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87 Blog results found for 'Business'
By The Equalizer - Sat 21st Dec 2013
Ten years ago the UK’s Road Haulage and Removals industry were able to use their initiative and capitalise on a reasonably unique set of circumstances and carve out a very lucrative niche for themselves ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sun 8th Dec 2013
This past weekend I had the misfortune to be stuck in an airport lounge for a couple of hours en-route to a business meeting somewhere, with nothing but one of those God-forsaken glossy “Spanish Lifestyle” Magazines for ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 8th Nov 2013
Even the most basic of students of the English language will be familiar with the idiom "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime" ... more
By Simon Costa - Tue 30th Jul 2013
Relations between Spain and Gibraltar have always been fragile, regardless of the fact that Gibraltar employs, at a minimum, 7000 Spanish workers who cross the frontier on a daily basis ... more
The Co-operative Bank reassured pensioners that their investments were safe a month before announcing plans to slash their savings as part of a last-ditch bail-out ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sat 6th Jul 2013
It might not come any great surprise, but I have never been spotted on the red carpet with Jean Paul Gaultier. Nor have I exchanged Christmas cards with Posh Spice, and I dare say that I am not in Gok Wan’s i-Phone ... more
By The Equalizer - Fri 10th May 2013
Saturday, 11th May 2013 marks the 2nd anniversary of the devastating double earthquakes which struck Lorca in relatively quick succession in 2011 ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sun 5th May 2013
Since having a couple of ankle-biters, I get the opportunity to travel - for pleasure at least – about as often as a French Soldier sees front-line action ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sun 28th Apr 2013
There are few certainties in both the British and Spanish media ... more
By The Equalizer - Thu 4th Apr 2013
Last week – the 24th of March – marked the 2nd anniversary of the opening of the new terminal building at Alicante’s El Altet airport.
The date coincided with the launch of the 2011 Summer season and both AENA and the ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 15th Mar 2013
Over the course of the last 6 months I have been fortunate / unfortunate enough to have travelled abroad on business, where I have had to pitch various projects to Engineers in Germany, Hungary, Greece, Ireland, Kuala Lumpur ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 1st Mar 2013
And before anyone gets all defensive with me, note the ironic use of the speech marks ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 14th Feb 2013
Looking back, I think that the first time I ever became aware of the very existence of a country called Spain was during the Football World Cup of 1982 ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Wed 7th Nov 2012
What is going on in the world at the moment that has caused "Charities" to polarise into 2 totally different entities ? ... more
By Jaime Vives, Wincham Consultants Limited - Wed 24th Oct 2012
Our clients were aware of the problem that would face their family upon their deaths and the fact that they may have to pay Inheritance Tax both in their country of domicile and in Spain. Spanish law dictates that the ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 5th Oct 2012
Let me explain, before any of my many detractors shoot me down in flames and remind me that I am spouting unfounded crap again :
The Spanish (in my opinion at least ... more
By Malcolm Roach M.I.C.M, Wincham Consultants Limited - Wed 12th Sep 2012
Most owners are not aware that their beneficiaries and their estate may have to pay Inheritance Tax both in their country of domicile and in Spain. Spanish law dictates that the beneficiary of your estate must pay tax on the ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sun 26th Aug 2012
I’ve just realised that the 31st of August is Tumbit’s 3rd Birthday ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Tue 7th Aug 2012
News from Spain's National Institute of Statistics (INE) released over recent days has demonstrated two disturbing things ... more
By The Equalizer - Tue 26th Jun 2012
With all the doom and apparent impending gloom surrounding the global financial sector, it seems many have missed an opportunity to gloat over the woes of banks and the sheer brilliance of credit downgrades they are being ... more
By The Equalizer - Tue 12th Jun 2012
It has taken approximately 48 hours for me to calm down and be peeled from the ceiling after hearing the news that Spain has officially asked for a bailout from the b-euro-cratic zone (Eurozone) ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Wed 9th May 2012
Love them or hate them, it seems that everybody has an opinion about Facebook ... more
By Stephen Ward BA (Econ), ACII, APMI, APFS, AIFP, Premier Pension Solutions SL - Thu 19th Apr 2012
The period from August 2011 to April 2012 has seen a period of significant but controlled change in the QROPS marketplace ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 6th Apr 2012
It is just over one year since Alicante's El Altet Airport celebrated the opening of its 20 Million Euro new terminal building, which I blogged about when catching one of the first commercial flights from the airport open to ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 6th Jan 2012
If there is one thing that fills me with dread, as it did when we lived in the UK, it is the yearly pilgrimage to spend a full day at a shopping-centre which shall not be named ... more
By Stephen Ward BA (Econ), ACII, APMI, APFS, AIFP, Premier Pension Solutions SL - Thu 29th Dec 2011
So That’s another year gone! A year ago we were brave enough to make some predictions about what we thought might happen in 2011 with the promise to revisit them to see how right or wrong we were.
... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 2th Dec 2011
After living here in Spain for as long as I have, the things that I miss about living in the UK get fewer and fewer. Infact, there are no material possessions or consumables that I can think of that I simply can't live ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 18th Nov 2011
If there was one thing that would set aside a Brit from a Spaniard more than anything else it would probably be their attitude to queuing ... more
By The Equalizer - Wed 2th Nov 2011
December the 6th in Spain is celebrated as Constitution Day in the majority of Regions, where offices and medium to large businesses are obliged to close to observe the fiesta ... more
By Robert Burns BA (Hons), FCCA , Cert PFS, Premier Pension Solutions SL - Mon 24th Oct 2011
A couple of weeks ago, the Bank of England (BoE) surprised the financial markets by announcing that it was embarking on a second round of quantitative easing (QE) ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 14th Oct 2011
Living in Spain inevitably means that a lot of time is spent outside - especially during the summer months, and as such watching any TV at, let alone British TV, is a rarity ... more
By David Goodall - Thu 13th Oct 2011
In July 2011, the EU announced the names of the eight banks which failed the ’stress tests’ to measure how each institution could copy with a challenge to its liquidity, Of those 8 who failed none of them were British ... more
By The Equalizer - Sat 8th Oct 2011
Dia de Hispanidad - or 'Spanish Day' - is celebrated throughout Spain and the Spanish speaking world to celebrate the anniversary of the date when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the new world : October 12th 1492 ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 6th Oct 2011
I badly needed to renew some UK documentation, and so with my parents coming over for a few days last week, I decided to seize the moment and do it there and then, giving me the opportunity to send the information back with ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 29th Sep 2011
Now is not the time or place for me to bore you with all the details of how I came to end up in Spain (although if you really must know you can read the whole sorry episode by clicking HERE). However, it seems a good enough ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 8th Sep 2011
I am not, never have been, never claimed to have been and never will be an expert on business marketing. But I do like to think that I have a reasonable amount of common sense and business experience to know when something ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 19th Aug 2011
As much as I love living in Spain and the Spanish, it winds me up that not one of them could organise a prayer in a Mosque.
And this observation of mine was demonstrated with staggering (in)efficiency at the yearly ... more
By Jo Green - Thu 11th Aug 2011
One of the biggest and most important days of the fortnight long Summer Fiesta is Parade day ... more
By Robert Burns BA (Hons), FCCA , Cert PFS, Premier Pension Solutions SL - Thu 11th Aug 2011
Over the last couple of years we and others have written numerous articles about the ability of non-UK residents in particular to transfer their UK pension rights to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS), ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 24th Jun 2011
The Ayatolla and I have been quite fortunate in our move to Spain, in that the vast majority of our visitors have always been thoughtful and respectful and have never really taken advantage of the 'free holiday' in any way ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 10th Jun 2011
The teenagers, otherwise known as 'da massiv' in my village are an odd bunch. Like many teeneagers in the UK, they seem to wish to completely turn their backs on their own culture and instead make a ham-fisted attempt at ... more
By Stine Kuskner - Tue 31st May 2011
Wow, talk about a surreal day! This morning I went to pick up a high-chair at someone's house who I barely know. She's one of the moms in the older kid's mommy-group, we met a few times. Though I hardly know her, I gave her ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sat 14th May 2011
The last time I was back in the UK and staying at my parents for a week, I was surprised to hear one day that my Mother had planned to visit a '1940's weekend' in one of the villages closeby ... more
By Stephen Ward BA (Econ), ACII, APMI, APFS, AIFP, Premier Pension Solutions SL - Wed 27th Apr 2011
One of the strangest things we encounter from clients referred to us is their knowing very little about their pension rights. Often we have to dig quite deep to work out what there is. For most however, the exercise is ... more
By Robert Burns BA (Hons), FCCA , Cert PFS, Premier Pension Solutions SL - Mon 4th Apr 2011
WELL ANOTHER Budget has come and gone and the usual rumours about the new government changing the legislation as it relates to QROPS prove once again to be ill founded ... more
By Mark Roach, Wincham Consultants Limited - Thu 31st Mar 2011
