you need a new member of staff. Where do you begin?

When we are recruiting for Quad Consultancy, my concern during a job interview is for cultural fit, team fit, transferable skills and the potential to develop greater skills. If I recruit intelligent and street wise people with good interpersonal skills, I can teach them the knowledge that they need to perform the role. It may be different in your business but consider your own experience with recruitment, why did employees fail? What was the cost to productivity? What could have been done differently to make a success of it?

Firstly, is there a job description? When was it updated? Does it reflect the content of the job as it stands? If you don’t have a job description, I find that the best way to produce one is to think about the outputs of a job. What are the measurable outcomes of this role without compromises in an ideal world? Then prioritise the list. Any more than 7 key outputs are probably too many.

Look at your ideal list of job outputs and think about what skills knowledge and attitudes that the role will require. These three components represent the competencies that an applicant would have to demonstrate to be successful in the role.

You may not have the required in-house skills to run psychometric testing or assessment centres. However it is possible to outsource this to a qualified practitioner. A further option is to put your candidates forward to complete a series of paper-

So at this stage you have a list of job outputs and alongside it a list of competencies required by the lucky candidate. Now before getting advertising, is there anyone on your succession plan who would benefit from doing the job? What do you mean you don’t have a succession plan?

There are benefits from promoting internally apart from reduced costs. It can be good for the morale of all employees if they are aware that it is possible to progress in your company. Secondly you know all about an existing employee’s ability, where they will need help and support and how you will be required to direct them. This generally is a safer bet that appointing someone that you have met twice in an interview situation.

How to find the best candidate when recruiting I have noticed that most managers when interviewing are concerned with the candidate’s knowledge and experience. On the face of it this seems wise after all most employers would like their new recruit to “hit the ground running”. But consider this; generally speaking people don’t fail in roles because they are unintelligent, unqualified, inarticulate or not able. They fail because they don’t fit the prevailing company culture, they have an inappropriate attitude or they are badly managed. Knowledge is easy to obtain and train. Skills are rather more difficult to train as people have to practise them to get to a good standard.

Changing attitudes is much tougher.

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Finance

Taking ACCOUNT

Self–employment in Spain If you are thinking about starting up in business in Spain, you need to think carefully about the implications from a compliance point of view. Many people get carried away, starting up a project they are passionate about without taking the necessary time to carry out research into the Spanish environment or even without seeking professional advice.

Europe has been working towards harmonization for several decades now; however, individual countries can take quite different approaches to the amount of compliance obligations imposed on businesses.

Once you have considered the options available to engage in business in Spain, if you have concluded that self-employment is the best way for you, this is what you should expect:

a self-employed individual. From the moment you register you will be liable to pay your monthly national insurance contributions.

Registration

Ensure you are well informed before commencement

Before you start trading, you need to inform the tax office that you will be commencing a business activity. This is done via a census return; in that document you will inform the tax office of the following: • Name, address and identification number • Date of commencement of trade • Description of activity to be carried out • Whether your activity is subject to VAT or falls under one of the special categories • The type of profit calculation and taxation system applicable to your trade (some trades fall within business modules that are taxed at fixed rates regardless of volume of business) • Whether you are obliged to present quarterly returns on your profits to date • Whether you have business premises, and if so disclose full details • Whether you will be importing or exporting and as such wish to be registered on the EU traders list It is essential that you do register before any activity takes place, even before you start generating sales, as any expenses incurred prior to registration will not be tax allowable in respect of your business profits. You are also obliged by law to notify the tax office of your commencement of trade on the first day of your activity. If you fail to do this you may be subject to a fine.

The second element of your registration is to notify the social security office of your commencement of trade, and register as a self-employed individual. From the moment you register you

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Many of the surprises and frustrations arising when starting in business in Spain for the first time arise due to a lack of awareness regarding the local compliance system. Make sure you have understood all the aspects that are relevant to your particular trade before you start; this will be the best way to ensure a trouble free commencement. Much of the information included on our website: www.roseandclavel.com aims to tackle this issue and hopefully should answer many of your questions.

However, if in doubt always ask, as obtaining quality professional advice will play a key role in your chances of success.

You may be interested to know that there are governmental organizations which have implemented programs designed to support many different initiatives, such as self-employment, employment creation, innovation, equal opportunities, business improvement and growth. There are a number of grants that may be applicable to your particular circumstances. Throughout the year there are opportunities to apply for some of these grants.

In the case of individuals who are considering becoming self-employed, for some types of grant it is important that any grant application is made prior to the commencement of trade.

Accounting records As an individual, you are not obliged to maintain records which include a balance sheet. Your minimum obligation is to maintain records of all your sales and business expenses; in a way that meets the required standards. Of course, even though you are not obliged to maintain a balance sheet, you may benefit from it as it will help you manage your business more effectively. In particular, if the volume of transactions is high and you either buy or sell on credit.

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Finance

Cont. Taking

ACCOUNT

used to making payments on account in your home country only twice a year. However, you may appreciate the benefits of this system as you are less likely to face large tax bills on an annual basis. A simple example of your quarterly tax return would look as follows: Quarterly return € Accumulated sales 1,000 Accumulated costs 100 Profit to date 900 20% on account due 180 Retentions suffered to date -150 Amount payable 30

Withholding tax on your sales In some instances, your corporate clients will be obliged to withhold some of your fees which will then be paid over to the tax office as income tax on your behalf. Let’s consider a simple example: Your Invoice Fees VAT @ 16% IRPF @ 15% Total

€ 1,000 160 -150 1,010

Your agreed fee Output VAT on your sales Your income tax deduction Amount receivable

The standard rate of withholding tax in Spain for professional sole traders is 15%, however, during your first two years you may opt for 7% retention instead. Beware, for start-ups with a high volume of costs, this option will help your cash flow availability and thus your chances of success. However, if your cost base is low, opting for the 7% will lead to greater payments on account when the quarter comes to an end. Our advice is that if your profit margins are high and you are have difficulties setting money aside to pay your taxes, it is better to suffer a 15% retention as any balancing payments due will inevitably be lower.

Quarterly obligations As any other business you will need to report to the tax office on a quarterly basis by filing the relevant returns including VAT, IRPF or informative returns. In addition to the general obligations that apply to all businesses, regardless of their legal form, you may be obliged to file a return disclosing your accumulated profits for the current year. Meeting the deadlines set by the tax office is essential as any late filing will lead to a fine and interest charges.

Income Tax payments on account Generally, when a profit has been made, you will need to pay the tax office 20% of these reported profits as a payment on account of your personal income tax. This may come as a surprise if you were

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Year end Once the year has come to an end, you will have to file a personal income tax return.

This return will combine all of your sources of income, including your business profits, and all of the tax reliefs you are entitled to as any other resident individual.

When your final tax liability for the year has been ascertained through this process, you will either have to make a balancing payment or request a tax refund.

A balancing payment will arise if your tax liability is greater than any payments on account already made through the system noted above. Bear in mind that the maximum payment on account suffered will have amounted to 20% of your business profits, and that the higher earners in Spain are taxed up to 43%.

A refund may be requested if the withholding tax suffered exceeded your liability once other reliefs, such as mortgage costs, have decreased your taxable base leading to an effective rate of tax below 20%.

Deregistration When the time comes to discontinue your business activity it is necessary to inform both the tax office and the social security authorities. Should you fail to do so, these organisations will expect you to continue to comply with your obligations, and as such, if you don’t manage things correctly, fines and penalties may arise.

Don’t forget Even when you have deregistered correctly, you will still remain responsible for submitting the annual summary and informative returns due in the first quarter of the year following the termination of trade.

It is always advisable to seek professional advice prior to deciding how to go about doing business in Spain. The more you understand the system the more likely it is that you will not suffer the frustration commonly suffered by many new businesses. As well as avoiding potential barriers and problems for your business, you will ultimately increase your chances of succeeding with that idea about which you are so passionate, here in the sun!

Author: Susana Serrano-Davey – Rose & Clavel Chartered Accountants www.roseandclavel.com Tel: 952 81 53 65.

Finance

Private BANKING so, and you will be forced to either deal with someone on the phone in a far-off country, or look for another bank. The wealthier you are, of course, the more likely someone will come to visit you, wherever you are.

Private banks should be judged on the level of service they give you. If you are not happy with this you should change the bank. They market themselves on the basis of the sound relationships they enjoy with their clients and claim the level of service they can offer is one of the key factors that differentiate them from retail banks. Therefore if they are not delivering on this, you should look somewhere else.

Private Banking Private banking services now more currently known as “Wealth Management” are designed to suit the requirements of those wealthier-than-average individuals whom banks consider are worth investing more time in. This can vary widely from bank to bank and will also depend to a large extent on how much business you as an individual can potentially bring a bank.

They can offer you a wide range of services, from the basic components of retail banking like credit cards and deposit accounts, all the way up to finance for your business, offshore asset protection structures and sophisticated investment products. The following gives you a description of the different levels of wealth management.

Premier service banking Some banks have successfully developed a 'premier' service for the international client who has slightly more sophisticated requirements than standard retail banking can provide. This is frequently the best place to start when looking for a decent private banking service, as you may find you get all you need.

Many of these banks give their clients access to their accounts via the internet or telephone, where the majority of their standard banking needs can be met. The need to physically visit the bank is minimal.

These banks have successfully upgraded many of the features they have been developing for domestic clients and adapted them for use by others. If all you are really after is a higher standard of service, cheque book, debit card and perhaps a couple of offshore savings accounts, in different currencies, these banks are more likely to be for you.

Family offices Family offices are established to service the banking and wealth management needs of a specific family. When families inherit money or a share in a family business, it is frequently more secure and economic for all investment and estate planning activities to be coordinated from a central location, namely a family office.

They will do the liaison between the client and the various banks/company structures involved.

Some family offices manage the assets of more than one family.

They are generally smaller than private banks, but specialise in the same range of products and services.

Private banks do create their own family offices, designed to manage the portfolios of their biggest family clients (usually with investable assets in excess of US$250m or currency equivalent), but these are not family offices in the truest sense, more, in the words of one private banking consultant, "just a new marketing label”.

Private banking services Private banks provide a broad range of services, including access to hedge funds, legal and tax advice, estate planning facilities, and even more esoteric advice, like the best way to stock a wine cellar, or where to send your wife shopping in London. Private banks like to feel they can give their clients a personalised service, so do not be afraid to ask, they are often a useful first port of call if you are considering diversifying into new areas of investment.

Portfolio management expertise is one of the core services of any private bank. They can tailor a portfolio to your specific risk requirements, be it simply maintaining value through volatile market conditions or achieving a 12% annual return target. They are also developing increasingly sophisticated structured products in order to build a level of predictability into a portfolio.

Having said this, unfortunately most private banks will have the three or maybe five standard model portfolios to choose from, depending on the risk profile of the client. This enables them to deal with a

greater number of clients, but removes the “tailor made” nature of the bank.

Many private banks maintain their own trust companies if you are interested in establishing asset protection structures or more proactive estate planning.

Independent Portfolio Management By dealing with an independent portfolio manager that is duly licensed, you can access the true sense of “private banking”. They specialise in managing the investment portfolios of high net worth clients and can usually work with any bank, in different jurisdictions (hence, the word independent). This allows the client to have numerous bank accounts in several places but only have to deal with the “one” person and generally develops into a long term relationship.

