guide for good practices
Transcripción
guide for good practices
Framed project in the Euroempleo program Turn your idea into a business GUIDE FOR GOOD PRACTICES For the Town Hall of Roquetas de Mar and for me as the Major, it is a matter of satisfaction to present this "Guide for Good Practices" made within the Euro-employment programme EUR-021 in which, once again, we are aimed at promoting self employment and company creation, at initiative of our Town Hall and with co-financing from the Employment Service of Andalucía (Servicio Andaluz de Empleo) and the European Social Fund (Fondo Social Europeo), together with our partners in Amadora (Portugal) and Brussels (Belgium). At these so particularly difficult moments, Public Administrations are to be involved looking for good practices in order to help a collective which has been severely affected by the crisis such as young people, women, immigrants and people over 45 years old, collectives presenting higher risk of exclusion in these present circumstances. Since we began the Local Agreement on Employment in Roquetas de Mar in 2008, many programmes at European level have been started having good results, each one according to its mission. This one has resulted in the development of a web page (www.euroempleoroquetas.es and www.euroempleoroquetas.com) where information for those who want to start a company and need global advice is provided. On the other hand, this Guide for Good Practices, with comprehensive information, as it collects information needed for self-employment in a practical and useful manner. I expect this guide to be useful and I encourage you to put it into practice, these times need it and do not hesitate that, from this Town Hall of Roquetas de Mar, we will always be ready to provide assistance, within our means, in the creation and consolidation of employment, so necessary for developing the well-being of all peoples. With kind regards, GABRIEL AMAT AYLLÓN MAJOR-PRESIDENT OF THE TOWN HALL OF ROQUETAS DE MAR The current economic situation has turned entrepreneurship into a more attractive outlet for those people who are unemployed or if employed, they have a business idea and want to implement it being their own bosses. In order to be successful, entrepreneurs should have certain qualities such as motivation, effort, patience…and a feasible project. But now, more than ever before, they need advice, training and support and it is the Public Administration responsibility to support them to make their ideas a reality. The project Aprende Emprende Network, is an example of how such administrations collaborate with this common objective. Within the Euro-employment project, this initiative has been promoted by the Town Hall of Roquetas de Mar and co-financed by the Economy, Innovation, Science and Development Regional Department of the Regional Government of Andalucía and The European Social Fund with 170,000 euros. Thanks to this project, we have known several interesting experiences and methodologies for work which are being carried out in other regions and countries in the European Union - specifically in the Portuguese region of Amador and in the Belgium capital -Brussels - which can be applied in Andalucía. This manual, apart from providing entrepreneurs with practical information for their business idea to be started, collects the good practices found in the studio visits to the European partners of the Aprende Emprende Network. Some of the most interesting ones are: entrepreneurship spirit promotion among schoolchildren, temporary assignment of commercial spaces belonging to the municipality to new companies of young artists and artisans, the creation of cooperation networks between entrepreneurs and experienced business people all over Europe, promotion of personalized training for employment applicants or the generation of spaces where young entrepreneurs can put their business ideas into practice, with direct contact with the public, and being supported by experienced business people. Projects like Aprende Emprende Network are useful for us to verify that policies on employment promotion boosted by The Regional Government of Andalucía, are on the right track and in our partners' line of work, as we have been long developing actuations similar to those good practices detected like the programme for the entrepreneurship spirit promotion among schoolchildren, Senior project with which retired businesspeople help new businesspeople, personalized itineraries for labour insertion for unemployed people or Supporting Centres for Business Development where expert technicians provide useful information to start their companies, advice for carrying out feasibility plans, set up and manage the new company, incentives and financing for the first push needed at the beginning of the company and the possibility to use offices and premises free of charge for 18 months. To finish, I would like to take advantage of the opportunity these lines offer me to put at the disposal of those people who want to start their own business, the resources the Regional Economy, Innovation, Science and Development Department has in the province, for ideas not to be kept in a drawer due to lack or support, like 26 Supporting Centres for Business Development in the province of Almería, 13 offices of the Employment Service of Andalucía and the centres of Andalucía Advices. Adriana Valverde Tamayo Territorial Delegate for the Economy, Innovation, Science and Development Regional Department of the Regional Government of Andalucía Pag. 10 2. TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: Amadora (Portugal) 1. Practice carried out by the City Council of Amadora. 2. Practice carried out by the Cabinet of Professional Insertion .(GIP) 3. Visit to the AFID association. 4. Practice carried out by "Escola Intercultural das Profissões e do Desporto da Amadora". Pag. 16 Pag. 34 3. TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: Brussels (Belgium) 1. Programmes developed by the LUDEN Association (aka QeC-ERAN). 2. Practice observed in "Guichet d'Economie Locale" of Centre Dansaert. 3. Experience of good practice in MicroMarkt MicroMarché. 4. Policy on good practices carried out by the municipality of Saint-Josse, in the Northeast of Brussels. 4. SELECTION OF INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYMENT GOOD PRACTICES 1. Amadora Empreende (Amadora Means Business) 2. Erasmus for young business people. 3. Cabinet of Professional Insertion. 4. Intercultural School of Professions. 5. Micromarkt Micromarché Pag. 58 5. SHORT GUIDE FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT. STEPS FOR CREATING YOUR BUSINESS PLAN. 1. Searching the idea . The seed 2. The market. Land to be cultivated. 3. The product or service . Fruit to be obtained. 4. The business plan . The fertilizer for the seed. 5. Human Resources. People 6. Financing. Water to grow 7. Legal aspects. Permission for cultivation 8. Some ideas. We start to harvest Pag. 64 6. ADDRESSES OF INTEREST Pag. 118 TURN YOUR IDEA INTO A BUSINESS GUIDE FOR GOOD PRACTICES CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION. The challenge starts 1. Euro employment programme 2. Guide objectives 3. Advantages when undertaking 1 INTRODUTION The challenge starts Self-employment, more than a trend, is a reality in many countries. In Spain, self-employment is a way to face the economic situation and a way for employment generation. For you, a future business person, the challenge to set up your own business starts, setting out your guidelines and procedures, making your dreams come true and contributing to your community economic wealth. In order to do that, you have to be ready for changes, adversities, surprises… giving one's all and later achieving your goals. Turning your idea into a business is an exciting challenge. Be ready to give one's all. The way to undertake is not easy but not impossible. Training, information, will and motivation are required. If you take the decision to start your own business , you can follow the Guide for Euro employment Good Practices which will help you resolve doubts and think about several matters. Guide for Good Practices 10 INTRODUCTION 1.1. Euro employment programme Euro employment (eur-021) is a programme belonging to the network Red Aprende-Emprende, organized by Roquetas de Mar Town Hall and co financed by the Regional Department of Economy, Innovation, Science and Employment of the Regional Government of Andalucía and the European Social Fund. This initiative from the Servicio Andaluz de Empleo (Employment Service of Andalucía) guides you to turn your idea into a company based on the self employment experiences in Amadora (Portugal) and Brussels (Belgium), countries working on the labour insertion of the collectives with difficulties. In addition, it allows you to discover new strategies in order to set up a company in emerging sectors. Euro employment is aimed at young people, people over 45, women and immigrants. Its objective are: promoting entrepreneurship, creating a network to collaborate with other countries, transferring to the context of Andalucía benefits from other self employment policies and establishing a knowledge base on measures to encourage the creation of companies. 1.2. Guide Objectives This Guide for Good Practices tries to cover a double function. On one side, showing the good practices 11 Guide for Good Practices INTRODUCTION analyzed during the studio visits to the transnational partners (Amadora and Brussels), with the aim to improve the current policies regarding self- employment. On the other hand, this guide tries to be a basic-tool manual related to self-employment and company creation. This publication is aimed at guiding on the issues you have to study in order to achieve the goal of turning your idea into a business. As an entrepreneur, you will have to take important decisions that will mark your company's course. Objectives of the Guide for Good Practices are as follows: • Spreading self-employment international practices. • Helping a business idea to be developed. • Defining the basic steps to start a company. • Making the way to entrepreneurship easier. 1.3. Advantages when undertaking Being autonomous or entrepreneur is a deep commitment to a different life-style which means a personal and working transformation. Most of the tasks, functions and activities developed by the self-employed worker will be focussed on his/her business. That is the reason why social abilities, intellectual capacity, training and tenacity are needed. The self-employed person usually sees business opportunities where there are problems, knows how to find solutions and cover necessities. The profile may be Guide for Good Practices 12 INTRODUCTION Creating a company means being excited when undertaking different according to the objectives to be achieved and reasons for undertaking. Doubtless, "self-analysis" is required in order to reinforce strong points and prevent possible weaknesses of our decision so that the project initial risks can be minimized. Advantages when undertaking may be as follows: • Being your own boss. • Meeting unsatisfied demands with new products or services. • Joining the labour market aer a long period. • Depending on nobody and taking decisions independently. • Having flexible working hours . • Gaining professional and social recognition. • Carrying out a creative work. • Getting your own profits and for the community. Courage to continue is what matters when coping with adversities • Extend the circle of friends and professional contacts. • Assuring your working future in the longterm. Throughout the creation and development of a company there are sometime problems arising that need to be solved with effort and responsibility. It is necessary for you to know that this task requires a long time. You will assume a controllable risk and fixed incomes will not be assured. 