WINCHAM WAS the runner up in the AIPP Awards 2011 announced in London at ‘A Place in the Sun Live’, Earls Court on Friday 11th March. Wincham was nominated in the category of ‘Most Outstanding Example of Customer Service’ ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 18th Mar 2011
If you are waiting for the punch line you're going to be disappointed ... more
By Malcolm Roach M.I.C.M, Wincham Consultants Limited - Thu 10th Mar 2011
We are pleased to announce that we have been shortlisted for the AIPP Awards 2011 ahead of the presentation ceremony in London at 'A Place in the Sun Live' on Friday 11th March where the winners names will be revealed ... more
By The Equalizer - Thu 24th Feb 2011
I know what you are thinking : this guy is neither Spanish, nor a smoker so what authority is he on waffling on about the subject of smoking in Spain - or smoking anywhere for matter ? ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 11th Feb 2011
If I pick up another expat newspaper or magazine, or log onto another expat website here in Spain and see yet another 'discount card' on offer I refuse to be held responsible for my actions ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 4th Feb 2011
I want to propose a study to further my theory that most of the Spanish hibernate for the winter ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 21st Jan 2011
Following on from my problems in attempting to spend some of my hard earned cash a couple of months ago (click to read "Everything but the bathroom sink"), my well-intentioned attempts to single-handedly rescue the ailing ... more
By Cheryl Summers, Telitec Communications - Wed 24th Nov 2010
We are often approached for advice on our best mobile phone package for clients who may travel between Spain and the UK often, and those who make regular calls to the UK on their mobile phone ... more
By Neil Harrodine, Telitec Communications - Thu 21st Oct 2010
We offer 3 different ways to get you connected to the internet : ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 14th Oct 2010
Perhaps the differences between Spanish and British culture are more apparent in a Bar or Coffee shop than in any other situation and anywhere else in the world ... more
By Steve Rowlands, Golden Leaves Limited - Tue 12th Oct 2010
1. Why should I buy from Golden
Leaves? ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Wed 6th Oct 2010
I think that it was Bob Hope who said that 'A game of Golf spoils a good walk'. I know I'm paraphrasing, and to be honest with you I can't really be bothered to spend literally seconds browsing Google to confirm whether I'm ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 24th Sep 2010
Do you see what I did there ? - I took the name of a popular cookery reality TV programme and cleverly used a play on words - with recourse to a pun - to make it into the title of my recent blog ?..... No...? ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Mon 16th Aug 2010
Our local fiestas take place over the first two weeks of August every year. Always the same – this has been the case over at least the last 30 years – maybe even more. I suppose what I am getting at is this – that they don’t ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sun 8th Aug 2010
There seem to be hundreds of well-meaning travel websites and holiday guides out there who paint a rosy picture of the idyllic Spanish fiesta, but in all my years in Spain I have never once come across this stereotype – if ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Wed 7th Jul 2010
A couple of months back the Mrs and I made one of our few pilgrimages back to the UK to take our daughter to see the grandparents. Naturally, we took advantage of having the babysitting service to hand and had a rare night ... more
By Mark Roach, Wincham Consultants Limited - Tue 29th Jun 2010
Paul Austen, Chartered Accountant and Associate of Wincham Consultants discusses some of the Tax updates in last weeks Emergency Budget which may have an effect on our Spanish Tax solutions of UK Company ownership for ... more
By Jo Green - Fri 23rd Apr 2010
You can read my previous blog about my ongoing problems with Suma via this link Suma property taxes bring a nasty surpise ... more
By Jo Green - Thu 1st Apr 2010
Over here in Spain children are able to start school as early as three years old. Well it’s not ‘proper school’, but it is actually called ‘pre-school’ and this is usually for 3 – 6 year olds and leads nicely into primary ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 18th Mar 2010
You would have thought that in this day and age, that choosing, buying and keeping a mobile phone would be pretty straightforward – anywhere in the world ... more
By Barry Floyd, Golden Leaves Limited - Mon 15th Feb 2010
As with any financial commitment, it is only natural - and strongly advised, to scrutinise the finers points of the service that you are interested in. As such, here are just a few of the common FAQ's that our many clients ... more
By Malcolm Roach M.I.C.M, Wincham Consultants Limited - Thu 3rd Dec 2009
In essence, your Domicile is the country which you consider is your permanent home.
