I love living on the Costa del Sol and think it’s a brilliant place to raise a family and have a great life, however from a work point of view if can be very frustrating, not to mention baffling when you first arrive. Facts about business, marketing and strategy from other parts of the world do not hold true here and many companies fail before they can get their head around it!

There are a few key points you must understand. Firstly, it’s a very fractured area, broken up into 12 distinct areas, with people not travelling much between the areas, and many nationalities speaking different languages and often living in isolation from each other. Secondly, the population varies wildly throughout the year, with tourism and also residential tourism, and no one is really sure how many people even live here because most foreign residents aren’t registered. Thirdly, although there are lots of signs of wealth, the majority of people here are not wealthy and are very price conscious, often expecting everything for free. Fourthly, and very importantly, no one trusts anyone! Sadly, there have been many unscrupulous people here in the boom days, and people are on their guard when newcomers arrive. This doesn’t mean people aren’t friendly, but as a business you really must prove yourself and establishing a business therefore takes a lot longer.

There are many ways we can overcome these difficulties, so don’t despair, but you need to recognise them and work smart to make sure you can succeed when others have failed.