Computers and IT in Tenerife

If you run a business in Tenerife, then you will probably be aware that there are some skills shortages on the island, and one of these areas is in the implementation and support of IT systems.  There are many self acclaimed computer experts, but your network and computer system will probably form the backbone and nerve centre of your business and is not an area where you should compromise.  When technology goes wrong, it makes a direct impact on your bottom line, and in some cases it may even spell disaster.

Choosing a developer in Tenerife

Clearly some caution needs to be exercised in choosing to purchase a property off plan.  There are a number of factors that contribute to the success of a development: developer, architects, builders, contractors and the estate agents, or promoter themselves, whose role it is to sell and market the property.  Communication issues between all these parties can often lead to problems. 

Home Insurance

If you own a property and have a mortgage, then your bank will have insisted that you take out an insurance policy to cover the building in case of damage, or even destruction.  In many cases these policies will include contents insurance as well.  These are not necessarily the most comprehensive, nor the best value for money and an independant quote is worth getting.  When dealing with an insurance agent, communication is vital, espacially when it comes to making a claim.

Planning your business

English speaking expatriates may originally have restricted themselves to one or two industries such as running a bar or renting out apartments, but times have certainly changed.  We own schools, shops, health practices, newspapers, building companies, insurance brokers, companies that sell, lease or repair vehicles, travel companies, a myriad of different services: in fact the list is a very long one, and growing with each passing year.  Like anywhere, the keys to starting a successful business in Tenerife are research and planning, as well as finding a niche that is sufficiently lucrative to support you.  A good advisor is essential.

Working in Tenerife

Perhaps the biggest challenge that faces most new arrivals in Tenerife is finding employment.  Limited opportunities, a language barrier, unrealistic expectations and competition can conspire to wear down your determination.  In many ways, it is the initiation ceremony to a life in Tenerife; get past it and you can look forward to a sunny future.   The Tenerife Lifeline book is an invaluable guide to your rights and obligations as a worker in Tenerife, whether you are employed or elf employed.   It will also help you to make an informed choice when employing the services of an advisor.

Buying a business in Tenerife

Buying a business in Tenerife requires research, careful attention to detail and heaps of common sense.  Tenerife Lifeline covers the purchase process; taking you through which documents you need including the opening license, the traspaso, contracts, outstanding debts and bills, lawyers, notaries and using a business transfer agent.Using a specialist business transfer agent will be a definite boost to your progress, and you will benefit from a real insight into running a business on the island. 

Opticians and Ophthalmology

All opticians are private and there is no free eye care.  Prices for glasses and lenses will tend to be more expensive than those in the UK as there are no very large chains offering second pairs of glasses free.  Most opticians in the more cosmopolitan areas of the island speak sufficient English to get you through an eye test, even if your Spanish is minimal.  However, the glasses and contact lenses sold by opticians increasingly seem like the technology of yesteryear as the medical science of ophthalmology comes of age.  Nowadays, costs of surgical intervention are so low, with many operations performed in a matter of minutes, that there is hardly any reason not to consider a more permanent solution to bad eyesight.

Dental care

Oral healthcare in Tenerife is almost entirely private, with only a limited service provided by the state system for children and emergencies.  With private healthcare, of course, you will have to pay the total cost of treatment, however dental care in Tenerife certainly costs less than countries like the UK.  This is one factor that brings an increasing number of ‘medical tourists’ to the island.  But even more important is that the quality of dental care that can be found in a few centres of excellence here is of the highest standard, on par with the best clinics in the world. Although Tenerife has excellent oral healthcare facilities, not every dentist falls into that category, so you should take care in making a choice. 

Tax and accounts in Tenerife

As in any country, there are legal and conventional ways to ensure that you pay as little tax as possible and much of your ability to do so will rely on the skill and attentiveness of your fiscal advisor.  Accountancy is not simply a matter of tallying the books and record keeping: an experienced advisor should be able to save you money in the long term, as well as offer advice based on the accumulated knowledge of many other businesses like your own.  There is an enormous amount of potential to minimise your tax liabilities.  To take the best advantage, a business needs to be aware of what potential incentives there are and take these into account at all stages of business planning.  That means getting good advice and taking care to select the right asesoria.

Choosing an Advisor in Tenerife

Most expats who register into the system will use a gestor or professional advisor to help them do so.  This tends to be the most practical way to get settled, as there are so many things to think about and do when you first arrive, that you may not have time to stand in queues, waiting for hours.  Using a good advisor will ensure that you have not missed anything out – crucial for your own peace of mind, and security against future surprises.  There are all sorts of people who would be willing to help you with your basic paperwork, for a fee.  You must ensure that they are qualified to do so, or else you may find yourself having to pay someone else later to rectify their mistakes. 