13 Guide for Good Practices INTRODUCTION 1 Summary • Being autonomous or entrepreneur is a deep commitment to a different life-style, which means a personal and working transformation. • Creating a company is not easy but not impossible. Training, information, will and motivation are required. • Some advantages when undertaking are: being your own boss, carrying out a creative work and assure your labour future. • Self-analysis is required in order to reinforce strong points and prevent possible weaknesses of our decision so that the project initial risks can be minimized Guide for Good Practices 14 AMADORA (PORTUGAL) 2 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) 2.1 Practice carried out by the Câmara Municipal de Amadora Amadora covers an area of 24 km2 and has 175.000 inhabitants in 11 neighbourhoods or freguesías (this is the way it is called there),where there are many illegally constructed buildings and several shank zones. Currently, Amadora has an unemployment rate of 14% being the sector service the Guide for Good Practices 16 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) main source for employment. It acts as a bedroom town in relation with Lisbon. La Câmara Municipal has 1,800 employees, most of them are women. In 2008 the project Amadora Emprende started, which continues at present and has no deadline. It is intended for people between 16 and 65 years old. There are two sub-programmes: "Quick Amadora" which is for people under 30 years old, and another one called "Quem não arrisca não petisca " for people who have the risk to suffer from social and labour exclusion. Throughout its development the methodology of actuation has changed. In 2011 the main modification took place when being reformulated as expected results were not obtained. This project has two main aspects, training and stimulation for entrepreneurship. This project objective is the creation of companies as a resource for unemployment. At first, people receiving benefits from this project had a 30-hour training course on basic aspects. Currently, such training has been modified and it is given in a more personalized way detecting the users' needs. 17 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) People completing all the steps will present their business ideas in a public event and coaching will be assigned. Once the company starts, the Câmara will follow them up for a year in order to analyse their development and advise them when needed. Living in Amadora is required in order to be included in the Amadora Emprende project. The company should also be placed in Amadora. The programme implementation is carried out in 4 steps: • Step I: Online candidatures. Selection of entrepreneurs. • Step II: Diagnosis of potential entrepreneurs. It will be carried out throughout group dynamics and individual interviews. • Step III: Training (30 hours in post labour hours). The most outstanding modules are: Structure of a business plan, Marketing, Information Technology, introduction to finances, Legal aspects, etc… • Step IV: Implementation. Starting the business and Coaching assignation. "Amadora Empreende" programme is formed by 3 areas: Area I: Support centre for entrepreneurs. This area will be present throughout the whole process. Its main functions are: • Motivation and contact. Guide for Good Practices 18 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) • Candidature selection. • Coaching assignation. • Training for business management through cycles of thematic workshops. • Implementation. Specialized accompaniment in the business areas. Valuation for the company to be incubated. • Follow-up. Periodical contact with entrepreneurs for the business development following-up. • Meeting. Annual event for the on-going projects presentation. Area II: Promotion and information about entrepreneurship in the secondary schools in the town. The objective is to provide secondary students with information about entrepreneurship together with the 42 teachers involved. Area III: Promotion of entrepreneurship in vulnerable areas. The main objective is: improving the integration of underprivileged groups and in situation of social exclusion in business projects whose objective is the creation of self-employment. Training actions on basic abilities for the business development are carried out. Close following-up for vulnerable residents in the places where the business ideas are wanted to be developed. 19 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) Supports: • Specialized support in the search for capital and investors. • Possibility to offer a commercial space, belonging to the town, in areas of temporary relocation according to attribution rules and feasibility results. • Support when asking for micro-credits. Renting advantages. Free renting during the first year and 1 Euro/square meter in the second and third year. • Possibility of asking for the whole financial assistance for the start of the business. Partners: ISCTE/AUDAX. Fundacion Gulbenkian. Dolce Vita Tejo. Escola Intercultural das Profissoes e do Desporto da Amadora. Companies created resulting from the "Amadora-Empreende" programme. As a direct result and under supervision and support of the Amadora Empreende programme, the creation of different types of companies has been achieved. Next, we are listing the companies visited by recommendation of the Câmara Municipal de Amadora, due to their correct performance and good prospects. Guide for Good Practices 20 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) Soluções Eficientes Project description: The goal for this company is the sale of products and services in the following areas: • Electricity: General maintenance, Lighting projects, energy consultancy and audit. • Telecommunications: Sale of structured products and services, DTTV collective antennas, video surveillance and detection. • Solar energy: Water heating and electricity generation. Commitment: Soluciones Eficientes commits itself to an environmentally-friendly actuation, thinking that this is a short step for the development of a better future. Its activity will be developed in the market of renewable energies and energy efficiency. Objective: Soluciones Eficientes wants to strengthen the links between knowledge spread combined with a reliable service structure, with avant-garde technology at affordable prices. 21 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) Vitralíssimo Objective: Techniques used by Vitral Tradicional, Vitral Tiffanyand Vitrofusao e Bijoutaria use the smallest glass pieces in order to create a range of products which are directly placed into the market without the need for the final price to be increased. Description: Restoration of centenarian glass windows in Lisbon is needed due to its conservation state, age, and the quantity of existing works in the country. Commitment: Developing an almost lost job creating the conditions for the development of a range of products related to this field. Combining glass-window designs with beautiful, durable works adapted to the present needs. Informing through different means about the topic on traditional dyed glass, generating interest on this art again. Guide for Good Practices 22 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) Solução Estores Project description: company dedicated to the installation of blinds, window shades, curtains with or without automated devices. Objective: Consolidating professional life and experience gained through the setting of a company gathering such knowledge. 2.2 Practices carried out by the Cabinet of Professional Insertion GIP. GIP is created in order to improve the capacity of intervention of the structures supporting employment for young and adult people. Its main functions are: • Information and training for unemployed young and adult people. • Support and advice looking for a job according to the profile. 23 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) • Personalized following-up of unemployed people for professional reintegration or integration. • Search for employers. • Search and spreading of job offers. • Measures for employment and entrepreneurship support. • Spreading of community programmes in order to promote employment mobility and professional training in Europe. • Motivation and support on participating in temporary or voluntary activities for the labour insertion to be easier. • Control of periodical presentations of beneficiaries from employment benefits. • Possibility for school accreditation according to work experience through exams or practice works. • Other activities considered as appropriate. In the request management and analysing the different profiles, necessary training for each case will be established in order to improve the applicants' attitudes. Beneficiaries are to be presented every 15 days. • Minimum salary: 475 euros. • Benefit: 300 euros, reaching the triple of the minimum salary for 1.5 years. Guide for Good Practices 24 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) 2.3 Visit to the AFID association. It is a non-profit association of public interest whose main objective is the promotion of solidarity among Portuguese families defending the rights and integration of disabled people. AFID was set up in 1975 as an association and due to its correct performance and growth was constituted as a foundation in 2005. Values: • Ethics. • Integrity. • Solidarity. • Respect and rigor. • Humanization. • Equal opportunities. • Sustainability. Objectives: • Promoting the creation of structures in order to assure rehabilitation, health, education, training and integration of disabled people, their families and other unprivileged groups. 25 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) • Developing supporting measures for unprivileged and isolated villages, particularly old and young people with the risk of suffering from social exclusion. • Developing art-therapeutic activities with disabled people and other unprivileged groups. • Promoting protection and detection activities for early disability. Services: • Residential house. • Centre for occupational activities. • Preschool centre. • Nursery school (from 4 months old to 3 years old). • Home support service. • Daycare centre. • Physical medicine and rehabilitation centre. • Professional training. • Centre for new opportunities. At present, AFID has two companies formed by and for disabled people. "AFID Green" (with 6 permanent employees), dedicated to the creation and maintenance of garden areas, and "AFID Clean" (with 9 permanent employees), dedicated to supply cleaning services. Employees are recruited for 2 years and later their incorporation to the labour world is evaluated. AFID has a close relationship with the Câmara de Amadora, which has provided AFID with many spaces and has commissioned the maintenance of garden areas from it. Currently AFID helps 115 young people with serious disabilities, 25 in professional training, 25 in home support, 5 in early intervention and 20 families in the situation of fast intervention. Guide for Good Practices 26 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) Regarding training projects, such projects are reformulated every year and need to be approved by the employment institute as it covers 100% of the training costs. At present AFID has specific training on: • Gardening. • Carpentry. • Laundry. • Cooking. • Cleaning. When the training course finishes, it tries those young people to be recruited by the foundation internal companies or by companies not in the foundation. Beneficiaries from those services are given 200 Euros for 2 years. AFID has a residency to take in the most problematic cases which need an immediate intervention. The residence costs are paid by AFID, social security and family members of the beneficiaries. Currently, AFID has 143 workers, most of them working in Amadora and it affords 55% of the total of the costs. AFID has certifications from its government and the social security. It also has 12 certifications at European level. 