They can truly tailor make a portfolio to each individual as they will have fewer clients. They will be available to clients at all times and not be tied to “office hours” and will generally travel to visit the client wherever they are.

They can also assist in setting up offshore companies, trusts or foundations and advise on the most appropriate jurisdiction to be used in order to enhance confidentiality, arrange tax and inheritance planning, benefit from tax privileges and secure future financial needs.

They have the added value of being able to “double check” all transactions done by the banks in order to ensure that the best interests of the clients are always looked after. Banks rarely make errors in the client’s favour!

This is a service available to high net worth individuals and on most occasions you will find that companies do not advertise their services as their clients come through referrals and word of mouth.

Banking secrecy The word “private” also alludes to “bank secrecy” and minimizing taxes through careful allocation of assets. Banking secrecy and client confidentiality were once cherished axioms of the private banking industry, but these days both international Governments as well as individual clients are more aware that new rules are necessary.

Banking secrecy has always been associated with Switzerland and clearly they continue to be a big player in this market. The jurisdiction still plays home to a staggering US$1 trillion in private wealth and its financial centres, like Geneva and Zurich, still play host to a large number of private banks, of all shapes and sizes.

However, as focus moves to the East and there is a growth of emerging markets, new financial centers in the region are flourishing. This gives a choice of jurisdictions to potential clients.

Conclusion There is no one fits all solution. What most clients find is that a combination of a Private Bank and an Independent Adviser gives better flexibility in order to find the best solutions for their individual needs.

Classic private banking The traditional private banks often claim they will not accept business from clients with less than $1 million (or currency equivalent) in investable assets, but many will take your business for less. Be warned, however, that many of the smaller banks can be notoriously fickle in their commitment to a given region. While they may have an office close to you today, this may not be the case next week. Ultimately, if head office requires them to close down for business reasons, they will do 20

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Finance The Cayman Islands. Trouble in tax-free paradise President Obama once referred to the Ugland House in George Town, where about 19,000 companies were registered, as “the biggest tax scam on record.” Now the Cayman Islands are struggling against the economic crisis and pressure from the US and Europe to impose taxes on the residents and businesses. 4 Business Magazine looks into the problem.

The Cayman Islands, caught in a vice of shrinking revenue and stubbornly high public spending, have just averted a fiscal crisis by securing a $60 million overseas loan. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth office in Britain, that oversees the Caymans might veto the foreign lending request and has given them a tough ultimatum. The $284 million the Cayman government says it needs, will not be forthcoming until this offshore financial centre imposes spending cuts and considers some form of direct taxation on Cayman businesses and its 57,000 residents.

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Cayman Islands Isle of Man Gibraltar Monaco

Bermuda

Guernsey Jersey Switzerland

Luxembourg Hong Kong

Banking OFFSHORE The Cayman Islands have never taxed income, property, corporate earnings, retail sales or capital gains and such suggestions border on heresy. Unlike other Caribbean Islands, the Caymans have built the Islands’ prosperity less on tourism and more on serving as a tax-free haven for 9,253 hedge funds. Many banks and companies pay small fees to establish the Caymans as their official domicile while operating mostly elsewhere around the world. haven for 9,253 hedge funds. Many banks and companies pay small fees to establish the Caymans as their official domicile while operating mostly elsewhere around the world.

The Cayman Islands flourished with the explosion of global finance, as fees from financial institutions along with tourism accounted for as much as half of government revenue. Duties on imported goods accounted for the other half. The full effect of the financial crisis touched shore in June, as the effect of a hurricane also took its toll.

The result was a drop in financial and tourism revenue which transformed a projected surplus into a deficit of about 100 million dollars. This is a huge gap for country with an annual budget of some 800 million dollars and the leader of the Cayman government, W. McKeeva Bush, sent out warnings of a fiscal crisis. Bush is desperately trying to find a way out of this quandary. However, pressure from London’s government to change the economics of the Caymans and demands from local business leaders to keep things the way they are, are proving difficult to balance. He warns that too bold a tax program could prompt Cayman-based financial firms to leave.

No matter what happens with the Caymans, it seems that the days for exotic offshore financial centres could be well be numbered. Pressure is building from Europe and the United States for a crackdown on offshore tax havens and looks high on the list of priorities for both governments. The Caymans would rather refer to themselves tax-neutral, however Britain appears determined to make an example of a place that has become a symbol of secrecy and intrigue.

The John Grisham thriller about offshore skullduggery, “The Firm,” was set in the Caymans, and during his campaign, President Obama referred to Ugland House in George Town, where some 19,000 companies are registered, as “the biggest tax scam on record”. This negative image is something Mr. Bush is fighting hard to counter with talks of a new transparency and pointing to the fact that the Caymans are now on the list of tax-neutral jurisdictions approved by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. This means the Caymans now have tax information accords with 12 countries.

Wealthy businessmen who made fortunes, credit the tax-free policy for transforming the island, “there were no cars, no electricity — there will be no going back to living under the coconut tree”. People have prospered, from the model this country was built on and there are fears for what would become of the area without its tax-neutral status.

Bush, was holed up in a hotel conference room for five hours last month just off a silky white stretch of beach, with fifty or so of the Caymans’ business leaders. They were clear that not only would

they not accept any form of direct tax, but that they would also be unwilling to increase their fees unless he made sharp cuts to the well-paid civil service sector. This puts Bush in a very difficult situation and he commented “It is a question of how much pain the people of Cayman and the business community will accept”.

He does little to hide his frustration at having to take lectures from a “pushy” British government in such tough conditions.

The Caymans are not the only economy to suffer, the British Government itself faces a debt burden approaching 80 percent of its economic output and other countries are also struggling in the face of this economic crisis. However, the situation in the Caymans grows worse. Over the last four years, its debt has doubled to $600 million and already, the Caymans’ difficulties are taking a toll. A construction company recently stopped work on a school, saying payments had been delayed (the government claims that bills have been paid), and rumours’ are rife that public employees will be forced to take a pay cut. Desmond Seales publisher of the Cayman Net News says “we have to face it, this place is broke, and it is because the model is wrong,” Mr Seales proof he says is the fact that the government owes him 50,000 dollars in advertising and printing costs.

But it seems Mr. Seales is a lonely voice calling for the financial sector to pull more of its own weight and points to the low 3,000 dollar annual fee that multibillion-dollar hedge funds pay to register here in the Caymans (even Mr. Bush calls this figure “ridiculously low”). He also proposes a tiny tax on the trillions of dollars that he says flow in and out of the island on a daily basis, but there is always the risk that schemes like this would cause wealthy people to move their money elsewhere and only make matters worse.

Editorial by: Mr.Joe bloggs

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Finance

The right INSURANCE As a business owner you should know what can be covered by an insurance policy. It might sound obvious, but in many cases people do not read the policy document fully or get the right advice. This leads to an unhappy customer when a claim is made and they are surprised to discover that the insurance company doesn’t cover the item, or to the extent that they assumed it would.

How to select the right policy Before issuing a business insurance policy take the following aspects into consideration: • Coverage • Premium • Service • Insurance professional and company reputation Don’t forget how much it cost you to get what you have when you decide what level of cover you require. If you opt for just basic coverage on an expensive item you are asking for trouble should you need to claim.

Business Insurance In Spain there are over 3.5 million businesses. 90% of them can be categorized as small business with less than 10 employees.

As you probably could guess, almost 50% of the insured businesses in Spain are bars and restaurants, followed by grocery stores.

Get the right advice so you understand the minimum coverage that you should have. An important area to include is Business Property Insurance, which will protect your business assets. It will limit your liability and can cover different type of losses such as damage from fire, electrical surges, or can even include other services such as legal defense.

But don’t forget that each business is unique and has different needs where insurance is concerned. It’s important to analyze your present and future business needs, so you can create a bespoke insurance package which suits your needs perfectly.

For example, what would happen if you had to stop trading for 4 months because of water damage in your business? Could you continue with a normal life? Not being covered for the unexpected can be devastating to your life and business, so make sure it’s included in your insurance.

In many cases, insurance companies will reward cautious business owners by lowering their premium if they have security measures like alarms, smoke detectors, deadbolt locks, fire extinguishers, and others. Some of these measures are not expensive and will help you sleep well at night as well as potentially saving you some money on your insurance.

People assume that theft should be a basic coverage in business insurance, but in many companies it isn’t. It’s not a problem if you know this and are able to contract it as an additional coverage. The problem occurs when you didn’t read or know about it. Other examples are water and glass damages.

In Spain water and glass damages cause the highest rate of claims to insurance companies. Theft, having less claims, produces the most expensive claims of all. So, if you are not covered for events like the ones mentioned you should reissue your policy in order to include them. You can and should update your policy at any time that your business changes for example takes new premises or invests in new machinery. Including or excluding information will vary the premium, lying can get you into hot water should you need to claim.

It’s not only important to check if you are covered, but to understand the economical limits that some companies apply. For example, if you have some sort of machinery in your business and each costs over 50.000 euros, you should check if you have a sufficiently high limit in the case of machinery breakdown.

Imagine that one machine breaks down and a new one costs you 60.000 euros, but your insurance doesn’t cover this level of investment. The sad part is that it can happen if you don’t know what you have contracted.

So at this point, you probably are starting to think where can you find the best policy on the market? Once again, don’t forget that usually cheap things are never good and good things are never cheap. The average premium for business insurance is 450 euros. This doesn’t mean that if you are paying 800 euros you are overpaying. Remember that each business is different and not all policies cover the same areas.

If protecting your business from risks is your priority: search for good, solid, and experienced insurance companies that probably will have highly qualified professionals that can guide you so you can make the best decision for you and your business. Also, act as you would do with other common things in life: ask your acquaintances, peers or members of associations that you might belong to.

Contracting the right business insurance could be one of the most important decisions in your life.

Author Details: John McKenzie Caser Expatriate Network Agente Exclusivo Caser Seguros No. 2933044 john@insureexpats.eu www.insureexpats.eu Tel:+34 654 07 07 26 Insurance for your Business, Car, Motorcycle, Van, Home, Contents, Health, Life, Funeral, Leisure Boat, Pet or Holiday.

Each year, 10% of the total businesses in Spain are brand new start-ups. However, 8% of the total figure shut down. There are many reasons for this, but shutting down because you didn’t have the right insurance shouldn’t be one of them.

Insuring a business is not a hard task if you do your research and talk to an insurance professional that you can trust. The key is to get the right advice so you can select the best coverage for your particular business needs.

In Spain, almost 90% of the business insurance policies are distributed through agents and brokers. Business owners really need someone with day-to-day experience and knowledge in the field as it’s important to make the right choice. We are talking about insuring in many cases, the main source of a family’s income.

A common error of inexperienced and sales-starving assessors is to recommend a policy based only in price. This is particularly the case now as people tighten their belts and try to make savings where they can. This approach is what in Spain is called “Pan para hoy, y hambre para mañana” (Bread for today and hunger tomorrow). In other words, it might look like a good deal now, but it will cost you more than you think in the future when an unexpected event occurs.

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Editorial by: Mr.Joe bloggs

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Finance

Financial Planning A UK SIPP or Pension is open to a UK Resident only whereas a QROPS is open to those who have been or intend to be, a non UK resident for a period of five full tax years or more.