Furnishing your home

You can achieve wonders with the right choice of furniture, not only to the look and style of your home, but also its comfort and practicality.  Of course only a few of us have the luxury of starting with a blank canvas.  Unless they are new, homes in Tenerife are normally sold furnished, and though we may have loved the property and its location, often we are taking on an interior design disaster.  But even in the worst circumstances, a sharp and experienced eye can produce huge changes at a small cost.  There are differrent environmental and lifestyle considerations in furnishing a Tenerife home, so you will need to throw away some of your clold weather ideas.

Television options

The most popular way to receive UK television is by satellite using a Sky decoder.  There are various sizes of dish available and your choice will affect which channels you receive.  There are aso alternatives to Sky, such as the Showtime card.  Satellite installers have suffered a rocky reputation in Tenerife and problems with TV receptions tend to send many expats into a blind panic.  In choosing an installer, you should choose one that is well established, with a history of successful installations and who you can rely on to still be in business if anything should go wrong. 

DIY in Tenerife

The number of ferreterías dotted around the island is a testament to the fact that DIY is an island wide preoccupation.  Not to be left out, expats are just as enthusiastic DIY-ers as anyone else – perhaps even more so.  However, improving your Tenerife home will mean refining some different skills than the ones you may have been used to in the UK or Ireland.  If you are tackling a project of any size, you will proabably save money using a tool hire company.

Death in Tenerife

Death is about the only thing that you can feel absolutely confident is going to happen to you.  As expatriates, we probably have even more of a responsibility to ensure that we have planned for it.  If not, family and dependants may find themselves in a very expensive and time consuming battle if your assets are to be passed on.  Even worse, you may put them in a position where they will have to pay thousands in funeral expenses, as well as the trial of dealing with an unfamiliar system in a foreign language.  It does not take much to prepare, and although you may not directly benefit, your next of kin will thank you. 

Using a Lawyer in Tenerife

Often estate agents will advise that you do not need to use a lawyer; they might employ some administrative staff to handle the conveyancing process.  A surprising number of transactions meet problems, and in these cases are best handled by a lawyer.  Estate agents have been known to ‘paper over the cracks’ when met with inconsistencies in their enthusiasm to make the sale happen.  Often a problem may not rear its ugly head for years, in which case the agent may yet have planted some time-bombs.  Basically, if an agent advises you not to use a lawyer: find another estate agent!

Marketing in Tenerife

Marketing works the same in Tenerife as anywhere else in the world.  You will need to find the right message to appeal to your potential customers and the best medium to deliver it.  The fastest growing and, for many businesses the most economical, form of promotion is the internet.  Whereas other forms of marketing may be an option, an effective website for most businesses is a necessity.  Finding a good website designer however need not be a complicated issue.

Transferring Currencies in Tenerife

In the last few years it has become much cheaper to move money from one currency to another because of the emergence of specialist currency companies.  These cost savings do not just apply to large movements and currency exchanges, such as transferring money to buy a property.  If, for instance, you receive a pension from the UK or any other form of income, then using these companies can save large amounts over time.

Travelling abroad

The most frequent trip made by expats is the one that takes them back to their own country.  Whatever our reasons for visiting the ‘old country’, many of us forget that we are no longer residents of the UK or Ireland, and as such we are not protected in the same way that we were when we lived there. Whether visiting the UK, Ireland or any other country, you will need to take out some form of travel insurance.  Many expats take out policies through flight booking websites and UK travel agents, unaware that they may not be covered. 

Choosing an Estate Agent in Tenerife

Estate agency is a much maligned occupation everywhere in the world, and Tenerife is no exception. The importance of avoiding incompetent and unscrupulous agents can hardly be overstated. Some of the biggest risks that buyers run are a result of the competence and attitude of the estate agent. Fortunately there are professional, proficient and ethical agents in the market, but the challenge is to know how to find them.

Problems ‘back home’

A legal problem that haunts you from your previous life can snowball into an expensive and stressful exercise and is generally best nipped in the bud using a lawyer in Tenerife, qualified to practice in the country you came from.  However, you should exercise caution in doing so as there are all sorts of people willing to give legal advice, and not all will be qualified to do so. 

Building a home

Lifeline survey results indicate that more than one in twenty of us have built or are in the process of building our own homes; a far higher proportion than any sample of the general population.  Despite being willing to take a risk, optimists have to be firmly grounded when taking on a project such as building a home.  Choosing the right builder is fundamental to a scuccessful project.

Lawyers in Tenerife

The Spanish legal system is quite different from what you are used to and you cannot assume that the law will be the same in Tenerife as it is in the UK or Ireland.  By far the best use of an abogado, or lawyer, is to guide you and help to prevent you landing in trouble, rather than trying to get you out of it, after the event.  A perennial problem for any expat is finding a good lawyer.  With the difference in language, culture and law, it can be difficult to exercise sound judgment.  Nevertheless there are a number of factors that can help to guide you: