anyone own a (sucsessful) business in spain?
beach,
i rather thought the emperor's new clothes dealt with people believing
what they want to believe in spite of the facts... not unlike, "ok, i admit to being prejudiced"
you do know the definition of the word, 'prejudiced'... ?
(sort of washes out the credibility of your second paragraph)
as for your businesses... i seem to remember you made the same posting in a similar thread (do you keep 3x5 cards?) and someone asked you what type of businesses you were in and how you made your initial contacts...
i remember you never answered...
since you avoid advertising like the plague - one wonders where you might have accumulated the knowledge that leads you to the blanket conclusion that the 'whole' advertising industry is based upon deceit, exploitation and indoctrination...
i rather thought the emperor's new clothes dealt with people believing
what they want to believe in spite of the facts... not unlike, "ok, i admit to being prejudiced"
you do know the definition of the word, 'prejudiced'... ?
(sort of washes out the credibility of your second paragraph)
as for your businesses... i seem to remember you made the same posting in a similar thread (do you keep 3x5 cards?) and someone asked you what type of businesses you were in and how you made your initial contacts...
i remember you never answered...
since you avoid advertising like the plague - one wonders where you might have accumulated the knowledge that leads you to the blanket conclusion that the 'whole' advertising industry is based upon deceit, exploitation and indoctrination...
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No, on the contrary, I think the story of the emperor's new clothes is based upon the fact that people were afraid to say what they really believed because everyone was saying what they were expected to say in the same way that people are afraid not to advertise because everyone else is doing so. That just about covers indoctrination.
Exploitation? Advertising desirable Christmas presents during children's peak time television from October onwards.
Deceit? Using some form of inedible concoction to advertise mashed potato because the real thing did not look good enough on the television.
These are just some examples that spring to mind. However I admire your wish to defend your former profession.
Over the past year or so I have repeated several postings that I have made in a similar threads. This is inevitable when similar questions arise. What are 3x5 cards? Are they something that advertisers use?
No, I have no idea of the meaning of the word prejudiced. I always make a habit of using words of which I don't know the meaning but I have read nothing so far to dispel my preconceived opinions.
Exploitation? Advertising desirable Christmas presents during children's peak time television from October onwards.
Deceit? Using some form of inedible concoction to advertise mashed potato because the real thing did not look good enough on the television.
These are just some examples that spring to mind. However I admire your wish to defend your former profession.
Over the past year or so I have repeated several postings that I have made in a similar threads. This is inevitable when similar questions arise. What are 3x5 cards? Are they something that advertisers use?
No, I have no idea of the meaning of the word prejudiced. I always make a habit of using words of which I don't know the meaning but I have read nothing so far to dispel my preconceived opinions.
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I personally think it is a bit silly to completely ignore advertising.
That is not to say that you are taken in with all the claims made, but looking at the adverts is a good way of knowing what is available, and at what price.
A number of supermarkets in this area have quite good, but different, bargains each week. If you don't look at their adverts, how do you know what is available.
Anything else seems to me to be head in the sand.
Alan
That is not to say that you are taken in with all the claims made, but looking at the adverts is a good way of knowing what is available, and at what price.
A number of supermarkets in this area have quite good, but different, bargains each week. If you don't look at their adverts, how do you know what is available.
Anything else seems to me to be head in the sand.
Alan
Remember that everything that Fred Astaire did, Ginger Rogers did too; except she did it backwards and wearing high heels!
- claire4james
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OK.....OBVIOUSLY it depends upon the business you start as to whether you need to advertise or not. The local specialist restaurant with fairly low overheads and excellent food and service can afford to do a bit of a lowcost launch (some flyers etc), and then allow for recommendations and repeat customers to cause the business to flourish. My business however DEMANDED high spend on advertising and brand awareness to be able to compete with our competition from day one.
It's horses for courses. As it is anywhere else in the world.
I have to agree with the earlier posting, having the right local business advisors (lawyer, accountant, ad agency etc) is the difference between a quick succcesful launch or a slow painful one!!!
It's horses for courses. As it is anywhere else in the world.
I have to agree with the earlier posting, having the right local business advisors (lawyer, accountant, ad agency etc) is the difference between a quick succcesful launch or a slow painful one!!!
I think it depends on the form of advertising, the ads you see on tv are normally for items produced by huge companies, in this case it would probably be true to say that the tv is more powereful than the strength and integrity of the ad, they're simply using tv to bring this product to your attention whether it's crap or otherwise.
The idea of a group of people called, for instance, Tarquin or Tamara, sitting around a table firing off ideas is complete ****, and these tasks are usually performed by individuals who would be probably be useless in any other area of life, but dont forget the power of the filthy lucre, whilst huge tax breaks are offered for legitimate (is it) business tools, ie advertising, then there will always be someone to take their money.
On the other hand my brother in law is a plumber, he's always driven around in a normal van, last year he bought a new one and at the same time had a nice logo (of a blocked up drain) put on his new van, his business has virtually doubled and he's now employing someone else, so I reckon that form of advertising does work, not that you need a high IQ to invent a logo about a drain!!