Why transfer to a QROPS? Flexibility is the overwhelming reason to transfer to a QROPS. A QROPS has the same rules at the outset as a UK SIPP, however after 5 years as a non UK resident have elapsed, the trustees have no reporting obligations to HMRC. Income therefore can be distributed at more beneficial levels subject to the discretion of the trustees.

A key difference is that there is no compulsion to purchase an annuity at age 75, nor is there an enforced change in limits at age 75 where income will reduce automatically.

QROPS - Is it right for you?

The past 18 months has seen many advertisements about QROPS (Qualified Overseas Pension Schemes) and much has been written about them, a substantial amount of which could be misleading, is technically incorrect or simply rubbish. So let’s start by giving you the FACTS! What is undeniably accurate is the fact that from the 5th April 2006 the new pension reforms for UK personal and work pensions came into effect, allowing British citizens who were living abroad to transfer their UK pensions for the first time.

What is the position on death?

If the policyholder dies before age 75 with a UK SIPP and leaves this fund to the surviving spouse then the fund is treated in one of two ways.

1. If the fund is not in payment the spouse receives the fund with no UK tax to pay.

2. If the fund is in payment the spouse has the following choices: purchase an annuity; continue with the existing arrangement; or take the entire fund as cash less a 35% automatic tax charge.

If the policyholder survives beyond the age of 75 and then dies the surviving spouse has only two options: 1. To take an annuity 2. To continue with the existing arrangement i.e. the cash option is lost • If an annuity is taken at any point by the survivor this will die with them • If the cash option is taken pre age 75 an automatic 35% tax charge is taken • If the surviving spouse continues with the existing arrangement and subsequently dies prior to age 75 and the children inherit the fund, there would be tax of 35% and then Inheritance Tax in the UK of an additional 40% subject to certain limits • If the surviving spouse continues with the arrangement and subsequently dies post age 75 and the children inherit the fund, there would be a tax charge of 70% immediately and then a tax charge of 40% on the remainder for Inheritance Tax – equivalent to 82% tax. This residual amount must stay in a recognised pension fund, therefore denying access for future generations until they reach the age of 55.

Are there any adverse tax consequences?

If your fund is above £1.75 million and has not been granted enhanced protection then there could be a surcharge above this limit. Also if within the first five years the trustees step outside of the UK rules an adverse tax consequence could be triggered.

With a QROPS there is simply no 35% or 70% tax charge, and the funds are not subject to UK Inheritance Tax. The fund can be paid as cash on death to the surviving spouse or be used to provide income.

The balance of the fund on second death can be paid to beneficiaries without automatic tax charges being incurred.

Some advisors suggest that at the end of the five-year period, because the pension provider has no obligation to tell HMRC about cash withdrawals, then it’s OK for the policy holder to make unauthorised cash withdrawal of more than 30% of the fund total. As it stands now, this is not correct. Even when the five-year limit has passed, drawing extra cash is an unauthorised withdrawal and can still be penalised by HMRC.

Are there any circumstances when I should not transfer to a QROPS? There are a few. Some of the older style pensions have Guaranteed Annuity Rates, some pensions are final salary schemes which deliver guaranteed income, and some of the UK based schemes offer lower charges meaning that a lower investment return may be needed.

However our experience shows that in the overwhelming majority of cases a QROPS is the best advice. Each set of circumstances is unique though and professional advice should be taken.

Let the buyer beware In essence, QROPS can offer very favourable benefits. However, never have the words Caveat emptor “Let the buyer beware” been more pertinent, as this product is not for everyone. Each set of circumstances is unique and care should be taken. If you see QROPS being advertised claiming 100% draw down, tax free draw down above 30%, access to your pension fund from aged 18 -75 (yes I’ve seen them myself) then please beware.

The HMRC position is very clear. If you transfer your pension fund to a QROPS and take a lump sum before you have been a UK resident for more than five complete tax years then that payment to you is reported to HMRC. If the lump sum taken exceeds what would have been allowable under UK rules then there will be a tax charge (either at 40 percent or at 55 percent).

If you are thinking about transferring your pension fund to a QROPS; make sure that the company you are speaking to is not making false claims: get them to “prove it” and ask them if their Company is regulated by the FSA and/or the DGS. Basically do some due-diligence yourself and most importantly don’t be duped, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Author: David Rogers Tel: 628 549 531 E-mail: david@davidrogers.es

That said, QROPS may not be suitable for all and is therefore not necessarily the miracle solution! Firstly, QROPS are tightly regulated and to qualify for a pension transfer into a QROPS there are extensive rules and criteria that need to be met. In order to look at the pros and the cons of QROPS it is useful to compare and contrast the regime to other schemes and the way in which they work.

Income From A UK SIPP A UK SIPP will allow an individual to take benefits from age 55. The benefits from a SIPP are broadly 25% tax free cash of the entire fund and then a monthly or annual payment of between nothing and 120% of the limit set by the Government Actuaries Department (this is normally about 120% of the equivalent annuity).

In the UK, the 25% lump sum is tax free and the income payments are subject to Income Tax. The other option is to purchase an annuity – these can be written on various bases (joint life, index linked, guarantees) and are backed by government gilts, so the over all pension payment depends on the yield. A major consideration here is that annuities die with the annuitants and there is no way to pass these on to the next generation.

Alternatively, annuitants benefit from mortality subsidy which can be valuable for those with longevity. An annuity purchase is an irrevocable decision.

If the pension owner survives to age 75 in the UK then (s)he must either purchase an annuity or change the arrangement where the income levels change. The new arrangement is known as Alternatively Secured Pension (ASP).

The new income limits are between 90% of the GAD as a maximum (equivalent to a 30% decrease) and a minimum of 55% of the GAD. 26

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Finance

Euro Watch Watching the price action between Sterling/Euro over the past few months has been like trying to push a dinosaur uphill - slow and frustrating! However, as we end the year it looks like Sterling has moved away from the threat of parity and should mover higher in 2010 with the potential for a 15 % appreciation against the Euro The recent bout of Sterling weakness was partly fuelled by comments from the Bank of England(BoE), underling the fact that a weak currency was crucial if the UK was to not only export its way out of the global economic slump, but it would also make the UK a much more attractive proposition for overseas investors.

A clear sign then from the BoE that a weak pound was of no real concern and something they would not look to prevent. With the UK enjoying extremely flexible labour laws and a fairly resistant consumer, the BoE is looking for the pound to take the “bad medicine “ahead of the Euro and bounce back in 2010.

The European Central Bank (ECB), tackled the financial crisis by flooding it members with untapped liquidity. However as this liquidity is now being withdrawn from the market serious cracks are beginning to show. The Greeks, Spanish, and Irish economies are saddled with a huge debt burden the result of bad fiscal management and an over reliance on the property markets that have since burst.

Opinions are still split on whether the BoE has made the right decision and forecasts for the end of 2010 range from as low as € 0.86 up to € 1.30, with Goldman Sachs looking for around € 1.19.

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Buying CURRENCY The data coming out of the euro zone has been patchy to say the least, with the strong data out of Germany and France overshadowing the weak data from the rest of the member states, and following the problems in Greece growth in the euro zone in 2010 could lag behind that of the USA and Japan again a problem weighing on the single currency The ratification of the Lisbon treaty by the Irish has gone mainly unnoticed by the currency markets, as it was seen as a forgone conclusion. Going into 2010 what will be of most interest, is how the different member states handle their economies. It was very easy for the European Central Bank (ECB) to slash rates along with the rest of the world. However, as the global economy starts to gather pace, not all member sates will relish higher interest rates.

Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain will not welcome higher rates and the Germans, with their huge budget surplus, have stated they will not be prepared to subsidise other member states. It could prove a real test of the “European dream”.

In the current climate, currency markets overreact and that is why a move to parity still cannot be ruled out. However, if the UK economy starts to grow and the ever increasing fiscal debt can continue to be sold into the world markets, then a strong move higher in 2010 will happen. With the threat of a double dip recession upon us, and unemployment continuing to rise in the UK and the Euro Zone, it could be the flexibility and agility of the UK economy against the one size fits all policy of the Euro Zone that sparks this move higher.

2010 will prove to be a real test for Europe as the weaker member states who have mishandled their economies during the good times find the currency markets will be very unforgiving in the bad times.

• Bank rate of 1.07 Euros to the Pound • Foreign exchange company rate of 1.110 Euros to the Pound In this case, if you were transferring £100,000 the currency broker will give you 3,000 Euros more for your money.

Transfer costs: Your High Street Bank will charge you between £25 to £40 for making a transfer to a bank account in Spain. A foreign exchange company will eliminate these fees for you.

Receiving Fees: Many Spanish banks will charge a fee for accepting your money, sometimes as high as 1%. Again, a foreign exchange company can help you avoid these fees.

Due to the currency market exchange rates constantly changing, they can vary from one day to the next. However, there are various options available from foreign exchange companies to help customers get a great rate which High Street Banks usually will not provide such as…

Spot Transactions: Buy now, pay now. These are ideal if you need your currency immediately, however, if you have time to spare before your payments are due it may be wiser to consider a Forward Transaction.

Forward Transactions: Buy now, pay later. These allow you to secure a rate for up to 12 months in advance to protect yourself against any movements in the market. A small deposit holds the rate until the balance becomes due when the currency contract matures. This option not only protects against possible drops in the exchange rate but also gives you the security of the currency you need at a guaranteed cost, regardless of fluctuations in the market.

Regular Payments: If you need to send regular monthly payments from the U.K whether for mortgage payments, maintenance expenditure or transferring pensions or salary, using a reputable foreign exchange company can make this process hassle free and they are likely to offer you better terms than your high street bank. By setting up regular monthly direct debit payments you can benefit from extremely competitive rates without the bank charges or the monthly worry.

How to get the best deal on changing foreign currency Your traditional high street bank may seem the obvious choice for where you change your savings but they are likely to offer you the tourist rate as opposed to the Commercial Rate that a specialized foreign exchange company will offer.

A foreign exchange company will offer a rate of 2 to 3 points better than your high street bank. For example:

Author Details: Keith Spitalnick, Currencies Direct. Currencies Direct guarantees to beat any retail bank both in price and service. For more information, contact Currencies Direct in Spain on 0034 902 310 444 or in London on 0044 (0)207 847 9400 or email costadelsol@currenciesdirect.com. Or alternatively view their website www.currenciesdirect.com

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Finance

Smart PROPERTY However, for property investors these are actually market indicators which, along with others, inform the timing of their decision to enter the property investment marketplace.

Unlike the Stock Exchange investor, property investors are looking at the equivalent of a few blue chip stocks that are influenced by some local and global factors. Like the home buyer, the property investor needs to be soundly financed. There have been some issues around the buy-to-let mortgage market that have made it difficult for some first-time investors to get started, however, there are signs that the time is now ripe for entering the market.

Investing in Property in a crisis The old Stock Exchange advice of buying when the share price is low and selling when it’s high is sound enough; as long as you know which stock to buy and sell and when the low point has arrived.

For the property investor the same advice is equally sound, but in a somewhat more predictable market. Much has been made of the difficulties faced by first time buyers and those who over-extended to service fixed rate loans that have now expired and must now face the real cost of borrowing.

