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Photo by Suzannah Larke
Nunu Rooney
Nunu Rooney, founder of The Vital Touch
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Photo by Suzannah Larke
Louise Melotte
Louise Melotte opened her shop Mujer in April 2007
"Becoming an entrepreneur is as easy as saying, ‘I am an entrepreneur’. But being successful is hard,” according to Scott Doane of Entrepreneurs Network Barcelona, an international networking club where members are encouraged to share experiences of setting up their own businesses. The group has been meeting for more than five years, helping to organise opportunities and information for entrepreneurs here in Barcelona. Despite some daunting challenges, many foreigners faced with poorly paid jobs and a lack of local language skills decide to go it on their own. The number of entrepreneurial efforts undertaken by foreigners is growing, as is the participation of women.
Many people who move here from abroad find the job market more difficult than they had anticipated. Ramon Guardia, from the Catalan Investment agency (CIDEM), says that foreigners often come to Barcelona naively thinking that they will be able to walk into any job. “Even well-qualified professionals from abroad have to compete with Catalans in the same marketplace,” he said. “Catalan companies require anyone applying for a post to speak both Castilian and Catalan. Many foreigners think that speaking English will be enough to find work, and they fail to learn Spanish or Catalan properly. They then find it difficult to enter the workplace except by teaching English or working in call centres where there is always a big demand for foreign workers.”
Many of these foreigners come from countries where entrepreneurs are often lauded and encouraged—people like Richard Branson (Virgin), Stelios Haji-Ioannou (Easyjet) or Bill Gates (Microsoft). The Spanish system often seems to operate with a different set of values. Alex Martin, of Barcelona-based Martin Howard Associates, which helps budding entrepreneurs to set up businesses, said that Spaniards and Catalans do not have much cultural encouragement to become entrepreneurs. “Here there are few small-company tax breaks, or overdraft or financing facilities that don’t come with high demands for guarantees from the banks. Grants are also generally ineffectual. Social security costs are high, and getting on the wrong side of the social security or tax system, by not declaring or paying, is painful and ultimately risky.”
Adriana Llorens, a local Catalan jewellery designer who spent several years in the UK, stressed that there are big cultural differences. “Consumers in London give more importance to having a one-off piece, so they are ready to pay what the item is worth, whereas here they think twice when the price is high, knowing that they could get a similar item in Zara for half price or less. So many people from different nationalities and cultures live in London, which makes the market much more attractive and the chances of success increase. Whilst Barcelona is getting more international, it has still a long way to go in that sense. However, recently the city is helping to promote young entrepreneurs.”
Tania Gauder, from the UK, set up a lingerie company, Curvaciones, here, as she wanted to be able to work and look after her two children. She believes that it is often circumstances which force women into becoming their own bosses. “I think a number of women have become successful entrepreneurs due to
necessity. It is more difficult to obtain a good position working for someone else in a foreign country, especially if you do not speak the language fluently. Obviously in Barcelona it helps if you can speak both Castilian and Catalan. In general, the Spanish working hours are very long and the pay very low. If you are a working mother it is more attractive to set up your own business so that you can be more in control of your hours and income.”
Ten years ago, Nunu Roney, also from the UK, created The Vital Touch, an on-site massage company, and believes that women like her are successful entrepreneurs because they are strong. “Women are very brave in situations of change and survival, plus we’re good at communicating, multi-tasking, etc., so I guess it’s just in us ‘to get on with it’. And Barcelona is a very multi-national, inspiring, passionate and friendly place to set something new up in. I love the challenge.”
Some might say that it can be a little too challenging. Irishwoman Pamela Thompson runs A Mà Terapies, an holistic natural therapy centre in the Eixample. Although now doing well, establishing the business involved a lot of patience. “When people ask me, I respond that opening a business in Barcelona is the best way to lose weight, because there’s so much running around and repetition, mainly regarding paperwork.”
Some find it easier. Louise Melotte, from the UK, opened ‘Mujer’ in April 2007, selling clothes and original products for women in the Sant Pere area of Barcelona, and she said the whole process took her just six weeks. She believes that there are many women like her from the foreign residents’ community who are utilising skills acquired in their home countries to their best advantage. “I hope we are benefiting the people who have always lived here,” she said. “Most women I’ve met who are setting businesses up are foreigners, and they are doing things or bringing products that haven’t been widely available here before. I know from Catalan mums that they are pleased they can now buy things that they may have only seen in the UK, or Scandinavia, or things they never knew existed, and this is wonderful.”
Scott Doane is seeing the number of members in his entrepreneurs’ network grow year on year, and believes that the number of female members is bound to continue increasing. “There is a need to do something to make a living here, as many local companies tend to require Catalan, pay badly and expect you to live with your parents until you are 35. This means that both men and women who want to live here and live well often look for another way of achieving that.”
People who take the risk of moving to another country are by nature more independent and less risk averse, said Doane, and that is the perfect combination for entrepreneurs. “It helps to be hungry, and it helps to be completely dedicated to the cause. Women are often viewed as being good with people in general, which is a very strong plus point as there is little more important in business than people.”
More info:
Adriana Llorens, jewellery designer www.adrianallorens.com
Curvaciones, lingerie for the larger woman
Mujer, original products for women and children
Carders 28
Tel. 93 315 1531
The Vital Touch, on-site massage
Tel. 659 995 657
A Mà Terapies, holistic therapies
Enric Granados 23, 2º 2ª
Tel. 93 451 6572, 651 591 973
Martin Howard Associates, business consultancy
Tel. 93 202 25 34
En-bcn, Barcelona Entrepreneurs club