The idea of a group of people called, for instance, Tarquin or Tamara, sitting around a table firing off ideas is complete ****, and these tasks are usually performed by individuals who would be probably be useless in any other area of life, but dont forget the power of the filthy lucre, whilst huge tax breaks are offered for legitimate (is it) business tools, ie advertising, then there will always be someone to take their money.
On the other hand my brother in law is a plumber, he's always driven around in a normal van, last year he bought a new one and at the same time had a nice logo (of a blocked up drain) put on his new van, his business has virtually doubled and he's now employing someone else, so I reckon that form of advertising does work, not that you need a high IQ to invent a logo about a drain!!
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No TV, will be doing van to promote myself, its been sadi that van advertising alone accounts for between 20 to 70 of your business, I'll be advertising once I see whats going on down there as I have a few options open to me, I can basically toss between three different lines, maybe I'll do all three like I used to.kevin77 wrote:Look forward to seeing you on the TV, Chris in about six months time. You know one of those 'we escaped the rat race and lived happily ever after' type programmes.
You sound like you have got it all worked out, can we buy shares in your company yet?
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If I may ask, how did you find it in the beginning, was it difficult or do you think you started at the right time in the right place, also, i can understand you not saying what you guys do but what sort of sector do you service, curiousity killed the cat if you know what I mean, I love hearing of people doing well, in your case you sem to be quite proud of the fact.Beachcomber wrote:Advertising is a bit like the King's new clothes. Everyone does it because they feel they ought to.
Cheers
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We started off in Spain in a fairly large but close knit community offering a service that was, fortunately for us, not being offered by anyone else and word just got around that we could do a good job.
I hadn't even intended to start a separate business but some people had a problem which I was able to sort out and, again, word got around among Spanish and British alike plus a few other diverse nationalities. Much of our individual client bases crossed over and in many cases my wife's clients also became mine and vice versa.
We had offers of office space, partnerships and financial backing from estate agents, lawyers and property developers all of which we resisted for obvious reasons.
The only problem was that we ended up paying two lots of social security instead of one which, at that time, represented a far higher proportion of our income than it does now and also found ourselves working far longer hours than we had in the UK.
I am obviously glad that we made it and would have been disappointed if we hadn't but pride doesn't really come into the equation.
I hadn't even intended to start a separate business but some people had a problem which I was able to sort out and, again, word got around among Spanish and British alike plus a few other diverse nationalities. Much of our individual client bases crossed over and in many cases my wife's clients also became mine and vice versa.
We had offers of office space, partnerships and financial backing from estate agents, lawyers and property developers all of which we resisted for obvious reasons.
The only problem was that we ended up paying two lots of social security instead of one which, at that time, represented a far higher proportion of our income than it does now and also found ourselves working far longer hours than we had in the UK.
I am obviously glad that we made it and would have been disappointed if we hadn't but pride doesn't really come into the equation.
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Well i agree with Beachy about advertising,i went down that road when i first came out here (spent a fortune on it)and what replies i got where ridiculous(must think you fell out of a tree),i came down to the coast many times to price up jobs only for nobody to be there at the arranged time and when i rang them up to see where they was,all i got was that they have changed their minds
Well i hope they are all happy because you get what you pay for in this life(if you pay peanuts you get peanuts)
So i stopped advertising and now all of my jobs are by word of mouth.
And yes i'm british workman and i turn up on time and a do a very good job.
Well i hope they are all happy because you get what you pay for in this life(if you pay peanuts you get peanuts)
So i stopped advertising and now all of my jobs are by word of mouth.
And yes i'm british workman and i turn up on time and a do a very good job.
- daneinspain
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Hes trying to say the advertising he did gave him poor quality clients, which is usually purely a coincidence but is sometimes due to advertising in a poor quality or irrelevant publication.
What one has to understand is that business like many things here on the coast is quite different to anything else in the world, just because you ran a succesful chippie in england doesnt mean you can pick up the box, put it here an it will work - no funciona asi. Nor does it mean this is the perfect opportunity for the brickie who worked for a company in england to come down here and start his own company it usually ends in tears either the brickies or the clients crying.
Having said that, if you do want to do it then do it but make sure you have the guts to stick it through and the determination.
As for advertising it is essential for most companies, however there are exceptions. Advertising also has to be done right.
What one has to understand is that business like many things here on the coast is quite different to anything else in the world, just because you ran a succesful chippie in england doesnt mean you can pick up the box, put it here an it will work - no funciona asi. Nor does it mean this is the perfect opportunity for the brickie who worked for a company in england to come down here and start his own company it usually ends in tears either the brickies or the clients crying.
Having said that, if you do want to do it then do it but make sure you have the guts to stick it through and the determination.
As for advertising it is essential for most companies, however there are exceptions. Advertising also has to be done right.
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Advertising is not for all types of companies, ie: my business WILL BE wide spread so I will therefore need to get across to as many people as I can at anytime.daneinspain wrote: Having said that, if you do want to do it then do it but make sure you have the guts to stick it through and the determination.
As for advertising it is essential for most companies, however there are exceptions. Advertising also has to be done right.
A hair dresser can benefit with the odd advert here and there too but Im not sure I would advertise all the time if I were a hairdresser, it greatly depends on the type of business, web designers is another one, now here I would advertise now and then, internet advertising is a waste unless you have your URL plasted all or the place, including invoices etc
Last edited by chrisuk on Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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