Lucy Denier wrote in the Sunday Times that “with house prices falling at the fastest rate since the 1930s, it may be 2011 before the market picks up.”

Andrew Weir, Central London area director for Foxtons, as saying “the market’s not dropping, it’s dropped.” So what can the property investor deduce from these two pieces of information?

Most of us know that the UK property market has seen a constant doubling of house price value every 8 years or so since the end of World War II. Given an eight year cycle, and an undoubted peak in 2007, it is really no surprise that the recovery is predicted for 2011. The rises and falls in property value have always been led by Central London; so if the area director of one of the county’s leading estate agents says that he has seen the bottom of the market, delaying investment would seem to be missing the ideal moment and ignoring the buy low and sell high advice.

Another major indicator of when to invest is interest rates, especially mortgage rates. This is not necessarily directly for the property investor, but is massively significant for the home buyer. The investor looks at interest rates as an indicator of when the market is likely to move. Lower, and hence more affordable rates will provide the much sought after access to the property market for the first time buyers. This in turn will release the chain mechanism that feeds confidence, and therefore price rises, to the rest of the housing marketplace. Confidence and movement will induce builders to build again and so the price rise cycle has been engaged. For the property investor it is important to either pre-empt or get onto the leading edge of this cycle.

With The Bank of England seemingly set to maintain the base rate at a all time low of 0.5% for at least the medium term and lenders looking to attract borrowers again, the market seems to be improving. Again, the shrewd investor will not delay for long with this amount of evidence pointing at better times to come.

Indeed, Moneyfacts, the financial website, indicates that the average 2 year fix is now 6.39% - this is the same as it was before the credit crunch hit lending.

But what of the international side of things? After all, it was the USA sub prime market that led to the loss of confidence in securitised mortgages as security for inter bank loans.

A year ago the US Government announced that they would bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bailout trigged one of the largest ever payments in the credit default swap market. Under the US Government’s takeover plan, the US Treasury took over $1 billion in preferred senior stock in each company, but its equity stake could reach as much as $100 billion in each.

Freddie and Fannie, which serve a US Government mission to support housing, were put in a form of administration that allows their stock to keep trading but puts common shareholders last in line for any claims.

The global effect of this boost to the stability of the US housing market cannot be overestimated. European lending has suffered badly as a result of the loss of confidence, with major casualties like Northern Rock receiving a similar bail along with many other UK and European banks. The value of property in some of the more developed areas of Spain, i.e. the Costas, has dropped quite dramatically, however, the indicators of recovery make them good investment targets whilst the less developed areas should see the continued rise in their value. But the Asian market was even further affected and so the takeover came as welcome news to officials in Asia, where central banks are some of the biggest holders of the agencies' bonds. They had plenty of reason to cheer, as do all markets that suffered and can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The bottom line to all of these indicators seems to be that the low point is here and all the signs are that we are at the point of starting the road to recovery. If this is indeed the low point, it is the time for investors to enter the market and watch the growth in capital value that will be triggered by the recovery of the housing market both at home and abroad. Indecision is the thief of time, but in this case delay could cost more than just the time lost; the opportunity to make money from property investment could be lost with it.

Author Details: Andrew Ward, Ward & Co Property Investments www.wardpropertyinvestments.co.uk andrewward@wardpi.co.uk

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Executive TRAVEL

Lifestyle

Courtesy of: Sunseeker Yachts

Courtesy of: Bombardier Learjet Global 500

Postcard from the other side Combining the mystery and the exotic of Arabia with a strong flavour of Europe, Morocco is a visually stunning and exciting destination right on our doorstep. Andrew Forbes experiences the imperial city of Marrakech.

A tantalisingly sweet aroma fills the room as Moummay carries in the large earthenware tajine of succulent, slow cooked lamb, dried fruits, plump olives, sweet honey and zesty lemon. His mother has been preparing lunch all morning.

We’re seated on a narrow sofa that runs around the entire edge of the intimate rectangular room, a space rich in colour and detail, with the striking clash of patterned ceramic wall tiles, different fabrics, mosaic detailing, intricate seat cushion covers and thick rugs covering the floor.

Only a year ago, Marrakesh was difficult to reach from Southern Spain – involving a ferry journey to “the other side” of the Strait and then an overnight train journey; but I’ve just arrived from Málaga; direct, on one of the airport’s new routes. A 50 seater Andalus Airlines Embraer jet whisked us to the heart of Morocco in little more than an hour. With so few people on board, it felt more like a private plane than a commercial route – check-in took minutes and boarding lacked the chaos of a typical short haul low cost flight.

Moummay is to be my guide and host for a day exploring the Marrakesh countryside. He is a Berber, a people that are considered as the first settlers of Moroccan, long before the Arabs invaded. With his striking looks and fine features, he is different from the people you see in the city. We’ve been invited to share a meal with him at the family home; a privilege I feel that is not extended to everyone and I am relishing every moment of the experience. When the meal is finished, the ubiquitous mint tea then makes a showing and Moummay explains why it is so often poured in an extravagant, theatrical style. The elaborate silver tea pot starts close to the delicate, engraved colour glasses and then it quickly moves higher and higher, so the tea splashes out.

Then the full glasses are poured back into the pot and the process repeated. He tells us this mixes the rich mint flavour with the sweetness of the sugar for the perfect Moroccan “cuppa”.

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I stayed at the new Demeures d’Orient. This remarkable riad is the perfect Moroccan hotel, designed with the truly discerning guest in mind. Each guest suite is designed with a 21st century perspective of comfort, with generous proportions complemented by large, luxurious bathrooms. The property has a luxury spa too, with hammam and Jacuzzi and in the courtyard is the swimming pool, looking like an Arabic contemplation pool, complete with Alhambra style fountains. This extravagance in luxury facilities and exquisite, generously proportioned suites is really only possible with a purpose built property; yet through the use of traditional building materials the Demeures d’Orient has every bit as much charm as its older sibling riads that nestle against each other throughout the medina. Arabian fantasy is the design cue, with exquisite hand made mosaic tiles, wonderfully carved plasterwork and distinctive “tadelakt”, (the polished floor and wall stucco plaster), reclaimed wood, and antique furniture throughout the property.

It’s often the allure of the exotic and unfamiliar that brings people to Marrakech and its surrounding countryside. Yet increasingly it is now business that is driving growth in these new routes to Morocco. Andalucia is fast eclipsing France as the major investor in Morocco, with over 550 businesses having regular export agreements with our North African neighbour.

With economic growth rates that are vastly greater than the slow moving southern European economies, it’s no wonder that Morocco holds an attraction that is more than exotic – this is business.

Despite a slowdown in construction due to the worldwide crisis, the city’s mellow tones of ochre and terracotta are still spreading out for miles from the ancient medina to embrace new suburbs of international spa and golf resorts, holiday home developments and familiar luxury hotel brands. In fact, the ancient medina is at risk of being more and more a theme park for the visiting tourists that then return to be pampered in 5 star resorts out of town.

It is still possible though to get a real flavour of this magical place and stay in the thick of things, by choosing a tradition Arab courtyard house, called a dar, or a raid in the medieval old town, with its tightly packed houses and bustling alleyways. The houses, many of which date back to the sixteenth century, stand back to back, with flat roofs; the boutique hotels have rooftop fancy sun decks or pools, whilst the resident neighbours have washing lines and satellite dishes. These ancient homes take their name from the “riyad” or internal patio that is central to the architectural style.

The first night I ate in the famous Jemaa el Fna Square. This is probably the most visited spot in Marrakech and can at times be a little overwhelming, with its combination of foreign visitors and tourists, street vendors, hustlers and clichéd performers such as water carriers and snake charmers. Yet, in the evenings, when the temperature cools, the square regains much of its authentic feel. The space becomes a wonderful, open air dining room with lively traders each with their own open kitchen belching smoke, steam and exotic smells into the night air.

During the day, exploring the medina’s myriad of independent retailers in the various souks is a must. At first browsing and buying can be exhausting as you learn to deal with the local retailers’ almost aggressive sales techniques and their desire to barter over price. Just remember, you are in control and can walk away – don’t be fooled into feeling obligated. Often the best deals are struck just as you turn away to leave!

Venture into New Town and you see the 21st Century face of this artistic, sophisticated and successful city. Fashionable bars and eateries, together with modern retailers and offices serve a stylish urban population. 19th and 20th Century French influences combine with traditional & modern Arabic to give an elegant yet exciting buzz. I ate in the friendly Kechmara Café Restaurant, with its modern design and contemporary interpretations of classic dishes like cous cous.

From the space, beauty and tranquillity of the Atlas Mountain foothills, to the riot of activity in the ancient medina, and the visually rich interiors of the city’s Riads, Marrakech offers a unique experience that is just over an hour from Málaga.

Author: Andrew Forbes, ©Andrew Forbes www.andrewforbes.com Airline: Andalus Lineas Aèreas Tel: +34 902 99 62 64 Web: www.andalus.es Accommodation: Demeures d’Orient 10, Arset Ben Nasser, Riad Laârous, Médina 40 000 MARRAKECH Tel: +212 5 24 38 12 00 Email: reservations@demeuresdorient.com Web: www.demeuresdorient.com Guide: Tamassitevasion, Moummay Aziz Tel: +212 5 62 06 13 60 Email: tamassitevasion@yahoo.com Web: www.tamassitevasion.com Restaurant: Café Restaurant Kechmara, 3 rue de la Liberté Guéliz MARRAKECH Tel: +212 5 24 42 25 32

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Lifestyle

Working & Living ABROAD into things that make your life more enjoyable. If you are moving permanently, it becomes even more important to plan ahead carefully before you go.

Things to Consider before you move

Working and Living Abroad The economic downturn may have brought some hard-hitting reasons for some not to retire or move abroad. However, you will still find many reasons to live and work abroad provided you find a suitable destination country. We may have different reasons when it comes to working and living overseas, but the first thing you have to research is the cost of living and standards of living and regard them as the key factors to your decision to make the move.

Moving to another country might sound adventurous and exciting, but it’s always better to look at all the pros and cons and reasons for moving before you leave. What are the reasons for your moving abroad? Is it climate or health? Is it a lower cost of living or better job opportunities? In any case, you should look

A life abroad is completely different from home, in terms of culture, food, entertainment, lifestyle, daily activities and social circles. You also need to look into a harmonious atmosphere that you can easily fund. If taking a job abroad, there are indeed many places where your earning power is increased depending on your skills, but saying that, in some cases the lifestyle may not be to your liking. You need to ask yourself how you want your everyday life to be…

Let’s make a small note on the ‘language’ of the country you are considering moving to. A language other than your mother tongue might make your life a bit complex in terms of employment and communication on a daily basis. But if you are eager to learn a new language, it will no doubt make your living more pleasurable. However for retirees, it is not really feasible to learn a whole new language, especially when they are just there to spend quality time for the remainder of their days.

A popular place for expat living is our very own Costa del Sol. Many Britons have now made Spain their second home for various reasons; some to enjoy warmer weather, some in search for a slower paced lifestyle, finding suitable business opportuni-

-ties, or perhaps the high quality of life under the sun. But whatever the case may be, it is the combination of a range of factors like climate, cost of living and the growing number of English speaking residents that can tempt someone to choose Spain as their ‘hot’ destination.