27 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) 2.4 Practice carried out by the "Escola Intercultural das Profissões e do Desporto da Amadora". The Intercultural School has legal personality, with administrative and financial autonomy, and with its own patrimony. It is based in Polo Venda Nova, and the other two poles: one placed in Reboleira and another one in Brandoa. Although its training project has been developed within the framework of Workshop Schools, some projects were successfully implemented some years ago and today the School is running correctly. The number of projects, at national or international level, is increasing more and more and results show the commitment and success in the improvement of the human potential in Amadora. The Intercultural School has not only reinforced its main activity areas but also it has gained projection in new tasks. Diversifying its range of actuation. Shortly speaking, it is the comprehensive development of the region of Amadora thanks to the social and economic integration of many people in the town. A logic leading to sustainable development, using an approach focussed on people and the strengthening of their capacity to act and learn. Guide for Good Practices 28 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) The Intercultural School has two main aspects: training for employment and a company in the service business. Regarding training for employment, they are provided with quality certifications assuring its methodology, and audits from the European Union, the government, external companies and themselves. Such training for employment is aimed at young people with adaptation difficulties, social exclusion or legal problems. The training content is decided by the government but the school is in charge of deciding which methodology to use. In the case of training for people older than 18, contents are set in accordance with their needs. They have a department for shill validation where each case is analyzed in order to assign each person the place that better suits him/her in relation with performance and learning. Objectives for the different types of training are defined by the Ministry of Education. It is aimed at children between 12 and 15 years old or children who cannot be in other centres due to their age. The idea is to complement training from other schools. In accordance with the children's profile, assiduity and punctuality are monitored so that when the second unjustified absence is given, parents or legal guardians are contacted. Although 33% of the students attend voluntarily, families take the risk to loose social benefits if there in no collaboration from them regarding the students' attendance. Young people will be given presents or stays in camps if attending regularly. They are also encouraged showing the list of students with no absences. The before mentioned camps are also a complement to the origin school where they continue going at lunch time for not being disassociated completely from their environment. The centre has the support from the "Commission of young people upbringing", in the case of the young person's unjustified absences or improper behaviour this commission will take the appropriate measures, being the police notice the last resource. Police 29 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) will inform the centre directly if the young persons are involved in any type of problem or criminal conduct. Once their training has completed, they will continue being monitored in the professional world. Regarding self employment, help is offered in two different levels: agreements with banks for micro-credits (up to 17,000 euros) or public financing. Projects which are beginning to give results or the ones that are considered as feasible, are supported by the school with a following-up on the business performance for 6 months, during that time the school resources will be put at their disposal. Once this period is finished, they will have to pay for the use of such resources. For the start of the company, they have the possibility to ask for the whole unemployment benefit in only one payment. At present, they collaborate with 250 companies. These companies take advantage from the school services and installations. There is a close collaboration with other schools in such a way that, if the appropriate studies for a student are not given by them, such student is addressed to another school. Training up to 18 years old is always promoted. There is also specific training for less qualified young people, among those courses: gardening and bricklaying. The school has been certifying all the training courses and services rendered for quality assurance since 2009. Over the last years, from 2009 to 2011, performance has been optimized. Costs have been considerably reduced, for example with the computerization of information. This decrease in costs has been used in order to guarantee services such as free nursery. At every moment, the school will have an exhaustive following-up of the students, its own activity and the use of services. Guide for Good Practices 30 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES I: AMADORA (PORTUGAL) Addresses of interest: Câmara Municipal da Amadora http://www.cm-amadora.pt/PageGen.aspx Quick Amadora http://www.quick-amadora.net/ Amadora Empreende http://www.amadora-empreende.net/ Soluções Eficientes http://www.s-eficientes.com/ Vitralíssimo http://vitralissimo.blogspot.com.es/ Solução Estores http://solucao-estores.com/index.php?tipo=SERVICOS AFID http://www.fund-afid.org.pt/ Escola Intercultural das Profissões e do Desporto da Amadora http://www.escolaintercultural.pt/ 31 Guide for Good Practices BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) 3 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) 3.1 Programmes developed by the LUDEN Association (aka QeC-ERAN). Luden was born in 1989 and focuses its activity in the representation of local, regional and non-profit entities for the business development. It was created with the European commission funds (URBAN), it was maintained like this for 10 years and at the end of the 90's its model for business changed. At the beginning there were 20 partners, the number of partners has increased up to 50 according to the on-going projects. It has a wide experience in community projects. Until 2005 it participated in such projects as partners or managers but later it only dealt with management/administration. Guide for Good Practices 34 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) Currently, they are managing 20-25 projects per year and they want to reach 35, being 100 partners. One of its main objectives is creating a group of experts for providing more specific advice. Activity: • Development of programmes making the exchange of experiences and practices at local and regional level easier. • Supporting participation initiatives of specific groups. • Carrying out research and evaluation of impact of urban regeneration programmes. • Representing the points of view and local needs in front of the EU institutions. • Partner research service for EU projects. TYPE PROYECT Its objectives are defined until 2020 and the main ones are: • Transfer of good practices against youth unemployment. • Reducing scholar absenteeism. • Reducing unemployment rate. • Improving young people academic studies. Two work strategies are created which are divided according to objectives. • Young people in movement. • Development of new capacities or jobs. Such strategies annually generate an activity report for being analyzed and possibly modified. 35 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) Currently there are 20 projects classified under the same focus (employment for young people) with 6 partners in Brussels, Earling, Sevilla, Lublin, Timis and Lisbon. One of the resources produced by the TYPE project is a report on studies of cases of young people's business initiatives which have been started in local areas all over Europe. The project gathers partners from different countries in Europe for the exchange of good practices and experiences regarding youth unemployment. Partners have had a budget of 5000 € for the study and analysis of the working situation at local level and for the creation of a report (carried out by local agents) on the problem of young people without studies, long-term unemployed people and young people who are unemployed but with studies. Each partner will deliver a Local Action Plan where problems detected throughout the project and "good practices" implemented in their town will be shown. For the programme spreading, a spreading workshop at local level and a final workshop for the exchange of ideas among the partners will be organized. Guide for Good Practices 36 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) Women, Enterprise, Employment in Local Development (WEED) The WEED project is a thematic network of the nine local authorities engaged, aimed at capitalising knowledge and practice regarding women's participation on the labour market and business development. It is based on the premise that local governments can play an important role in the positive transformation of its assets based on the social knowledge and linked to the women's participation in the local economic life. The project general objective will be to help the partner cities improve the practice regarding women, employment, business spirit and the new economy and development of many interested parts, Local Action Plans, which are linked to the good practices proposed for projects for being financed by FEDER, FSE or other kind in the UE, or by domestic sources for financing. A mapping exercise, which was carried out by the partners at the beginning of the project, identified three common interest areas and priorities for work: • Improving women's work: Reconciling family and professional life, support to social companies as a working source and improving women's position in private sectors and NGO's 37 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) • Promoting/ supporting business activities: analysis of both sex business people on guidelines for business women, motivation increase and reduction of the aversion to risk among local women and efficient municipal supporting programmes for business women. • Promoting/supporting women in the use of new technologies and the position regarding science and knowledge: education to employment in applied science and technology or business activity in the knowledge economy, increasing trained women's participation in the business activity and SME's and rising the absorption of technology by women in rural areas. Next, we mention the LAPS AND RAPS project, which is carried out by such association and has the following defined policy priorities; LAPS AND RAPS (Local Action Plans / Regional Action Plans) LAPS AND RAPS project deals with the priority matters for six national action plans through the development of a common methodology for the development of local and regional action plans for social inclusion. The need of a tool is reflected in a number of key contextual factors which are explained below. Guide for Good Practices 38 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) The project deals with the matters regarding identified priority policies for six national action programmes, which are: 1. Investment promotion and adaptation of active policies as measures to meet the needs for those people who have more difficulties in accessing to employment. 2. Assuring that social protection systems are the correct and accessible ones for offering work efficient incentives for those people who can work. 3. Increasing access, of the most vulnerable ones and those who are in risk of social exclusion to decent housing, quality health care and permanent learning opportunities. 