Working

Did you get help from any particular official organisations or associations?

I don't belong to any organization but now we are on the process of becoming part of the Cervantes association, the official Spanish teaching association. A language school needs two years of work to have  certain credibility. We finally made it successfully and now we will belong to an international network that will put us in an international ground.

What is your business experience/ background/qualifications?

I am licensed in English and Spanish Philology and I have a masters in teaching Spanish for foreigners. I have also worked as a Spanish teacher in different schools and have tried to learn about their business. But the most important thing is that, although my vocation is teaching, I had to run the family business (dental clinics) when I was 23. I had to learn all the aspects of running a business: countability, administration, publicity, hiring and firing people, directing the staff, negotiating stock and any aspect of running a business. We also created a new dental clinic in Sant Feliu, so I learned how to get a business off the ground.

What are the positive aspects about having a business here?

We are Mediterranean, dynamic, flexible and spontaneous. We have a free spirit and Barcelona is, of course, a city of business people since the Roman Empire. Catalans have always been great traders and our city is probably the most dynamic in the Mediterranean.

And the negative aspects?

Banks, papers, the mañana, mañana philosophy and making wrong decisions when chosing people in your staff.

Are there any other useful contacts, tips or information you think....?

Our school is a great point to help people: you'll learn Spanish and Catalan!