This does not mean that it is the cou ... more
By Malcolm Roach M.I.C.M, Wincham Consultants Limited - Fri 20th Nov 2009
12.) If I am looking to purchase a property in Spain can I make any savings?
< ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Mon 2th Nov 2009
Speaking as little Castellano as I do, it should probably come as no surprise to anybody that regional languages frustrate me. It seems to me to sometimes be a conspiracy between the native Spanish to raise the bar to ensure ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Mon 26th Oct 2009
I don’t expect a bowing and scraping sycophant to serve me whenever I enter a shop or some other business in order to part with my hard earned cash - nor do I expect gushing gratitude from the owner of the business, or his ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 11th Sep 2009
I already held a currency exchange account with a different broker, but for whatever reason, I had taken the decision to place my business with a broker who had a better understanding of my circumstances. My old account with ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sun 30th Aug 2009
A couple of years back, in my wilder and more Niave days, I sufferred a completely avoidable nightmare when undertaking a currency exchange ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 20th Aug 2009
In nearly every line of business throughout the world there is a high standard of regulation to prevent mis-representation and false advertising. Why is it, I wonder, that the airline Industry (With one particular Irish ... more
By Jo Green - Fri 14th Aug 2009
The biggest problem for us by far in August is the fact that most things shut down entirely for a whole month - in fact pretty much all manufacturing, Industry and commerce grinds to a complete halt for the whole of August ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sat 8th Aug 2009
Anybody who has been living in Spain for more than a few weeks will know that Telefonica is a dirty word. Even my Spanish friends know that they are a fantastic example of how not to run a company and how to alienate your ... more
By Jo Green - Thu 6th Aug 2009
I was back at work 6 days after giving birth. My Partner had a legal contract with his employer and so as a new father he had a compulsory number of days to take , so he had Paternity leave while I wasn't eligible for ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 6th Aug 2009
Ask any of the armchair experts propping up the bars around Spain for their advice on anything concerning British TV and how to get it, and I'll bet you will be bombarded with a multitude of varying Information. The problem ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Sun 2th Aug 2009
Anybody over the age of 25 will doubtlessly be able to look back at their childhood with dewey eyed nostalgia - to a time when a ball and a cardboard box held more interest than a game boy.
Growing up in the 70's, a game ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 23rd Jul 2009
George Orwell famously wrote “ Every man is equal - but some are more equal than others… “ in his book Animal Farm. Scholars say that this quote, and indeed the book as a whole, is an allegory referring to Communism. At ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Thu 16th Jul 2009
If I had the energy and inclination to look up on Google who it was that first quoted the phrase " Only two things in life are certain - Death and Taxes..." then I would do so, but unfortunately I have just returned from my ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Tue 7th Jul 2009
It is pretty well documented throughout the world by now, that the majority of developed Nations are in the middle of a downturn in the economy. Governments and other enterprises are having to evolve and adapt in order to ... more
By Mr Grumpy - Fri 3rd Jul 2009
With there not being a Correos (Post Office) in the local village, we have had a Buzon (Post Office Box) located in one of the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) buildings for just over 2 years. When we registered for it we were told ... more
By Tony Green - Tue 30th Jun 2009
We have seen some extreme changes in the Euro/Pound exchange rate over the past couple of years which has had a bearing on most of us in some way or another ... more