4. Implementing a concerted effort in order to avoid early school leaving and promoting the transition from school to work. 5. Development of an approach for the elimination of poverty and social exclusion among children. This proposal general objective is to develop a framework and methodology for the creation of Local Action Plans (LAPS) and Regional Action Plans (RAPS) for social inclusion allowing for the most efficient integration of approaches based on urban or regional crowded areas and strategies at national level. 39 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) 3.2 Practice observed at "Guichet d'Economie Locale" of Centre Dansaert. Guichet d´Economie Locale is a service offered by the Brussels Town Hall focused on users who try to be autonomous workers or want to set up their own company. Its job is advising and informing users about every step to be followed and the most relevant aspects that should be considered. Provide an approach to local economy based on 4 aspects: 1. More information about the different status (legal entity or natural person): • Involvement for administration. • Involvement for the staff. 2. Developing the project: • Business plan development • Evaluation of the research budget • Establishment of the profit forecast. • Analysis of the economic feasibility. • Paper work 3. Financing sources: • Assistance in the search for financing(Participation Fund, Brusoc,…). • Information about state aid in en Brussels-Capital (aids for investment, aids for recruiting ,…). Guide for Good Practices 40 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) • Configuration of micro-credits 4. Advice and assistance to existing companies: • Aer the creation in the micro-credit registers • Information about regional assistance. • Assistance to investment for advising and consulting services. Erasmus Programme for Young Entrepreneurs Erasmus programme for Young Entrepreneurs is a programme for transnational exchange, offering beginners and people who want to set up a company the opportunity to learn from experienced businesspeople managing small companies in other countries in the European Union. The experience exchange is produced in the frame of stays with experienced business people where new entrepreneurs will be able to obtain the necessary skills for running a small or medium-size company. The hosts take advantage of a new perspective of their business and have the chance to cooperate with foreign partners or know new markets. Stays are partially subsidized by the European Union. 41 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) If you have just set up your company or have a wide experience, the program may offer an important added value to your company: knowledge and experience exchange or the possibility to establish a network of contacts in Europe and new business relationships as well as access to foreign markets. Specific objectives for the programme are: • Training for SME's business people in other parts in the UE in order to facilitate proper starting and development of their business ideas. • Exchange of experiences and information among business people on problems and challenges for the start and development of their business. • Improving market access and identification of potential partners for new companies established in other companies in the EU. • Establishing a network for sharing knowledge and experiences with other European countries Users. • New entrepreneurs who are seriously thinking about starting their own business or started in the last three years. • Experienced business people who own or run as partners a small or medium size company in the EU. Active participation in the Eramus Programme for Young Entrepreneurs offer the candidates for entrepreneurs access to several advantages that will help them run a new business successfully: • Self-confidence and development of their own skills: specific knowledge on the sector or know-how and management and technical skills; Guide for Good Practices 42 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) • Opportunity to collaborate with other business people and develop transnational business cooperation; • Creation of a contact network and solid relationships which will be useful in order to exchange experience and advice and obtain recommendations, as well as finding partners abroad; • Information about different cultural and organization approaches and the running of a company in another country in the EU; • Approach to the business world in another country in the EU; • Development of your language skills; As a business person participating in the programme, the exchange will provide you with the opportunity to: • Work with a new entrepreneur, fired with enthusiasm and motivated who can provide your business with innovating ideas, new skills and knowledge; • Benefit from a "new vision" on you business, specialized knowledge the new entrepreneur may have; • Play the role of mentor or tutor; • Learn about foreign markets, increase your business opportunities and start transnational activities; • Be connected with business people in other countries in the EU and take advantage of collaborating with them; • Creation of a contact network and solid relationships which will be useful in order to exchange experience and advice and obtain recommendations, as well as finding partners abroad; 43 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) • Development of your language skills; • Most of the host business people have enjoyed this experience so much that they have decided to continue to take new entrepreneurs in when finishing the exchange. Programme global performance: The "Erasmus for Young Entrepeneurs Programme" is finance by the European Commission and works in the whole European Union with assistance from the contact local points whose work is supporting companies (i.e. commerce chambers, supporting centres for business initiatives, company incubators, etc). Activities are coordinated by the Supporting Office at European level. Steps and exchange development: 1. Request. If you have just set up your company or have a wide experience in the business world, you can participate by sending your request through the on line register tool. Once this step has been completed, you should get in touch with the intermediary organization you like. This local contact point will be in charge of verifying your request and accept it if meeting the requirements. 2. Partner search. Once your request has been accepted, you will have access to a new entrepreneurs and experienced business people's online database. With the objective to find a proper colleague for the exchange, up to 5 proposals can be presented from such database. Your local contact point will be responsible for facilitating contacts among business people and will help you find a collaborator. 3. Commitment and preparation. Participating parts (it is to say, new entrepreneurs, host business people and their respective contact points) write a "Quality Commitment" consisting in a description Guide for Good Practices 44 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) of the work/learning project and tasks, responsibilities, reports, financing conditions and legal matters about the exchange. Likewise, local contact points organize activities such as training curses intended for preparing new entrepreneurs for the exchange. 4. Implementation step. You can make the exchange in one or more stays depending on your needs (see next), and you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire with your comments and opinions. The local contact point responsible for the exchange will control the activity quality and evaluate the results. Length of international cooperation. Stays abroad can take between one and six months and has to be carried out within twelve months. Throughout that period, the exchange can be divided into several shorter stays (at lest for one week), where new entrepreneurs will stay abroad with their respective host business people. Contractual financing aspects. Commitment among new entrepreneurs , host business people and their respective local contact points consist of two main elements: • Quality Commitment Signed by the four parties (the new entrepreneur, the host business person and the two local contact points participating) stating the exchange objectives, activity plan, responsibilities, expected results, length of the stay and start and finish scheduled dates; 45 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) • A Financial Support Agreement for the new entrepreneur, signed between him/her and his/her local contact point. For further information about economic support, please consult the section "Financial Support" in this web site. Local contact points: Intermediate Organizations. Local contact points for the new entrepreneurs will distribute the financial support according to the terms set in the agreement. Local contact points for host business people will make sure that the exchange is carried out with no complications according to what is stated in the "Quality Commitment". The programme is locally managed through a network of intermediate organizations (IO) such as chambers of commerce, business incubators or other organizations supporting companies that are also taking part in the promotion of the business initiative at European, national or local level. They are in charge of contacting new entrepreneurs (NE) with host business people (HE). They act as local contact points and their main job is making successful relationships between NE and HE easier. The programme is promoted under such premise, providing information, dealing with requests, organising contacts, writing the commitments and offering support along the stay. Each relation between a NE and a HE need the participation of two IO (one as a contact IO for the NE and the other one as IO for the HE), as the NE and the HE should belong to different countries. Guide for Good Practices 46 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) "Boost your talent" Programme Boost your talent is an initiative from Brussels aimed at stimulating the business spirit in schools and local organizations working with young people. It is not only creating companies but also generating a business attitude which will become a valuable asset in the personal and professional life. The Agency of Companies of Brussels has been the project coordinator, working with four training centre (ICHEC, el grupo Uno, Young Enterprise and UNIZO) providing spreading activities, tools for students to complete their projects and specific actions in schools such as simulation games. Objectives: • Giving concrete meaning to knowledge obtained at school, specially ones required to be trained when joining the labour world. • Information about business initiative in any area. • Considering business spirit as a personal and professional source of success. 47 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) • Developing the business spirit and outstanding positive values of the company for the personal development. • Educating young people and their families for being self-employed as a professional option. • Providing technical and business knowledge for starting a business activity. Business spirit should not be considered as a way to set up companies, it is an attitude which may become a valuable asset in citizens' personal and professional lives. 