How about Starting a Business in Italy?
Instead of waking up to those dull grey mornings which tend to dominate the UK and one or two other northern European countries, how about waking up to consistently blazing sunshine, and taking a dip in your own pool just to kick things off every morning?
How about starting a business in Italy?
If this appeals, then why not think about starting a business in sunny Italy? ‘No way, I’ve read your blog!’, you might be heard to utter. However, you may be surprised to learn that there are plenty of business opportunities in Italy, especially in the tourism sector. Why? Well, as you may have gleaned from reading Blog from Italy, the Italian way, is not always the right way, and this provides those with budding entrepreneurial spirit with a veritable mountain of opportunities.
Italians are good business people, this is true, but, despite this, many are not exploiting the full potential of their activities, or the regions of Italy in which these activities are situated. And, they don’t know English too well either, which means many simply cannot even begin to consider certain potentially lucrative extras in Italy. And then there is another problem, something which besets business particularly in the south of Italy, and something which leaves a gaping hole. No more on this for the moment!
I’m painting a rosy picture, I know. In actual fact, to get a business off the ground in Italy is not that easy. You will probably need good advice to help you avoid mistakes, and ensure that the all important first year does not eat away all your funding.
Yes, what I am saying is that you really could benefit from help when starting a business in Italy. The trouble is knowing who to turn to for business advice. Well, how about speaking to people who have already been through the mill? People who have set up and currently run a successful business in Italy.
Others Are Doing It, You Can Too
How about Waking up to a view like This?
As you may know from having read the series on expat run bed and breakfasts in Italy, there are a few foreigners who have built themselves successful business activities in some beautiful areas of Italy.
On such pair of expat small business owners in Italy is David and Pam Bates of Villa Sibilini who are in the up and coming Le Marche region of Italy. They have a very nice looking set up, and I hope to be having a closer look round, along with other half, six year old earthquake and, possibly pesky peeing pooch, soon.
I’ve learnt quite a lot about Pam and David, and even managed to meet up with them the other day when they were up here in Milan on business.
David’s New Business Development Skills
David, it transpires, worked in the UK on new business development projects for a major British motoring organisation known as the AA. As you might expect, he used this experience to help get Villa Sibillini off the ground. David admitted to me that he likes nothing more than whiling away hours drawing up business plans, and then fiddling with them until they look promising. He’s a sensible chap too. One of these disciplined people who creates a five year plan, monitors it closely, and sticks to it.
If things do not go according to the business plan, David knows when to pull to plug, and this means saving a company from the unpleasantness of nasty things like bankruptcy. Getting out while the going is still good means that funds should still remain largely intact, or at least not be too badly dented. Always a nice to know.
David also explained to me how he has come to understand how to set up and do business in Italy, and he knows which way to take things to increase chances of success, and which routes may well lead to fund dissolving dead ends. He is also rather intimate with Italian bureaucracy, which tends to bite at both national and local levels in Italy.
The long and the short of it is that David can use his experience to provide lots of useful advice on both how to start up and how to run a company to those looking to own their own business in Italy. He’s a mine of useful business related information, is David bates. The there is Pam, the other half of the Villa Sibillini team.
You can add as many features as you like
Well Done! Let us know how you like the property! We’ll be traveling through that area with our own earthquake(s), although hoping to leave the mutt behind this time.
Thanks Regina!
Early days yet. Still lots of things to sort out, but between us we’ve got some very interesting ideas.
I’m pretty sure I will love Villa Sibillini – I’m no city person really.
And you never know, if you are travelling that way with your little ‘quakes, we may meet up! When are you heading down there? Ideally, I’d like to leave mutt behind – does not want to be house trained, and I would hate it if he peed in someone’s nice hotel or b and b.
Enough of the darn dog!
Must go, want to find some time to have a play with something called Drupal.
Best,
Alex
Enough of the darn dog!
ditto….ughhh !
Ok no more mutt talk!
By the way, I like your alternative to a taxi to and from the airport in Rome. Damned good idea. I’ve heard that Rome’s taxi drivers tend to rip unsuspecting tourists off on the airport run. There was even something about this on Stricia la Notizia a while ago.
Could do with something similar up here in Milan.
Right, must work. Lots to do, no time to do it in. Usual story.
Best,
Alex
Oh, and I forgot. Milan is like an oven at the moment! Which makes work slow.
I feel like a joint of beef – being slowly roasted! Feels like August, not late May!
Have already fired up the air cond, which is unusual in May.
A.
Speaking of air con, I couldn’t resist!
http://www.wheninrometours.com/Articles/Italian-Culture/Italians-and-the-Dreaded-Colpo-DAria.html
OK, adesso basta (as my three year old would say)
Buon Lavoro!
Liked that! And yes, I’ve come across this abject ‘fear of the movement of air’ in Italy. Drafts can be absolutely lethal, apparently.
Sweating can be fatal too, I am assured. By all accounts I should have been dead years ago, for I do tend to sweat rather a lot.
As for cold drinks, I’ve been told that these can cause a seizure if drunk too fast.
And colds and flu are generally caused by viruses, so antibiotics, which kill bacteria, are useless as a cure. Not many Italians seem to know this.
Now you know another reason why I refer to Italy as the Living Museum!
Here is an old chestnut of mine: http://www.blogfromitaly.com/italian-temperatures/
Alex
very nice & interesting. good luck
Does anyone know of any other foreigners who have started a business in Italy? I am looking for advise, and have already email David and Pam but would love the opportunity to talk with as many people as possible… Thanks.
We are opening a consignment shop for children’s clothing in Italy. I have a Partita Iva but it is under the subheading “Culture”. Would it be valid for a used clothing store? What kind of certification do I need to open the store?
Hi Valerie,
I suspect that the ‘Culture’ tag won’t be enough. You’d need to open another pIVA under another category, I imagine, but am not 100% certain.
This is not something I’m well up on – you really need to speak to a commercialista, but you could try by starting with the local chamber of commerce – camera di commercio for your area of Italy. There are also, as I imagine you know, US and UK chambers of commerce in Italy’s larger cities.
How’s your Italian? If it’s OK, then a commercialista in your location should be able to advise you. There are commercialista who speak English in Italy – and you will find some here: http://insidersabroad.dirxion.com/English_Yellow_Pages.asp?SkinId=7.3.5.2&Language=enu
Just search for ‘accountant’ in the city of your choice.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Alex