| I connected with Mel and Marie just
| |
| | important consideration.5. Please talk to
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| recently, from one webmaster to another,
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| | us about Rio-Frio, the adventure holiday
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| through working on our mutual websites. I
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| | company that you founded. When did you
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| found out that the couple had just
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| | start it?We founded Rio Frio Holidays in
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| recently moved to Spain from Britain and
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| | the summer of 2004, with the intention of
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| set up an adventure travel company that
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| | offering activity holidays and holiday
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| after one only year in business is
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| | accommodation specifically tailored to
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| already doing pretty well.Many of you
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| | the requirements of our guests, whether
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| know already that Spain is one of my
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| | they are individual travellers, families
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| favourite countries, so I absolutely had
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| | or groups.6. What does your company
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| to find out how these Northern Europeans
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| | offer? How is it different from other
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| made the transition into the hot south of
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| | adventure holiday operations? What type
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| Andalucia and how there were adjusting
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| | of people vacation with your company?We
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| personally, socially and with their new
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| | offer holiday accommodation, activity
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| business in this brand new lifestyle.
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| | holidays and training camps for families,
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| Here is what they had to say:1. Please
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| | single travelers, corporate groups and
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| tell us a bit about your background.
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| | groups of sports people. Mel is the main
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| Where are you from, what is your work
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| | guide/coordinator for hiking, mountain
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| background?Mel: I'm from Bedworth,
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| | biking, road cycling and running; other
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| Warwickshire, England. Formerly a coal
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| | activities, such as canoeing, rock
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| miner and policeman.Marie: I'm from
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| | climbing, abseiling and archery and
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| Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern
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| | provided by local Spanish companies.We
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| Ireland, and am a nurse.Prior to moving
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| | have had visits from keen cyclists and
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| to Spain, we lived in Nuneaton,
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| | runners, as well as families wanting a
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| Warwickshire. We have 3 children; Stuart
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| | multi-activity break and people who
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| (19), Niall (15) and Stephanie (14).2.
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| | wanted to do nothing more than relax in
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| How did you come up with the idea of
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| | the garden between visits to Granada,
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| opening an adventure holiday company in
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| | Seville and other sightseeing
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| Spain?Marie: For all of his adult life,
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| | highlights.7. What was it like opening a
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| Mel has been a keen trail runner, cyclist
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| | business in Spain? What processes did you
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| and cross-country skier; the children and
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| | have to go through?Our first step was to
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| myself are also lovers of the great
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| | hire a good accountant ("Gestoria") who
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| outdoors. As a family we had holidayed
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| | took us through the process of
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| all over Europe, including a number of
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| | registering with the Spanish authorities
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| cycling breaks in Spain. Having
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| | as self-employed and helped us with the
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| experienced the local climate, the
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| | bureaucracy of registering the business
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| stunning scenery and the apparently
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| | with the local tourist authorities. He
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| limitless tracks and incredibly quiet
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| | also handles our regular tax returns and
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| roads, moving to Spain to establish our
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| | ensures that we comply with all of the
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| own activity holiday business seemed the
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| | relevant tax and other legislation.8.
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| perfect choice.3. How did you select your
| |
| | Please tell us how the first year has
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| location? What type of property did you
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| | gone for you with your new business. What
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| choose and why? Please talk to us about
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| | has been your biggest challenge of
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| the real estate purchasing process in
| |
| | operating a business in a new country?
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| Spain.Andalucia is the most beautiful
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| | What have been your greatest rewards of
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| part of Spain. We wanted to avoid the
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| | operating this business?The first year
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| mayhem of the coast, but didn't want to
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| | has been fantastic! We have had nothing
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| be more than an hour away from Malaga
| |
| | but positive feedback from all of our
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| airport, in order to reduce the traveling
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| | guests and their comments, to their
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| time for guests. It was then just a
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| | friends and in our online guestbook, have
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| question of drawing a line on a map and
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| | been our best form of advertising.The
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| visiting available properties within that
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| | biggest challenge has been identifying
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| circle.We did a lot of browsing on the
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| | where to spend our marketing budget. We
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| internet, then made appointments with
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| | are constantly receiving calls from sales
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| estate agents to view the properties that
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| | reps trying to sell us advertising space
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| seemed right. We eventually chose this
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| | and it is very difficult to tell which
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| property because of the stunning views,
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| | publications are likely to have the
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| the excellent road access and because,
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| | greatest impact. We are still
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| with only a little work, we were able to
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| | learning!The greatest reward is the
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| convert an outbuilding into a
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| | thanks of the guests and knowing that we
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| self-contained guest apartment.The
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| | have helped someone to have a great
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| purchasing process was relatively simple
| |
| | holiday or helped to put them on track to
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| for us. We granted power of attorney to a
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| | achieving their health or fitness
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| local solicitor, who then handled
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| | goals.9. How good was your knowledge of
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| everything on our behalf. All we had to
| |
| | Spanish when you moved there? How has it
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| do was transfer over the money whenever
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| | improved since then?We barely spoke a
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| it was required. The only aspect of the
| |
| | word of Spanish between us - and even
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| process that we would caution people
| |
| | less Andaluz (the local dialect!)
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| about is the tactics of some of the
| |
| | However, after many hours of hard work,
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| estate agents. Not all of the properties
| |
| | we are all well on the way to learning
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| listed on websites were actually for sale
| |
| | the language now.10. Please tell us about
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| and some of those that were for sale were
| |
| | your interaction with the locals. How
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| only available at a much higher price
| |
| | much contact do you have with local
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| than advertised or were not at all like
| |
| | people? What about the cultural
|
| their descriptions!4. Did you have to do
| |
| | adjustment process, adjusting to Spanish
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| any renovations to the property you
| |
| | culture, coming from England for
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| bought? If so, what was it like to deal
| |
| | yourselves and your children?The children
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| with Spanish contractors and construction
| |
| | went straight into the local Spanish
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| workers?We had to convert a building with
| |
| | secondary school. Unfortunately, the
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| 2 very basic rooms and 2 shed type rooms
| |
| | recent influx of British children has
|
| into the guest accommodation. However, we
| |
| | left the school struggling to
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| were able to do a lot of the work
| |
| | cope.Outside of school, things are much
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| ourselves and only employed builders for
| |
| | better. Our Spanish neighbours and
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| the more skilled tasks. We have learned
| |
| | friends are terrific; there is a real
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| that there are good and bad builders
| |
| | sense of community in our village and,
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| amongst the Spanish and the British
| |
| | through Mel's membership of the local
|
| builders working locally, but only a
| |
| | cycling club, we have developed a wide
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| properly registered firm does work with
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| | network of Spanish friends.
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| any sort of guarantee. And that is an
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| |
|