3.3 Experience of good practices in MicroMarkt MicroMarché. MicroMarché is a market where creative ideas can be developed in direct contact with the public in Brussels. It is also a space for meeting young creators where to show Brussels creative side and a springboard for MicroMarchands looking for professional opportunities, being offered a fixed place and a wide network for professional support. MicroMarchands are spaces where artists can try their products without administrative Guide for Good Practices 48 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) or financial obstacles. People interested reach there due to their own initiative or referred by associations or entities. In the first step their products are put into the market and if successful results they can rent a permanent place. It is worth mentioning that the annual objective is from 10 to 15 micro-shops. The idea is to create a platform for young micro-entrepreneurs who are eager to improve but they have limited means. Currently, work with young designers is been made, promoting their work and analysing if an it is an idea to continue developing. MicroMarché wants to be an exhibition of Brussels creative side and a spring boat for MicroMarchands looking for professional opportunities. Physical fixed spaces and a wide network for professional support which are key aspects for the economic development of such projects are offered. One of this initiative main service is providing artist with a space in the market of micro-companies where to launch their products at the beginning of the company creation process , when administrative or financial obstacles can be met. The objective is maintaining from 10 to 15 micro-shops permanently and test around 100 MicroMarchands a year in order to check their market possibilities. With support from external experts, a project for going with MicroMarchands in their business evolution is being started. Product Urban initiative is the founder of the organization and responsible for the management of the market places, marketing, Micromarchands training, creation and maintenance of a support network and environment quality in the market. Overmolen and City Minethey initiatives followed by Trividend, they three as non-profit organizations, were involved in this project later. Increase in the dealers' demand and the public's growing interest led to increase the market frequency and widen the scale. 49 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) Product Urban presents a model for autonomous social economy in collaboration with public bodies. It is a member of the Chamber of Representatives and Employment and it receives economic support for the Flemish Community projects. Another initiative within this project is "ViaVia Joker travellerscafé". A cafeteria-restaurant intended for being a meeting point and tasting of world cuisine dishes at affordable prices. At present, there are 15 ViaVia Joker worldwide, 2 of them are located in Belgium. These cafeterias are convergence points among travellers, local economy and creativity. Travel agencies use Joker ViaVia café like platforms for the preparation of meetings and trip evaluation. Citizenne Vormingscentrum sets up its offices at MicroMarché on September 1, 2010, becoming a full member. Citizenne makes important efforts for strengthening the social fabric of Brussels, offering educational, cultural and socialising activities as a part of the permanent learning. In the practice, Citizenne achieves the following objectives. • Working the relationships among the different communities living or working in Brussels. • Creation of conditions and opportunities for sharing responsibilities and commitment with Brussels citizens. • Promoting participation in the civil society. • Gather communities which have shared a part of the History. Guide for Good Practices 50 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) 3.4 Policy on good practices carried out by the town Saint-Josse, in the Northeast of Brussels. Saint-Josse-ten-Noode (usually shorten as Saint-Josse) or Sint-Joost-ten-Node (in Dutch,) is one of the nineteen municipalities in the region of Brussels-Capital. On January 1, 2007, the town had 23,785 inhabitants. The total area is 1.14 km², which results in a population density of 20,664 inhabitants per km². With only 1.14 km², Saint-Josse-ten-Noode is the smallest municipality in Belgium. Meeting held with STIC, "Service de travaux díntérêt collectif" STIC started as part of the implementation of the professional transition programme, a programme intended for helping professional rehabilitation of people with unemployment benefits or receiving assistance for providing the community with services. Such service for socio-economic revitalization has two main objectives: 51 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) • Providing a professional experience regarding the specific supervision and improving the workers' potential in their efforts to join the labour market by means of a regular work contract. • Meeting the local community needs which are not duly cared by the regular work circuit. At present, this initiative has two main aspects: "Public and green spaces" working in the creation and maintenance of green spaces and public areas paved. The other aspect STIC is working on is "Building renovation" including activities such as: building works, tiling, plaster, electricity, plumbing and general finish. Organization: Service works as a small company in relation with its customers. Customers are associations placed in the municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode. STIC mainly works on projects for non-profit organizations working for the community, therefore, prices and resources have been adapted to its way of working. STIC develops this work from conceptualization to completion. Guide for Good Practices 52 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) Objectives: Regarding services to the community: • Creation and improvement of green areas for the community's benefit. • Meeting the society's collective needs ,which are not met by the regular work circuit. • Increasing the number of low-cost houses managed by the community. • Maintaining the "social house" existing in perfect conditions in collaboration with the managers for such service. Regarding socio-professional development and training: • Supporting socio-professional integration of the local population. • Providing young people looking for work with a first experience. • Help long-term unemployed persons. • Offering theoretical and practical training through teaching methods adapted for the target public. • Providing training labour experience. • Working on long-term integration from specific and personalized social support . Regarding revitalization of quarters: • Revitalizing the quarter through façade refurbishing. 53 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) • Renew quarters through the implementation of paved areas for pedestrians and cycle lanes. • Revitalizing social relationships through the creation of proper urban furniture for social, cultural or leisure actions. Users: • Local public. • Young people who are seeking employment. • Unemployed persons or social benefit holders. • Young people with a low level of education and training. • Socially vulnerable persons. • People from other countries with integration difficulties. Conditions for access: • People over 18 years old. • Not having the secondary school certificate. Guide for Good Practices 54 TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) Partners: It is an initiative from Local Development of Employment (ILDE) of the region of Brussels Capital. ICTS partners: Commune de Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Administration Communable de Saint-Josse CPAS de St. Josse-ten-Noode Contrat de quartier Partenariat Commune/Région Région de Bruxelles Capitale Administration Régionale ACTIRIS COCOF Union Européenne FEDER FSE 55 Guide for Good Practices TRANSNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES II: BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) Addresses of interest: LUDEN (aka QeC-ERAN) http://www.ludenet.org "Guichet d'Economie Locale" of Centre Dansaert http://www.dansaert.be/ Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme http://www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu "Boost your talent" Programme http://www.boostyourtalent.be MicroMarkt MicroMarché http://www.micromarche.be/ Saint-Josse-ten-Noode http://www.stjosse.irisnet.be/ STIC, "Service de travaux díntérêt collectif" http://www.emplois1210.be/spip.php?rubrique11 4 SELECTION OF EMPLOYMENT INTERNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES 4.1. Amadora Empreende It is a programme from the Municipal Chamber of Amadora (Portugal) intended for people between 16 and 65 years old. It works on training and stimulation of the business spirit. This programme users are previously online selected in order to be trained for a year. Once the company starts, the Chamber of Amadora follows them up for providing advice whenever necessary. Observed good practices are as follows: Guide for Good Practices 58 SELECTION OF EMPLOYMENT INTERNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES • Assigning coaching for people completing all the project steps and present their business ideas in a public event. • Promoting transition from school to work among young people through business stimulus in order to prevent from early school leaves. • Supporting entrepreneurs in looking for capital and investors. • Offering a commercial space, owned by the municipality, and of temporal nature, according to the idea feasibility. 4.2. 2. Erasmus for young entrepreneurs. It is a transnational exchange programme offering entrepreneurs in Brussels the opportunity to learn from experienced business people from other countries in the European Union. It is aimed at young business people and long-experienced business people. Good practices observed are as follows: • Allowing to set a network of contacts in Europe and new relationships due to the exchange of knowledge and experiences. 59 Guide for Good Practices SELECTION OF EMPLOYMENT INTERNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES • Promoting the transfer of knowledge between entrepreneurs and business people in the area. • Increasing the possibility to look for new collaborating partners abroad. 4.3. 3. Cabinet of Professional Insertion. GIP was set up in Amadora (Portugal) in order to improve young and adult people labour insertion. Its performance is based on the following up of unemployed people, helping them find a job according to their profile. Good practices observed are as follows: • Spreading community programmes in order to promote mobility at work and professional training in Europe. • Promoting participation in temporary activities or volunteer activities in order to make insertion in the labour market easier. • Promoting personalized training for each user aimed at improving skills of employment applicants. Guide for Good Practices 60 SELECTION OF EMPLOYMENT INTERNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES 4. Intercultural School of Jobs (Escuela Intercultural de Profesiones) It is a municipal company working on the economic development of the region of Amadora (Portugal). It is in charge of starting national and international projects for training unemployed people. Another aspect of their work is the provision of services. Currently, it collaborates with more than 250 companies taking advantage of such services and the school facilities. Good practices observed are as follows: • Collaborating with other schools in order to promote users' training. • Supporting feasible projects for a 6 month period. • It is possible to ask for the whole unemployment benefits in a single payment. • Offering specific training such as gardening or bricklaying . • Promoting self-employment through the obtaining of mechanisms for private and public financing. 