If your Spanish is good you can take up one of many casual job opportunities, in industries like tourism or related fields. And British residents find it easy too, because Spanish is probably the easiest language for English speakers to learn. However, if you are solely moving to Spain for a higher salary, it’s not really the place to go to. Compared to the US, Canada, Australia, UK and some other European countries, the average wages are lower than most countries but again in Spain you will find the cost of commodities lower also.

Another thing one can correlate in his/her moving plan to relocate abroad is the accommodation or property market. A long-term plan will probably involve a property purchase and in Spain you will find it fairly straightforward considering the availability of a range of apartments and villas. With the exception of some high density tourist areas like the Costa del Sol, property prices are generally lower than the UK and US. So, while taking the final call in your plan to move abroad, you should calculate the funds you need to invest in a rented flat or property purchase.

However, anyone thinking of living or retiring abroad should also have knowledge about the legal procedures of the host country.

The law and order situation, citizenship rights, taxation policy, legal bindings while purchasing a home of your own, or many other personal and financial affairs might be completely new or hard to deal with. Know what your legal obligations are. This information can usually be garnered from the consulate or embassy of the country you are moving to.

For example, obtaining a work visa in Spain is a daunting process for an American but no problem for a European resident. There are red tape regulations for many countries and it’s better to check them all before organizing your visa application.

Moreover, be sure about the exact reason for living aboard – whether work or retiring – because each has its own considerations. Finally, no matter what anyone says, relocating to a new country is never easy! Moving abroad is starting a new life, but if you are ready for the challenge, the rewards can be great.

Author Details: Craig Edmonds, Marbella Guide Visit www.marbellaguide.com for more useful information on living and working in Spain All contents are © Copyright Craig Edmonds Blue Zebra S.L (ESB92770940) trading as Marbella Guide

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Lifestyle

Your HEALTH In a perfect world, if we have a clear vision of what we want, and maintain a constant focus on that target, all obstacles that we encounter along the way will be overcome. The problem is that we are not robots, we are fallible human beings and inevitably, along that journey, our perceived demands may seem to be greater than our perceived resources.

Stress, and feelings that we cannot cope, can result from such thinking, leaving us feeling disempowered and ultimately lead us to the abandonment of our objectives.

This is your life!...........What’s holding you back?

In this highly competitive world of business, where thinking on your feet, in order to be one step ahead of the field, it is essential that we are continually aware of that greatest of threats to our performance, the potential of which lies within us all... STRESS. At best it can be the difference between success and failure, at worst the difference between life and death.

A certain level of stress is beneficial to us, stimulating our behaviour and ensuring our survival. High levels of stress, however, can impede performance and threaten our very existence. Too much stress is bad, physically and mentally, for our health, influencing tension, anxiety, headaches, depression, stomach ulcers and even an increased chance of heart attack.

The magic word here is ‘perceived’ i.e. just because we think there is a problem, does not mean, in fact, that there is a problem. The complex manner in which our mind processes information means that we become the creators of our own very personal understanding of reality.

Our experiences are assessed according to our personal perceptions, interpretations and expectations - there is no absolute reality! Sometimes we cannot always change what is happening “out there”, but we can change our internal perception of these experiences.

So how do we minimise stress thus maximising our potential for a successful conclusion to our goals?

1. We need to challenge those thoughts that form the foundations of our inappropriate representations of reality.

Are the decisions that we are making being influenced by our distorted representations of what is really going on? War and destruction is the result of many a misunderstanding!

2. We need to learn to relax. Regular periods of relaxation should be built into our busy schedules.

When we are relaxed our breathing and heart rate slow down.

Our muscles become limp and loose. It is very difficult to become angry or fearful when relaxed because of the changes in this physiology. The more we practice relaxation techniques the better we become.

3. Exercise - Recent research has confirmed the power of regular exercise. The body’s natural opiates are released during exercise, promoting feelings of euphoria and relaxation.

Exercise is a major element in the treatment of Depression.

4. Hypnotherapy- An experience of blissful relaxation where perceived problems, causing stress and anxiety, can be transformed into multi-dimensional solutions. Brain wave changes, under hypnosis, heighten our powers of imagination and subdue our natural inclination to distort information; these being subdued new interpretations are then accepted unchallenged by the unconscious mind. Hypnotherapy opens the door, enabling us to unlock our hidden resources, allowing us to discover that the ability to change already belongs to us.

Author Details Roger Longstaff studied human behaviour for ten years before studying hypnosis and its clinical applications with the London College of clinical hypnosis; Roger is a member of the British society of clinical hypnosis and practices in Marbella.

Tel: 693246063 Email: rogeranthonylongstaff@hotmail.co.uk.

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Lifestyle

Fine DINING

This month Sue McClellan of the HiLife Privilege Card reviews two great restaurants for you. Both are great for business meetings and special nights out and offer members of HiLife 10% off.

When you are all done, you will be surprised to discover this dining experience will not be too painful on your wallet! Terra Sana offers excellent food at great value. Don’t take my word for it; if you have not already tried Terra Sana you don’t know what you are missing!

Visit www.terrasana.net to take a look at the menus and find your nearest restaurant.

Terra Sana, Laguna Beach

The Terra Sana name is renowned to those of us who like healthy eating, nice surroundings and reasonably priced food.

I was most impressed when I first drove to Laguna Beach to sample the newly opened beachfront Terra Sana - for location it’s definitely a must visit. The beautiful surroundings overlook the beach and the blue sea, with chill out music and the slight breeze rustling the palm trees.

Even before dining at this new Terra Sana, I knew the experience was going to be great, as it serves the same familiar style and quality as the other restaurants in this chain. Being a fan I didn’t need to see the menu, but I curiously looked anyway.

As always, I chose the Terra Sana salad with chicken, this was quickly served fresh and presented perfectly. The first mouthful was delicious and for me it is the perfect salad. Each time I order it, at which ever Terra Sana, there is always the same presentation and quality which has never failed to impress.

Whatever your taste there is a wonderful selection including healthy breakfasts, bagels, starters, salads, wraps and pasta. There is also

If you’re still looking for an excuse to linger at this particularly well-located Terra Sana after you’ve eaten, a leisurely coffee staring out to sea is a great way to round off the meal.

Tehuelche

a good choice of children’s meals. I particularly like the dressings which are all made to a special Terra Sana recipe.

The fabulous thing is that this is great food which leaves you feeling full, satisfied and most importantly not breaking your diet with too many calories!

Of course the same can’t be said of the deserts, but if you are going to treat yourself, these deserts are worth it. There is a great range including carrot cake, cheese cake, chocolate cake, ice cream and much more. Whichever you choose you will be looking forward to coming back for more.

If you want to round it all off by enjoying a cocktail with a difference, I would recommend the frozen mojito. I wasn’t sure I had made the right choice with this one, but I was soon reassured and would not take too much persuasion to go for a second!

This delightful experience begins as soon as you reach the entrance. We were graciously greeted by Marisa, owner of the restaurant whose welcome left us without doubt that the customer is “king.” Marisa remembered our first names even though it has been some months since the last time we dined there, we were offered the choice to sit at our table or enjoy a pre dinner drink in the lounge bar. Depending on the time of year, you can enjoy balmy evenings out on the new terrace, or sit by the open fire during the colder winter months.

There is a huge range of unusual and classic drinks available at the bar and our waiter took us through some of the more popular options. After these recommendations, I ordered a pink gin & tonic whilst my partner had his usual San Miguel and we relaxed in the appealing surroundings of the terrace until our friends arrived. They were also struck by the warm and friendly welcome of the host who made them feel instantly at ease, even though it was their first time at Tehuelche.

Taking our table, we enjoyed the complimentary appetizers (the pate & toast was delicious) whilst we perused the menu. Having enjoyed the black pudding before at this restaurant, I was undecided between this and the Italian melted cheese for starters, so we decided to share and enjoy several of the stunning starters on offer.

The main meal for me had to be steak, as after all this is an Argentinean steak house offering the finest beef cooked on the traditional outdoor grill. We were recommended sirloin, which was succulent and really tasty. In addition to recommendations of food we were guided as to the perfect wine choice to complement the food.

Enrique the manager knew from our description what we were looking for and provided some excellent recommendations.

Our evening was memorable, for the unbeatable combination of wonderful company, exceptional hospitality and stunning food. This restaurant is slightly off the beaten track, we wondered if that was why they worked so hard to please. I don’t think so, everything came very naturally and they are lovely people providing an excellent service.

Give it a try you won’t be disappointed! The Tehuelche restaurant is on the Benahavis road. Take the turn at the Repsol roundabout and follow the road up towards Benahavis, it’s approximately 600 yards up on the right. Visit their website www.tehuelche.net for more information.

Palm Springs Natal is being developed by Ritz Property Investimentos Imobiliarious LTDA, a Brazilian registered company owned outright by a respected British businessman and entrepreneur. He is the majority shareholder in many successful UK and overseas companies and has an impressive International land and property portfolio including additional land in prime locations in the region of Natal, where he plans to construct numerous apartments over a number of complexes.

He sees the North East of Brazil as the most lucrative investment hotspot in the world. Together with his team of UK professionals Springs Natal evolved.

By signing up for “Live the HiLife” the “must have Privilege Card” then you will benefit from a discount of 10% off both of these restaurants, plus special deals from many businesses along the Costa del Sol. To find out more and buy your card visit www.livethehilife.com Author Details: Sue McClellan Tel - 0034 652 153 608 info@livethehilife.com

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39

Executive CARS

Lifestyle

Have you ever been driving or walking down the main street and seen a new car that catches your eye? Not because its sexy sporty lines make you want to drive it, nor because the engine’s sound gives you goose bumps, but because you've actually never seen one before! There are lots of interesting cars for sale or hire on the Costa del Sol which you can guarantee will draw a crowd, here’s two of the best.

Porsche Panamera (a four-door, four-seat luxury sedan) It caused quite a stir when Porsche came out with a 4x4 luxury sedan, but low and behold, it’s amazing The Panamera is built on a new platform and has a wheelbase that's a bit longer than traditional midsize like the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class but shorter than those of larger sedans like the 7 Series and S-Class. This is in my opinion one undeniably sleek and sporty automobile.

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Yet that low stance doesn't mean passengers are treated to a claustrophobic cabin, unfriendly to those blessed with height or grand coiffures. On the contrary, the front compartment is eminently accommodating, and the two-person backseat has plenty of head- and legroom to spare.

What’s under the hood I hear you say? Well, the model we are reviewing has a scintillating engine derived from the Cayenne collection, pushing out a forceful 400-horsepower from a 4.8-liter V8.

Facts and Figures • Engine 4,806 cc 4.8 liters V 8 front engine with 96.0 mm bore, 83.0 mm stroke, 12.5 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder • Premium unleaded fuel 91 • Gasoline direct injection fuel system • 26.4 gallon main premium unleaded fuel tank 22.0 • Power: 298 kW , 400 HP SAE @ 6,500 rpm; 369 ft lb , 500 Nm @ 3,500 rpm

The Westfield The Westfield is a new car that looks like a 1956 Lotus racecar and is a pure sunshine Marbella sports car. Westfield has been building these type of cars for 25 years and to celebrate their 25 year anniversary, they have launched a limited edition Jubilee of the SE model. Only 25 of each variant will be available.