61 Guide for Good Practices SELECTION OF EMPLOYMENT INTERNATIONAL GOOD PRACTICES 4.5. Micromarkt Micromarché MicroMarché is a market where creative ideas can be developed in direct contact with the public in Brussels. It is also a space for meeting young creators where to show Brussels creative side and a springboard for MicroMarchands looking for professional opportunities, being offered a fixed place and a wide network for professional support. Good practices observed are as follows: • Providing artist with a place in the context of micro-companies where to put their products into practice at the beginning of their activity. • Assuring a physical fixed space and a wide network for professional support, key aspects for the economic development of such projects. It supports new companies with professional and business people acting as tutors. Guide for Good Practices 62 5 SHORT GUIDE FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT. STEPS FOR CREATING YOUR BUSINESS PLAN. 1. SEARCHING THE IDEA. The Seed. For collecting the best fruits of a harvest, it is important to have a good seed from the beginning. The same happens when starting a company. To set up a company, the main thing is to start having a solid, unique and feasible idea. It also needs to be resistant to external inclemency, versatile enough to able able to adapt to changes. What we want to do Guide for Good Practices 64 SEARCHING THE IDEA and where to go are the main things. Courage to continue is what counts when facing adversities Sometimes we know that we want to start our business but we do not find the way. Other times, ideas come to us but they are immediately eliminated. Before giving up, try to write them down, quantify and analyse its business feasibility. If you have a business idea, you have made the first step to start it but if you have not found it, you can look for it. 1.1. Where to find ideas. a) One way to find ideas is just looking around. Pay attention to demographic , social and economic changes, what people do and their new needs. More and more, people commit themselves to training. Labour market demands and competitiveness in a global world make many people to continue having training mainly in languages. Experience and training are the best trip-mates when undertaking That is the reason why, language schools are becoming an increasing business also including linguistic stays abroad. Many people have rediscovered the value of handmade products. Crisis has been an important point for people to do more and more things manually but there has also been a change in the mentality. Some time ago, nobody thought that these objects could be sold from home and now they can. Sewing is in fashion, you can sew your own clothes or reuse old clothes. In some cities, there are spaces where sewing-machines can be rented. 65 Guide for Good Practices SEARCHING THE IDEA b) You can develop your basic business idea taking your experience, training, hobby or other things you may be interested in. Experience is an added value and much more when undertaking. Start a company in a sector you know, where we have been employed and we know its strength and weakness, it will help us define our way much better, with an advantageous position. There are many cases of entrepreneurs who turned their hobbies into their businesses. The most important thing is knowing if we are able to transform a hobby into an obligation and study its possible profitability. A business idea could be giving lessons of yoga, starting a tea-shop, starting a handicra workshop, starting a gym. In all these cases, a business plan is to be carried out. If nobody had tried silly things, intelligent solutions would have never be found. c) Pay attention on faults in other products or services to improve them, find different uses for daily things, create new means for solving problems or social needs, cover the market absences. Sticking plasters have been an important invention. They appeared in 1917 thanks to an American, Earle Dickson, who realised that traditional bandaging was unpleasant when working. As time passes, the product has been improved, as having a sticking plaster on your face can be unsightly. That is the reason why a group of inventors has created the "chameleon sticking plaster", when sticking this plaster on you body it becomes almost invisible having the colour of your skin. Renting a flat is not an easy job and more difficult if it is going to be for a short time. Many teachers and students face such problem at the beginning of the course when being transferred far from home. A possible Guide for Good Practices 66 SEARCHING THE IDEA Your great chance can come up just where you are now. idea could be setting up an agency meeting the requests of this collective. a) Take advantage of technology, legal changes, new commercialization formulas, innovation. Try to answer the question: Why isn't there a …? A supermarket chain has developed a device for going shopping from the underground in Korea. Aer checking that people have no time for going shopping aer work, they decided to set up virtual shops in many underground stops in the country, exhibiting their products on shelves with real size photographs. The customer chooses the products by scanning its code by means of a mobile telephone. Aer that, those products are delivered to their houses. Frontiers do not exist since the Internet started. SMEs and large companies know it, that is the reason why they are using the electronic commerce, e-commerce, to reach new customers and other countries. Some traditional shops also have online sales through webs and payment platforms allowing the consumer to have products at cheaper prices and with no travel expenses. When developing a business idea, the first thing to wonder is if there are customers who are ready to buy your product or service at a profitable price. 67 Guide for Good Practices SEARCHING THE IDEA 1.2. Franchises Franchise is a formula which is on increase. Many entrepreneurs use this way to start their own business, but it is important to know its advantages and considerations before taking such initiative. The franchisor's maxim is passing on the Know-How. The first thing is knowing that a franchise is a contract where the franchise transfers the franchisee (future business person) technical and commercial knowledge and technical support to be applied on the business. In return, the franchisee uses the commercial signs and brands from the franchise which will monitor the business and will receive an economic compensation. To sum up, the future business person is introduced in a distribution network in a specific way through a franchise contract assuring several basic points: exclusivity, homogeneity and advice for the business development. There are three ways for franchises: • Industrial: it refers to the manufacture of products such as the make of industrial dough for bakeries. • Distribution: sales of products such as McDonald's hamburgers. • Services: specific services rendered. Multauto for instance. Let's mention obligations involved in such business. Guide for Good Practices 68 SEARCHING THE IDEA • For the franchise: The franchisee is to comply with steps defined by franchisor. 1. Train the future business person, informing about the Know-How. 2. Provide the franchisee with the license and the use of signs or marks. 3. Provide the products and technical support for their commercialization services. 4. Supervise and control the correct implementation of the commercial techniques. • For the franchisee: 1. Use the brand correctly. 2. Develop the business in a geographic area specified by the franchise. 3. Provide the business with equipment according to what the franchise sates. 4. Meet the commercialization system. 5. Purchase the quantity of raw material stated by the franchise. 6. Do not spread confidential information about the business. 7. Respect defined prices. 8. Accept inspections and make all the reports requested by the franchisor. 9. Comply with agreed payments. It is usually an initial payment and periodical payments of a percentage of the franchise. It could also be a fixed payment. Like every business adventure, research and information are necessary before making a decision. In the case of franchises, we advise you to know all the possibilities offered by this system, evaluate the brand strength and ask for rights and obligations for both parties in writing. 69 Guide for Good Practices SEARCHING THE IDEA Summary The first thing to do when starting a business is a firm, unique and feasible idea • Before refusing a business idea, try to specify it in writing, quantify it and analyse its business feasibility. • There are several inspiration sources for finding a business idea. Just look around, improve existing products, use your experience, analyse social trends, take advantage of new technologies… • Franchising is a way to undertake but it is important to know its advantages and considerations before making a decision. Guide for Good Practices 70 THE MARKET 2. THE MARKET. Land to be cultivated. The next step is analysing the market where to act, it is to say, know the land where the seed is going to grow. The market will depend on the type of idea, therefore it is very important to identify it in order to make the Business Plan. This is called Market Research which will allow you define the environment, customers and competitors. If we want to start a multi-service company, we have to know that the service sector is the main one in our country regarding the Gross Domestic Product. The market is the area in which you will sell your product. So identify your customers well and competition. About the business in particular, we will have to analyse the area for location to check if there are other companies offering the same product. We should also know our customers. In this case, they will be citizens and insurance companies which contract other private customers. Guide for Good Practices 72 THE MARKET To obtain data from your customers and competitors, you can consult other sources of information: • About customers: polls, surveys, market researches carried out by other companies, database on consumption in organizations and institutions, etc. • About competitors: phone lists, database on sectorial associations, trade fairs, etc. 2.1. Environment Your business evolution will not only depend on your work, it will also be affected by the environment. So that, many factors need to be analysed, specific factors for your own company and the ones affecting all the companies in general. If you know the environment can adapt to the needs, anticipate change and anticipate. If our idea is starting a clothes shop for a select clientele wearing fashion clothes, one of the specific factors will be the external appearance of the shop, facilities design, logotypes, the brand image… On the other hand, the general factor influencing our company will be the country economy. Now, with this economic change, priority is given to prices rather than quality, and many entrepreneurs think about having customers with lower purchasing power. Your main objective as an entrepreneur will be to cover this space, meet a necessity, provide the consumer with 73 Guide for Good Practices THE MARKET a solution and all these is to be translated into profitability. Then, start by defining the economic, political, social and legal stage where your company will operate. 2.2. Customers suppliers and The focus of a company are its customers, they are the ones who will mark your business evolution. Your work is aimed at meeting their requirements and knowing if your product or service can cover them. The first question you should answer is: Are there companies, people, entities who are ready to buy my product or service?. The answer will be the success of a business. Then, having information about customers will be your main target: who they are, where they are, which needs they have, how to reach it. It is about having as much information as possible about: • If your customers are natural persons: age, sex, education, incomes. • If they are other companies: number of companies and economic. Listen to your customers and you will have information about how to design your products or services. A satisfied customer is the best publicity for your company. • Reasons for buying. Guide for Good Practices 74 THE MARKET Having good suppliers will provide you with tranquillity and guarantee. • Cultural aspects influencing on the purchase. oHabits when buying, etc. Customers and suppliers are important for a company. Nurture the relationship with those companies and professionals that provide you with material and services needed for the activity development. Your company's work will depend on them so you will have to choose the ones that better suit your company according to their performance features, payment policies and delivery terms. 2.3. Competitors In front of your competitors, you can be a leader or just fighting for surviving. You may think that you are the only one in selling a product or service. However, generally speaking it is not like this. Few businesspeople have the exclusivity in a sector. The most common thing is that there are other companies similar to yours, it is to say, competitors. Know who they are, where they are located, products/services they offer, size of the company, experience in the market, strong and weak points and their strategies. You will have a wider vision on your business performance by knowing your competitors, even helping you generate ideas about new projects. Take into account that competitors will affect on the quantity of products or services you will sell, but do not 75 Guide for Good Practices THE MARKET worry the most important thing is being competitive and different from the others. A technique for facing competitors is creating temporary and aggressive offers. It is about reducing prices temporally in order to catch the customers' attention. You can create a promotion and publicize it. You will also be different from the other by offering an original service with an added value. Somebody said: I'm more afraid of my incompetence rather than competitors. Guide for Good Practices 76 THE MARKET Summary • Your business evolution will not only depend on your work, it will also be affected by the environment. • Customers are the focus in any company. Know their needs and create a product/service to meet such needs. • Nurture the relationship with those companies and professionals that provide you with material and services needed for the activity development. • Be different from your competitors by offering something different and better. 77 Guide for Good Practices THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE 3. THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE Fruit to be obtained Aer evaluating the business idea , studying the market and potential customers , suppliers and competitors ,it is time for designing your product or service. Your product or service should be aimed at solving problems and meeting needs. It should ideally be sold by its own. However, when commercializing it we should consider several factors: appearance, brand, package, aer sales service, etc. Before producing a product, be sure that it solves a problem. 3.1. Production It is time to decide how your product will be produced or the way your service will be rendered to customers. You should know the type of facilities needed, industrial or commercial, and also machinery. Guide for Good Practices 80 THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE Aer that, the quantity of raw material or products needed to start the company as well as stock in order to guarantee the activity without high costs. You should also define the requirements and methods to be applied for assuring the quality of the products or services. 3.2. Prices For pricing, first think much would you pay if you were the customer. TCompanies are free to set their prices, except for franchisees. Production costs, profit margin you want to achieve, competitors' prices and how much the customer is ready to pay should be quantified in order to set prices for products or services. There are several strategies for price setting. One of them is "price of prestige" through which we have the idea that a product similar to another one, but more expensive, is a higher quality product/service. Another formula used in supermarkets is "reference prices". It consist of making a mental scheme for the consumer in order to take the price of leading brands as a reference but with the idea for the consumer to buy private label products which are similar and cheaper. 3.3. Distribution and promotion Now the next step consists of launching your product into the market for the consumer to buy it. Choose the distribution channel for your products to reach customers 81 Guide for Good Practices THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE taking into account the type of product you are selling. There are channels where there are many intermediaries and other channels where the company sells directly to customers. For instance, a direct distribution channel is used in a bakery because the baker, who is in charge of making the bread, is the same person as the one selling the product. There is also the "agent/intermediary channel" used by manufacturers who turn to intermediary agents who use wholesalers selling to large chains of shops or small shops. Your product or service may be the best but if it is not known, not many people will buy it. Promotion makes the qualities of your product or service to be spread among potential customers. You can use several means to achieve such objective such as a publicity campaign on newspapers, radio, television: sponsoring events, going to trade fairs of the sector, making special promotions, etc. Following the previous example of the bakery, let's suppose that we want to sell a new product: customized cakes for birthdays. We will start a publicity campaign to attract new customers, by means of radio spots, publicity on newspapers or the Internet. The use of appropriate distribution channels improves sales efficiency. With promotions, you will catch the customers' attention to buy your products. Guide for Good Practices 82 THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE Summary • Your product or service should be able to solve problems and meet the customers' needs. • Production costs, profit margin you want to achieve, competitors' prices and how much the customer is ready to pay should be quantified in order to set prices for products or services. • Choose the proper distribution channel depending on your product's characteristics. • Promotion will help you spread your product or service qualities for potential customers to buy it. 83 Guide for Good Practices 4. THE BUSINESS PLAN The fertilizer for the seed In the same way that a seed needs fertilizers to grow, ideas needs to be planned for development. The Business Plan consists of the documents about the activities needed for an idea to turn into a company. It allows for economic feasibility analysis but it is also going to be the presentation card for investors or future partners . You need to spend quite a long time to make it but do not get uptight, as we have made most of the business plan in the previous sections: market research study, customers, suppliers, competitors, production processes, prices, distribution and product promotion. The plan is a written explanation of the business model you want to develop. You still have to specify the organization, staff, financing sources and legal aspects, which will be dealt with in the following chapters. Guide for Good Practices 86 THE BUSINESS PLAN 4.1. Marketing Plan If we have a brilliant idea but we do not know how to sell it, it will be useless. You should describe actions you are going to develop for coordination in the Marketing Plan: product, price, promotion and distribution. This planning is relevant in order to know where we start from and where we want to go. Let's suppose that we want to set up a 24-hour nursery school. Aer carrying out our market research study, we know that our customers will be children between 1 and 3 years old and their parents. Our service will be based on offering psychomotor care, education and value workshops, similar to our competitors but with the difference that we are going to offer day and night care. A good marketing plan will mark the right direction to reach your customers. Next, we should define the objective to be achieved. In this case, we want to be positioned as the best nursery school offering quality services and the first one in offering night care. Now it is time to define the Marketing Plan to make our 24-hour nursery school known. We have to decide how we are going to manage our customers, parents who do not have flexible working hours. Then, we have to decide if offering a customized service. We will also decide about distribution: it will be home care. Promotion is the next step. We can catch potential customers' attention through the offer of cost-free care. 87 Guide for Good Practices THE BUSINESS PLAN We will advertise this service in specialized magazines, radio and television slots. We will also design our own web page. 4.2. Use of social networks Your business needs to have an online life, it is to say, being present on the Internet. It is the same for a bakery, hairdresser's or car repair shop. Currently, many consumers search information on the Internet before buying something. Start with your own web to explain the advantages for buying your product or service and the factors which make you different. You can also commercialize your products with an online shop providing safe payment systems such as PayPal. You can also start a blog to inform about your product or service and providing interesting contents about them. You do not exist if you are not in The Internet. Define your online strategy to reach the 2.0 customer. One of the nearest ways to reach your customers is through social networks. The most common ones are Facebook and Twitter. You can create a fan page in Facebook for providing your brand with value, design a useful application for your customers, surveys and quizzes, offer benefits to your followers, interact with your customers and collect Guide for Good Practices 88 THE BUSINESS PLAN suggestions, inform them about promotions, test new products, etc. To take the maximum advantage of this communication channels, do not forget to set objectives, update contents, listen and answer comments. 89 Guide for Good Practices THE BUSINESS PLAN Summary • You can use the Business Plan as a sales tool for negotiating important contracts, future partners, investors and banks. • Take your time to study the market, competitors, and the context where the Marketing Plan is going to be implemented, it is to say, the company. • At present, many consumers search information on products or services on the Internet before buying something. • Social Networks are the only mass bi-directional communication channels where you can have an answer from your customers and deal with them immediately. Guide for Good Practices 90 5. HUMAN RESOURCES People We should not forget that companies are made by people. So that, having a good team of professionals working together in order to achieve the same objectives is required. We only need to pay attention to our experience as users or customers of some commercial firms to be aware of the importance of people in companies. Facing difficult situations is easier with trained and involved people. Workers are the visible face of the brand and their lack of motivation is detrimental to the business itself, for the quality of the product or service offered by the company. Guide for Good Practices 92 HUMAN RESOURCES It is people who give a differential value to the organization. 