This is not a luxurious car, but it’s a lot of fun to drive. The cockpit is quite roomy despite the high center tunnel. You sit virtually on top of the five-link solid rear axle, and while the ride is actually good on a smooth road, there's so little suspension travel that a bump sends you flying when the rear dampers bottom out. Although it’s hardly a smooth ride, it adds to the fun of driving this car and makes you realize why a four-point seatbelt harness is standard.

The exhaust sounds great. A good thing, as it exits under your left elbow, and its proximity plus the heat transmitted through the center tunnel makes for toasty cockpit conditions. A whole new generation has discovered that a featherweight car is a lot more fun than a heavy one, and that great steering can be more rewarding than lots of horsepower.

The 2007 Westfield XI teaches you the Lotus lesson like few other cars can. When you move the steering wheel, you feel the front tires react. Traction control? Sure, it's called your right foot, and it depends on how deftly you apply it to the throttle while working the steering wheel. You drive the Westfield XI every second, and if you're the kind of driver who depends on big brakes, fat tires and an electronic stability program (or even a perfectly accurate gas gauge) to keep you out of trouble this may not be for you. However, we totally adore this car and if you are looking for a fun, frantic and responsive car to drive so will you.

Facts and Figures The factory built Jubilee Sport model comes in Westfield colors with a metallic silver body and black wings. Powered by the 210 bhp* 2.0l Ford Duratec engine this vehicle has ever upgrade applied for the ultimate road/track vehicle.

• • • • • •

Engine 2000cc, four cylinders Power 210bhp @ 6700rpm Torque 181 lb ft @ 5200rpm Transmission Five-speed manual Acceleration 0-100km/h: 3.6sec Top speed 225Km/h

Author Details: Carlo Mason Blue Sky Luxury Car Hire These two cars and many others can be hired from Blue Sky Luxury Car Hire. Visit the website to see our large fleet of luxury cars for hire or contact us for more details. www.blueskysupercarhire.com cmason@blueskyluxurycarhire.com Phone: (+34) 952 762800

The fact that you can have a comfortable car capable of driving four people hundreds of miles in rapid, luxurious comfort is doubly impressive given this car's astonishing performance capabilities. It gets the thumbs up from me!

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Marketing

Business NETWORKING

When you receive a business card write something on the back of it so you can remember the person who gave it to you.

Always use people’s first names where possible, two or three times will not hurt. Most people like to hear their own name and it helps when trying to remember the conversation you were having.

How to get the most out of networking Network meetings have been a strong part of the business and social scene for more than 50 years. Some find the prospect of networking very daunting, for others networking events are enjoyable, sociable and a means to some great business contacts, after all where can you find as many as 40 business executives/owners all in one place and all looking to do some business at the same time.

Love it or hate it there are some important rules to networking that one should remember if attending an event, especially for the first time. It is important to remember not to leave your brains in the car and that you should go with the intention to help others first. Unfortunately most people forget that they have to earn the right and respect of other network members to be able to promote their products or at least promote their products with any success. The next time you're attending a networking event, it would do you no harm to keep in mind the following simple rule: Find out more about the other members than they find out about you.

Networking comes in many forms, from a meeting with a friend over coffee to attending business conferences or networking forums. As an activity networking is certainly not new, it has always involved the long established process of building and maintaining relationships. On the Costa del Sol indications are that profit margins in 2010 will suffer in comparison with that of recent times and therefore the need for businesses to be meeting on a more regular basis is vital.

Try asking the other people “what’s your name and what is it that you do?”. Asking this question will get you lots of information, it's amazing how much you'll learn!

Use the back of someone’s business card to keep a note about something you learned from your conversation with them, write down the place and time of your meeting it will give you a talking point on your next conversation.

Networking Tips At your next networking event, avoid gravitating to people you know, instead find someone new and introduce yourself to them. This should get you in the right frame of mind, and remind you why you came.

Don’t start selling, start listening! The first time you meet someone new use it as an opportunity to get to know them and begin to establish a relationship, rather than immediately selling to them.

Make sure you have lots of business cards in your pocket, and give one to everyone in the room.

Make everyone feel special; personalize the card you give them by writing your telephone number on it.

Use body language when you talk with people, it lets them know you are communicating and that you’re paying attention to what they are saying. Restatements are a good form of showing you have listened to what they have said.

Using good eye contact when a person is talking to you shows that they have your full attention, giving your full attention will encourage them to share more about themselves with you and help to build relationships faster and stronger.

If you try using some of these tips at your next networking event you will find that other members of that group will except you more quickly, which will help in your relationship building and of course will eventually lead to business, after all referred business is the best type of business you could ask for which is why your networking in the first place.

Author: 4 Business Networking website www.4businessglobal.com

To grow your organisation and be more successful than your competitors you will need all the sale leads you can get your hands on, and let’s be honest, THE BEST leads have always been REFERRALS. Word of mouth marketing is the most powerful means of all sales opportunities.

Referrals are FREE; already have a TRUST FACTOR; and are easier to SELL TO. The more referrals you have, the more business you can sell to.

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43

Marketing

Marketing your company on a limited budget Unfortunately in the current economic climate the most noticeable trend in marketing is cutting back; reducing budgets and in some cases forsaking marketing all together. It’s true that we all need to reduce our overheads and look after profits, but now more than ever you need to able to take advantage of the customers who are still buying and make sure they buy with you.

For this you need to be marketing your company cost effectively, and it is possible to undertake marketing without spending a fortune.

Marketing TRENDS

4. Organise Events

Here are some low cost ways to increase awareness and visibility of your company:

Events are a great way to generate awareness, publicity and positive feelings about your company. If you keep it simple, they do not have to cost lots of money and can create a lot of publicity and awareness, but they can be time consuming to arrange.

1. Build a database

Here are my tips for a successful business event:

A database is really important if you want to effectively market your company and make the most of the contacts you make and enquiries you receive in the course of doing business. Don’t lose any potential clients! Always log all the details you receive from networking events, enquiries, friends and any source you can on a database. A well kept, accurate and large database is very powerful for future marketing.

• Make it relevant to your business • Offer something for free to add value to the event e.g. a CV clinic if you are a recruitment consultant or a website review if you are an SEO expert • Write a press release and invite the press • Consider fundraising for a charity at the same time, it’s good PR, you will find it easier to get press coverage and the charity will help you to promote the event

Make sure your data is as accurate and as complete as possible, as this gives you more options for future marketing. Try to include: a. b. c. d. e. f.

Name Company Name Postal address Email Phone number Where you met the person

2. Create a fantastic brand Your company brand is vital to making your company stand out from the crowd. Make sure your name, colour scheme and font projects the right image about your company. This is very important for the ongoing success of your company and the effectiveness of your marketing, so it’s good to use the services of a designer to get it right.

3. Email Marketing Once you have a database you can take advantage of email marketing. Regular email marketing is an effective way to strengthen the brand, gain customer loyalty, encourage enquirers to make their first purchase and existing customers to repeat buy. Email marketing is: • Cost effective • Quick to create and send • Global • Direct marketing to your contact’s PC There are tools to help you e.g. Constant Contact to manage your lists, make sure you comply with spam regulations, offer modifiable design templates and monitor responses. However, the templates you can create on Constant Contact aren’t great, it’s worth getting a designer to create an email template for you to ensure you get the best success from your email campaign.

Consider producing a monthly or quarterly email newsletter with company news, special offers, interesting information etc. Make sure you always include an opt out & don’t email people too often.

Marketing is vital to keeping your business alive, but it needn’t cost a fortune. Be creative, make the most of your contacts and keep going and it will pay off!

Author Details: Georgina Shaw, Shaw Marketing Services Shaw Marketing Services offers cost-effective marketing solutions for small to medium-sized businesses including PR, copywriting, event organising and much more www.shawmarketingservices.com

Once you have a great brand use it! Branded items are a great way to extend the reach of your company identity and generate enquiries, consider: • Car stickers • Pens and Notepads • Mugs • T-shirts • Beach balls, Umbrellas or Parasols NB. Your branded items must be things people want and find useful so they keep them and use them regularly so other people can see them. Pens and mugs are great for this as they are low cost to produce and always welcome.

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Marketing Project the right image to your clients. Did you know it only takes a maximum of 5 seconds for someone to form an impression of you and that’s even before you’ve even said anything? This means when you walk in to meet a new client, they’ve already assessed if they’re going to like talking to you or not and before you’ve said “Good morning”!

ME!

Of course one point for giving the right impression is what you’re wearing, which can be especially difficult for women. Equally for men, you need to consider who you’re going to meet and decide whether you should be ‘suited and booted’ or need to adopt a casual attitude. Obviously there are outfits which are more suitable depending on the situation, but people often get it wrong. For example, if you’re going to visit a Bank – how would you dress? Or if you’re going to do an audition for X-Factor, what clothes will make you stand out from the crowd?

Dress code is only one point out of ten possible ways to make a good impression and influence someone’s opinion of you in that first crucial meeting. Here are nine other points which are often neglected.

First IMPRESSIONS Your posture: Do you walk in confidently and upright or do you amble in possibly with a slouch? This makes a big impression as you walk through the door. Without being egotistical, have a look at yourself sideways in a mirror to see your stance or even better get someone to film you in your normal ‘walk mode’ and reflect on what that says to you: make sure it’s the right one!

Your handshake: Is it strong or limp? Strong doesn’t necessarily imply confident but limp can convey in some cultures a feeling of weakness. Be aware of cultural expectations and conform accordingly. For instance, most Far Eastern cultures are very soft natured and will offer you a weak handshake, whereas a typical handshake by either say Dutch or Germans could throw you off balance!

General hygiene: Did you have a glorious curry or garlicky meal? Have you remembered to put on your deodorant? Have you put on too much perfume? Are your fingernails well manicured or perhaps the nail polish is a little chipped? Being well groomed really helps to make the best first impression, and this applies to both men and women.

Think how often do you look at someone’s hands when meeting them? What would your impression be of someone who either had dirty finger nails or that you could see they bite their nails?

Worth considering!

Your facial expression: Are you outwardly friendly in your greeting? Or perhaps a little nervous? Consider the reason for your meeting: do you need to be confident and open, or more demure and quiet? Use the appropriate gestures in the appropriate environment.

Accessories: Do you have a sleek briefcase? Or are you perhaps carrying papers in a Mercadona plastic carrier bag?

Think about the image that conveys!

First words: Rehearse your greeting so it comes out coherently, and is open and friendly. All in all, think about the person or people you are going to meet, what would be a good opening phrase that will grab their attention and make them think “This will be a good meeting!” Enthusiasm, passion or perhaps a total calm, quiet attitude? You decide what suits and do your research on the people you’ll meet so you can ‘meet their needs’.

Your backup material: Is it professionally prepared – whether a brochure, handout/presentation or leaflet? Does this accurately convey the service you are offering? Does it make the potential client want to buy from you straight away?

If the client is coming to visit your office, shop, restaurant etc: Is your office clean, professional, uncluttered? Or perhaps too much junk around the place, dying plants, lingering smells of food? Or indeed if you are promoting your restaurant – you want it to have the right ambiance with beautifully laid tables, nice accessories, excellently presented menu to make it welcoming and friendly. It can be tough to find time to tidy your workspace, but it speaks volumes about you and is worth the effort.

And Finally ….. Just Be yourself! It might seem a lot to think about but ‘get it right first time’, be confident and at ease with yourself and you’ll make a great first impression. Whether it happens consciously or unconsciously people are looking to do business with people they can trust and so much can be understood at an unconscious level in the first few seconds of meeting someone.

So, go for it! Make a great impression and win that new business.

Author Details: Susan Hunter, Susan Hunter Consultancy Limited Providing consultancy services in the areas of learning & development, project management, change management, WorkSpace and HomeSpace Optimisation™ and 1-2-1 coaching with NLP. www.susan-hunter.com Email: susan@susan-hunter.com Tel: 670 637 386

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MARKETING

Top TIPS Take care of what you’ve already worked for

Do you have something to offer your existing customers that would make them want to contact you?

The success of any business is the source of wealth it gets from Existing or new customers.

Don’t neglect your source of wealth, don’t neglect your existing customers.

Is there something that you are not offering existing customers that you could be offering them?

One of the best profit areas for any business is its existing customer base. Ask yourself, how often do you communicate with your existing customers and do you realise how important they are?

Marketing Top Tips Here are a few ideas from marketing professionals on the Costa del Sol of ways to promote your business effectively.

Understand your Target Market One of the most important Marketing tips, that also happens to be the most overlooked one, is to KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET.

Nearly every business owner I know, concentrates their efforts on looking for new customers and forget how much it cost them in the first place to acquire their biggest asset (their existing customer data base). Once you have sold to them they should not become a number, remember they are still a customer.

Most businesses are sitting on a fortune, it’s not hidden, just forgotten.

You can get access to this fortune by answering these questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Here are some useful things to consider when you’re looking for your next best customer.

What results could you get by using direct mail?

Do you spend time every day thinking of an offer you could make to your existing customers?

When was the last time you sent your customers a letter, an email or contacted them by telephone?

Do you always thank your customers for their business?

What would happen if you made twice as much contact with your existing customers this year as you made last year? Just be sure if you do communicate with them with whatever you decide to offer, make sure that you monitor the response you get.

I have helped many businesses to generate thousands without spending on anything more than a first class stamp, a little bit of time and an A4 piece of paper! This is not unusual, sometimes all you need is to step outside the box and look back in to see where your next customers will come from.

Do you always measure the response you get when trying new ideas?

There are tons of marketing ideas on how to get new customers, but remember you are sitting on a fortune if you already have an existing customer data base.

Dave Edwards, Harlequin Sales and Marketing www.harlequinsalesandmarketing.com

Are you up to speed?

Consider the questions in each of three aspects of your target market below.

If you know the answers thoroughly – you’re so far ahead of your competition you deserve a “pat on the back”. If not – then get onto it! Get the answers fast, and you’ll see how much better your business can do.

Your Target Prospect: What motivates him/her to look for your product/service? What motivates him/her to buy? More importantly, what motivates him/her to keep buying from you? What is your ideal prospect like – get in his/her shoes and you’ll understand all of the above – and how to market your product/service to him/her.

Your Market Environment: What are the most dominant trends at the moment? What is the trend history for your market? What affects the decision-making in your market? What are the business models and pricing structures in your market that are successful? What are the main publications, regulatory bodies and associations in your market?

Your Competition: Who is the leader in your market? Why are they the leader? What other competitors do you have? What can you learn from them? Is there someone you want to emulate, at least at first? Where is the USP gap?

The above questions are meant to make you think about your knowledge of your market. Just by finding the answers you will launch your marketing and your business miles ahead of most of your competition.

Anita Chaperon, OnTargt Marketing Consultants www.OnTargt.com 48

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MARKETING Use your network It’s amazing how many people you know when you look through your email list. This list of contacts is an invaluable marketing tool if used correctly. Even if you only have 100 contacts, each one of those people have a network of people they correspond with on a regular basis.

You can tap into these networks by producing a good promotional email about your business or a special offer and simply asking if people will forward it to their list of contacts. This can expand your contact base hundreds of times over and there’s no harm in asking, they can always say no.

More Top TIPS There are many things that you can do to your site to make it search engine friendly but the ideal solution is to use an SEO firm who know and understand what they are doing and how to rank websites.

What you can do to help: • Write relevant titles for your web pages • Develop high quality, relevant content • Create an HTML and Google (XML) sitemap • Make sure your META description sells your site so more people click on your listing • Be WC3 Compliant – you can validate your website at www.w3.org There are many emails and promises received on a regular basis that promise a fast track way to top positions and in some cases even guarantees. Avoid these like the plague. Nobody can guarantee positions in Google and any fast track methods will usually be what they call 'black hat' (cheating) which WILL result in your website getting kicked out of the search engines - and once out it is very hard to get back in.

Add to your network regularly by attending events, business functions and openings. Collect as many cards and add them to your database, you never know who could be a potential client.

Offer downloads and useful information on your website to encourage people to log their details, this is a great way to expand your network of contacts.

Some of the things to avoid: • Hidden texts or hidden links in your site • Duplicate text • Doorway pages • Link farms • More than 100 links on one page • Buying links to benefit from a high page rank

If you feel that you want to target a particular business type, ask your contacts if they could introduce you to anyone in that field, search on the internet for local companies that fit the profile and look at the local magazines, they are all good sources of potential clients. Contact these people with a special offer or simply an introductory email and see if they would like to do business with you. Just remember when contacting people cold that you need to ask them if they would like to be part of a database for regular mailings and always offer an option to opt-out. Alternatively, find a special interest group or website which targets these people and see whether you can take advertising on a newsletter to their subscribers, this is a very good way to target specific business areas and generate new business

Paul Lopez, Artemis Internet Marketing www.artemisinternetmarketing.com

Georgina Shaw, Shaw Marketing Services www.shawmarketingservices.com

Be visible to the Search Engines It’s vital that your website can be found when people type in relevant keywords. In order to make your website climb up the rankings, try some of these SEO Top Tips.

Firstly, always remember that the search engine algorithms are getting cleverer all the time so don't try and deceive them or you might find yourself heading down rather than up the rankings or worse, getting banned altogether.

Content is important for the search engines so write your text with your target audience in mind. Once written you can go back through and tweak it by adding the keywords you want that page to rank for a few more times, but not too much as this will trigger an over optimisation penalty. Keep it looking and reading natural.

Never copy other websites content as Google especially, do not like this. They are going through a phase of trying to clean up duplicate content and if you have 'stolen' content from another website you may well find a penalty being applied to that page.

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Franchising

About FRANCHISE or other distinguishing identification • The franchisor should provide the individual franchisee with training and continuing commercial or technical assistance during the entire life of the franchise agreement • The franchisee will also have some obligations to the franchisor, and should devote their best endeavours to the growth of the business and continue maintaining the reputation of the franchise network • The ongoing obligations of both franchisee and franchisor should be one of fairness and honesty, any complaints or grievances should be dealt with fairly through direct communication between the two parties • The franchisor should give written notice to franchisees of any contractual breach, granting the franchisee reasonable time to remedy any breach of agreement

Advertising the Franchise:

European Code of Ethics for Franchising Franchising has been a way of growing a business for many years.

The system allows an individual known as the franchisee to operate under an existing successful brand. Franchising enables the franchisor to grow his or her company without the need to extend their staff or offices.

On the 23rd September 1972 the EFF, European Franchise Federation, was formed, which consists of national franchise associations or federations and affiliates throughout Europe. The objectives of the EFF are to provide an ongoing, unbiased study of franchising in every respect.

As franchising has grown, there has become the need for franchise agreements. Agreement regulation entered into force on the 1st February 1989 and prompted the EFF to revise the existing code of ethics. Below is a brief summary of its principles.

Franchising Definition: A franchise is a business system composed of a brand name, a "system" or format implying the distribution of a product and/or service through a network. This system replicates itself with every new business partner (franchisee) that invests and becomes another member of the network.

The franchisor allows the franchisee to use the name and know-how of their business, in exchange for a financial undertaking. A franchise agreement is set up between the two parties that assures the franchisor that the franchisee will continue to operate the business in the same successful manner as the original business model. The agreement should also assure the franchisee that continued support is in place and that the framework for an ongoing successful business can be followed. This support and guidance improves the competitive position of the Franchisee, in particular by improving the Franchisee's performance within a new marketplace.

Principles: • The franchisor should have a pilot of the said franchise before starting his franchise network • The franchisor should also be the owner of the business or have legal rights to the use, of its network's trade name, trade mark or 52

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Advertising for potential Franchisees should be free of ambiguity and misleading statements. Any material relating to future possible results for the franchise should be given accurately and honestly, so that potential franchisees can enter into a binding agreement with full knowledge of what is expected from them and what they can expect in return. A copy of the code of ethics and all information relating to the franchise should be presented to the franchisee within a reasonable time prior to the signing of any agreement.

Franchisee Selection & Agreement: When selecting a new franchisee the franchisor should believe that the franchisee has the sufficient skills and resources to operate the franchise business. Training may be necessary to teach the new skills required to potential franchisees. It is the duty of the franchisor to arrange this training and to be assured that the new franchisee has understood what is required from them in order to take forward the business model.

The Franchise agreement should comply with National law and the Code of Ethics and should reflect the interests of both the franchisee and franchisor, whilst maintaining the common identity and reputation of the franchised network. All agreements and arrangements connected with the franchise relationship should be written in a language understood by the franchisee. A signed copy of this agreement should be given immediately to the individual franchisee and a copy retained by the franchisor.

The franchise agreement shall, without ambiguity, outline the respective obligations and responsibilities of both parties, state the terms of the agreement and include the following: • The rights granted to the franchisor and to the franchisee • The goods and/or services to be provided to the franchisee • The obligations of the franchisor and franchisee • The terms of payment by the franchisee • The duration of the agreement (this should be long enough to allow franchisees to amortize their initial investments specific to the franchise) and the basis for any renewal of the agreement • The terms upon which the franchisee may sell or transfer the franchised business and the franchisor's possible pre-emption rights in this respect • Provisions relevant to the use by the franchisee of the franchisor's distinctive signs, trade name, trade mark, service mark, store sign, logo or other distinguishing identification • The franchisor's right to adapt the franchise system to new or changed methods • Provisions for termination of the agreement and provisions for surrendering promptly upon termination of the franchise agreement any tangible and intangible property belonging to the franchisor To learn more about franchising and how you can make it work for you, visit the EFF website www.eff-franchise.com.

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Have YOUR SAY

Letters

Letter to the editor

Readers Digest – can this magazine compete?

I was very pleased to hear that I would be able to receive a printed copy of the 4 business magazine to my place of work via the postal system. To my knowledge there aren’t any other magazines of this quality offering this service, I was however disappointed to learn that the article I had written for the health section was not up to standard and that it was more of a sales pitch for my business, on reflection I guess it was so I have re written it and hope to see it in the next edition.

I don’t know if anyone remembers the Readers Digest but their source of information was brilliant and they could be kept for years for reference purposes. Is there any chance that the 4 Business Magazine will be as good? I will be very surprised if it is, although at least someone is trying something different from the normal run of the mill magazines operating along the coast of the Costa del Sol.

I do hope that you allow different people to write the content and that it’s not always going to be the same people writing for certain pages otherwise it will eventually become a sales presentation, as you now know from my attempt at writing an article I am in the health industry and now that I understand the type of content you are after I feel that my contributions will be good reading material.

When I was approached about advertising I was particularly surprised at the cost - 185€ for a full colour, full page advert seems really good value in comparison with the alternatives and with a further 10% on available for 4 business networking members it’s unbeatable value. Even some of the lower quality A5 magazines work out more expensive than this.

I look forward to receiving my first copy in the post and although I will be away when it arrives, I know that I will still be able to read it online. I am particularly looking forward to reading the article on accounting as this is my first year in business and a subject that I need to be clued up on, finally thanks Georgina for talking to me about the content I wrote on the health section, most people would have just pushed it to one side and ignored it but you particular took the time to talk to me about the way it was written and constantly told me how you valued my input.

I am pleased with some of the proposed content for the 4 business magazine and I also have had the opportunity to write in the online section myself, adding more value and authenticity to my advert.

I think it’s great that some small local businesses have been included in writing content. We’re just as knowledgeable as the big boys and the 4 business magazine allows us the chance to show our understanding of the business world alongside the more established businesses.

So a big thanks

Hope you enjoy the piece I wrote for the magazine. If you are interested in learning more about how you and your business can benefit from Social Media, please get in touch.

Letter from - Gabriel, UK Health Connections

Letter from - Justin Parks

Is there a legal expert out there that can help?

Very recently my company was looking to open offices in Spain and Portugal. I believed that as my main company was registered in the UK, I could operate with offices in these two countries and did not have to register separate S.L companies in both Spain and Portugal. However, I have been told that this is not the case and that I will have to apply for S.L companies.

As you can imagine right now I am totally confused, as I thought that with one UK company operating with offices abroad my tax affairs would all be due in the UK. Now I’m not sure where my tax will be due, for instance will I have to pay tax in all three countries, or will it all be paid to the UK tax office? Is there someone that can help me with the answers?

One more question I have is with regards to staff employment. Where will the staff I employ pay their taxes? Will the staff in Spain pay tax in Spain and will the staff in Portugal have to pay tax in Portugal? Once again I thought that if I employ them through the UK company, I would be able to pay them from the UK, thereby keeping things familiar and simple. Is there such a thing in Spain and Portugal as national insurance and if there is how does this work, does anyone know?

Thanks in anticipation Letter from - Will Millington

Helping those new to the Costa del Sol Having lived in the UK until 18 months ago, I have experienced a mix of positive and negative things about life on the Costa del Sol. Unfortunately, I have experienced people “holding back” on useful information, simple advice or recommendations which could have made my life a whole lot easier in a new country.

Is it that those expats who could help any new migrant’s life easier don’t want to share this useful information? Do they think “I had to get on with it so you can too” or did they forget?

If only I had known a bit sooner about the really helpful Spanish guy in Calahonda who could help me get connected with my phone and internet and that recommendations are essential when doing business! It would have been great to be warned that going to the bank can take up a huge amount of time for no apparent reason, told which supermarket is best and the huge extent of distrust amongst people along the Costa del Sol. So for those of you new to the coast, you should know that living here can cost a small fortune for the uninitiated, that different generations may reaction differently to a “new life on the Costa del Sol” and those of us that think it is “easy” may find it is anything but!

Please think who might be looking for that help, but may be afraid to ask. You never know, you might get a huge amount of satisfaction from sharing your experience and knowledge.

Letter from - Natalie Brown

Please send your letters or comments about the magazine to our Editor: georgina@shawmarketingservices.com 58

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Executive jobs

Top LISTINGS Management Accountant Our client is a successful online gaming company with offices in a number of jurisdictions. Due to growth and they are looking for a Management Accountant to join their finance team in Gibraltar.

The role’s duties include: • Preparation of month end management accounts (Income statements, Cash Flow Statements, Balance Sheet and supporting notes) for a group of companies • Produce financial analysis including ratio analysis and key performance indicators of all relevant data • Production of a fully reconciled trial balance • Posting of regular monthly journals • Detailed analysis and reconciliation of control accounts and balance sheet accounts. For more information and an informal conversation apply online for an immediate call back. The full package is dependent on experience.

Commercial Finance Manager

Head of Marketing

Our client is an Online Gaming Company, the right candidate will provide financial analysis to senior management and in particular lead the financial planning, financial reporting and commercial decision support.

Our client, a leading Online Gaming business based in Gibraltar, is looking for a Head of Marketing. Based here, your focus will be to lead a number of Marketing initiatives across their core product range.

Principal Responsibilities: • Responsible for the periodic financial reporting, including interpretation of the results for senior management; • Responsible for the coordination and production of annual plan and periodic forecasts; • Responsible for the identification and establishment of KPIs throughout the organisation integrating these KPIs where appropriate into financial projection models; • Identification and monitoring of Key Performance Indicators and in particular, income, customer and marketing metrics; • Responsible for supporting senior management in the negotiation of key contracts and other business developments, providing financial analysis as appropriate; • Overall responsibility for the financial reporting and control of all IS project accounting, including post implementation audits/benefits tracking; • Responsible for Remote business competitor analysis and comparisons on profitability and other KPIs; • Ad hoc projects as required

Main focus will be on the following: • Develop online products through tailored specialist marketing • Complete responsibility for Online marketing strategy and E-marketing plan including data analysis, audience segmentation and search engine optimisation.

• Responsible for all design and content of communications materials.

• Manage marketing relationships with external agencies.

• Liaising with product team to ensure constant benchmarking and price comparisons.

• Responsible for all internal communications, including content, promotions, frequency, player segmentation and general newsletters.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience: The jobholder should be a qualified accountant, with 5-10 years PQE gained in a commercial role within a large organisation.

Experience of involvement in commercial decisions in a fast moving consumer facing organisation is essential, while involvement in an e-commerce industry would be advantageous.

The jobholder should be precise, analytical and able to work under tight timelines. Experience of managing others is essential. Good communication and persuasion skills are also essential, as is the confidence and gravitas to interact with the senior members of the company. The jobholder must be a good team player with the ability to build effective relationships throughout the organisation. Good systems knowledge is important to the role, as are modelling skills – the role will involve the use of excel, PowerPoint and JDE.

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The successful candidate will possess: •Previous experience within Online Casino/Gaming marketing, including an awareness of analysis techniques and issues.

• Familiar with Online marketing methodologies.

• Direct Marketing skills.

• The ability to think commercially and strategically in developing a clear insight.

• Typically 2 -3 years of Online marketing experience.

• Project management skills, must be able to manage multiple programs at one time.

• Outstanding relationship building, oral, written and interpersonal communication skills.

• Process development skills, ability to keep work flowing, minimising problems or delays.

• Proficient use of MS Office.

For more information on any of the roles above contact Quad Consultancy Limited. Email tom@quadconsultancy.com or call +350 200 44517

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Business Name: Currencies Direct Contact: Keith Spitalnick Business Type: Currenct Exchange Tel: 902 310 444 Web/email: costadelsol@currenciesdirect.com

Business Name: Comput Academy Contact: Peter Grannon Business Type: Computor Training Tel: 951 972 666 Web/email: www.computacademy.com

Business Name: Tibu & Sintillate Contact: Candice Business Type: Promotions Tel: 606 070 979 Web/email: N/A

Business Name: Wave 96 FM Contact: Barry Turner Business Type: Radio Station Tel: 952 562 474 Web/email: www.wave96fm.com

Business Name: Lloyds TSB Contact: Rikke Kruse Business Type: Banking Tel: +350 200 47630 Web/email: www.lloydstsb-offshore.com

Business Name: Reconditioned Laptops Contact: Mathew Gomis Business Type: Reconditioned Laptops Tel: 606 168 382 Web/email: www.emiland.com

Business Name: Harlequin Contact: Dave Edwards Business Type: Sales Training Tel: 652 153 608 Web/email: www.harlequinsalesandmarketing.com

Business Name: ELS International Lawyers Contact: Pascale Fyon Business Type: Lawyers Tel: 952 663 638 Web/email: www.elslegal.com

Business Name: Mercury Internet Contact: Jason Godwin Business Type: Wireless Internet Tel: 951 055 676 Web/email: www.mercuryinternet.com

Business Name: Sovereign Trust Ltd Contact: Darren Whitley Business Type: Financial Services Tel: 0035 0200 76173 Web/email: www.sovereigngroup.com

Business Name: Bankinter Contact: Elena Sanchez Garcia Business Type: Banking Services Tel: 952 811 943 Web/email: www.bankinter.com

Business Name: Crafty Things Contact: Angie Morten Business Type: Beauty Accessories Tel: 952 583 907 Web/email: www.crafty-things.net

Business Name: Orchidea Contact: Svenja Eckmann Business Type: Magnetic Jewellry Tel: 952 904 830 Web/email: www.energetix.tv/s.eckmann

Business Name: Outstanding Services & Events Contact: Silvia Cartegni Business Type: Event Managment Tel: 952 850 791 Web/email: www.outstanding-services.com

Business Name: Body & Health Contact: Sue McClellan Business Type: Weight Management Coach Tel: 652 153 608 Web/email: N/A

Business Name: Del Sol Packaged Contact: Simon Robertson Business Type: Relocation Solutions Tel: 686 783 097 Web/email: www.delsolpackaged.com

Business Name: Best of Marbella Contact: Maria Petrack Business Type: Web Advertising Tel: 627 060 042 Web/email: www.thebestofmarbella.com

Business Name: 4Business Franchising Contact: Dave Edwards Business Type: Business Franchising Tel: 652 153 608 Web/email: www.4businessfranchising.com

Business Name: TTT Estepona Contact: Robina Lambert Lowry Business Type: Business Translations Tel: 952 796 295 Web/email: www.tttestepona.com

Business Name: First Stop Secretarial Contact: Sue Dyson Business Type: Virtual Secretarial Services Tel: 952 573 554 Web/email: www.firststopsecretarial.com

Business Name: Fiduciary Wealth Management Contact: Paul Correa Business Type: Financial/Wealth Advisors Tel: +350 200 50982 Web/email: www.fiduciarywealth.eu

Business Name: Live the HiLife Contact: Sue McClellan Business Type: Privilege Card Discounts Tel: 652 153 608 Web/email: www.livethehilife.com

Business Name: On Targt Contact: Anita Chaperon Business Type: Marketing Consultant Tel: 665 142 421 Web/email: www.ontargt.com

Business Name: C&M Abogados Contact: Regina Martin Gonzalez Business Type: Lawyers Tel: 952 562 439 Web/email: www.eyeprint.es

Business Name: Crazy Cow Media Contact: Trevor Brooks Business Type: Video Production & Media Tel: 664 557 416 Web/email: www.costadelsolvideoproduction.es

Business Name: E-Scriba Contact: Maria del Mar Fernandez Nunez Business Type: Translators Tel: 956 796 212 Web/email: www.e-scriba.es

Business Name: Rose and Clavel Contact: Susana Serrano-Davey Business Type: Chartered Accountants Tel: 952 815 365 Web/email: www.roseandclavel.com

Business Name: This is Spain Contact: Steve Hall Business Type: Web Information Guide Tel: 659 173 108 Web/email: www.thisisspain.info

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