5.1. Organization Organization is the key point for a company's correct performance. Then, when recruiting personnel, take these aspects into consideration: • Number of jobs the company needs. • Tasks and responsibilities for each job. • Training and experience needed for that job. • Type of contract and salary costs. Having employees in your company means an economic cost but also some obligations for which we suggest you to act like a non-authoritarian leader and value the people involvement. It has been seen that a happy worker is more productive and this is achieved by promoting motivation, collaboration, communication, devolution of responsibility and team work. 5.2. Staff selection For recruiting the best professionals start by selecting the applicants. If you have not received a job application you can use external sources such as job centres, job agencies or portals, publicity means, universities… We suggest you not to use your intuition. Do interviews, assess the applicants' training and experience, etc. When making the final decision, you should consider the information obtained throughout the selection process and the job requirements. 93 Guide for Good Practices HUMAN RESOURCES Summary • Have a good professional team working together in order to achieve the same objectives. • A worker is more productive if promoting motivation, collaboration, communication, devolution of responsibility and team work. • Interview applicants, assess the applicants' training and experience before recruiting him/her. Guide for Good Practices 94 6. FINANCING Water to grow "The moment of truth" has arrived. The moment when we talk about economic resources needed to set up a company from that business idea. Up to now, we have covered a long way but to continue, we have to know if we count with our own resources, external financing or both of them. Usually, at this step many people do not feel like undertaking and give up leaving the seed (IDEA) buried due to lack of water to grow. Generally speaking, an entrepreneur starts at the beginning with nothing but this does not mean that he/she can not develop his/her own business. For great enthusiasm, passion and desire to have, money is essential. Make sure you have a capital. Firstly, we need to know how much money is required to start the company according to the goods and services needed. We will take data from analysis carried out in Guide for Good Practices 96 FINANCING the previous sections. For financing your company you may use your own resources or external financing. 6.1. Equity capital Many entrepreneurs look first at the resources they have and then develop its business model. The success of implementing an idea is based on the appropriate use of funding sources. 97 Guide for Good Practices We suggest you to list your own resources. Write down if you have money in the bank, possibility to get a loan from your family or friends, if you own premises where to start your business, etc. In short, add all you have and what you could obtain from your close circle. This will be your initial financial position which means the capital you have to start your company. 6.2. External financing You can also ask for grants for autonomous and entrepreneurs. Inb such cases, you are to comply with the requirements stated by the call. Do not subordinate your business idea to third-party resources as it takes quite a long time to have them. Another way to obtain resources is by asking for a bank loan. Calculate the financing costs, interests to be paid for the money you receive and read the small print in the loan contract. In order to convince the bank agents FINANCING you will have to present a well-made business project. The bank will study the content of the project, guarantees from the entrepreneur to give the money back and if the entrepreneur provides his/her own economic resources. Make an Economic-Financial Plan to help you study the funds needed, different financing sources, own or third-party resources you have and the company profitability. Spend as much time as needed to prepare your Economic-Fina ncial Plan. Next, you will find some tables you can fill in in order to express your Business Plan with numbers. Guide for Good Practices 98 FINANCING Planned profit and loss account. It is to be planned from an initial hypothesis based on the previous sections, it is to say, on the market research study and marketing plan. It will be useful for you to know the nature of your business incomes and expenses, according to the forecast. When comparing with real data, you can detect where you have been wrong and therefore, take the required measures. PLANNED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 INCOMES Sales TOTAL INCOMES EXPENSES Product purchase Supplies (tel., etc.) Transport and allowance Rent and insurance Maintenance Provision for amortization Taxes (Trade Income Tax) Staff costs Other costs Financial costs TOTAL COSTS Incomes-Costs= Losses or Benefits Cash flow forecast. It will provide you with information about the company's liquidity and short-term financing needs. In order to do that, you have to write down collections and payments scheduled for a period. With such information, you know how much money you need and when you will need it. 99 Guide for Good Practices FINANCING CASH FLOW FORECAST Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Collections from sales Output tax (VAT) Capital provision Loans or credits TOTAL COLLECTIONS Payment for suppliers Salaries Social Security Rent and supplies Publicity Maintenance Transport costs Credit interests Input tax (VAT) Incidental expenses taxes TOTAL PAYMENTS Difference Collections-Payments +/- Previous balance Additional necessity Surplus of funds Balance sheet. It is a document about the economic and financial situation of the company at a specific moment, what you own and what you owe. It is formed by Assets referring to goods and rights we have and the destination for funds. It is called fixed assets if such resources are in the company for several fiscal years and operating assets if less than one fiscal year. Balances are also formed by Liabilities or financing sources for goods and rights, as well as the origin of funds. Guide for Good Practices 100 FINANCING BALANCE SHEET Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 ASSETS FIXED ASSETS Intangible assets Administrative concessions Intellectual property Good will Transfer rights Computer applications Leasing Property, plant and equipment Land Buildings Machinery Furniture Office supplies Computer equipments Transport elements Financial fixed assets Deposit OPERATING ASSETS Formation costs Stock Customers Banks TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES Own resources Capital partners Third-party resources Long-term debts Short-term debts FLOATING LIABILITY Suppliers Loan C/P Other debts C/P TOTAL LIABILITIES 101 Guide for Good Practices FINANCING Summary • Before undertaking, add everything you have and how much money you could get from your near circle in order to know your resources available. • If you ask for a bank loan, calculate the financing cost correctly, interest to be paid and read the small print in the contract. • Make an Economic-Financial Plan, as it will help you study the needed funds, different financing sources, own and third-party resources as well as the company's profitability. Guide for Good Practices 102 7. LEGAL ASPECTS Permission for cultivation 7.1. Legal form Before choosing the legal form for your company, you have to assess several matters; capital, responsibility and number of promoters. Each type of legal form involves legal consequences. Then it is interesting for you to know about the requirements, disadvantages and advantages stated by Law. Guide for Good Practices 104 LEGAL ASPECTS LEGAL FORM CONCEPT CHARACTERISTICS ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Natural person 1 partner Personally Simple and easy SOLE There is no assumes rights to manage PROPRIETOR-S who exercises a minimum capital business activity and liabilities legal form HIP Unlimited under his/her own name. Fiscally interesting up to a certain Taxation: Single turnover Tax on Individuals pecuniary liability Micro NEW COMPANY Contract by If 1 partner, such partner will not companies and which 1 or 5 LIMITED autonomous be the sole PARTNERSHIP natural persons agree to create shareholder of another New a society Company through the use Limited of electronic Partnership signature and without going to No more than 5 shareholders any Minimum administration capital: 3,012 office. Euros. Maximum: 120,202 Euros Simplified accounting Contract by CIVIL LAW PARTNERSHIP which 2 or more persons agree to put under an obligation in putting jointly money, goods or industry in order to distribute between the earnings 2 or more shareholders. There is no minimum capital. Pecuniary liability: the society with all its goods. Shareholders jointly and subsidiary before third parties. Taxation: SINGLE TAX ON INDIVIDUALS 105 Guide for Good Practices PROCESSES FOR CREATION No specific processes are required derived from the activity. Members in the Administrative Body should be workers can opt partners. If a multiple-memb for it. er body, the form or regime The company of a Board of formation is simplified in one Directors will only document. not be taken. Formalized through a sole electronic document and with only one appearance before a notary. Tax payments can be postponed the first 2 years. Simple and easy Shareholders Private or public Article of take a high risk. to manage Association. legal form. Fiscally not recommended EU VAT number Fiscally Clearing of interesting up to over a certain Property turnover. a certain Transfer. turnover Tax and Stamp Duty LEGAL ASPECTS LEGAL FORM CONCEPT COMMUNITY OF Entity formed by several persons PROPERTY holding the ownership and proprietorship of a thing or right jointly. PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY Sociedad Mercantil capitalista. Capital social dividido en acciones. CHARACTERISTICS ADVANTAGES 2 or more shareholders. Simple and easy to manage legal form. There is no Fiscally minimum interesting up to capital. a certain Pecuniary turnover liability: joint and unlimited Taxation: SINGLE TAX ON INDIVIDUALS. 1 or more shareholders. Minimum capital: 60,101.21. 25% paid-up. Pecuniary liability: provision limited. DISADVANTAGES PROCESSES FOR CREATION Shareholders assume personally and entirely the result from third-party processes. Private or public Article of Association. Fiscally not recommended over a certain turnover. EU VAT. Clearing of Property Transfer Tax and Stamp Duty. Public or private contract. Negative Minimum Internal performance of capital required. certification of the the governing appointment. bodies governed Numerous and by the principle complex of democracy. Writing of forming Business processes. Statutes. Pecuniary liability limited General rate of to the social Deposit of social 35% upon capital. capital. profits. Public Deed. Taxation: Corporation Tax. Notary. VAT request. Clearing of Property Transfer Tax and Stamp Duty. Register of the registered office in the commercial register. Guide for Good Practices 106 LEGAL ASPECTS CONCEPT CHARACTERISTICS ADVANTAGES LIMITED COMPANY Mercantile capitalist Society. Negative Minimum Internal performance of capital required. certification of the the governing appointment. bodies governed Numerous and Minimum complex capital: 3,005.06 by the principle Writing of of democracy. forming fully paid-up. Business processes. Statutes. Pecuniary Pecuniary liability: limited liability limited General rate of Deposit of social to the social 35% upon to provision. capital. capital. Public Deed. profits. Notary. Taxation: VAT request. Corporation Tax. Clearing of Property Transfer Tax and Stamp Duty. Social capital divided into shares. DISADVANTAGES PROCESSES FOR CREATION LEGAL FORM 1 or more shareholders. Register of the registered office in the Commercial Register. EMPLOYEE-OW Public limited or employee-owne NED COMPANIES d where most of (Workers Limited Company, Workers Limited Society) 3 or more shareholders. the social Workers Limited capital is owned Company : by the The third 60,101.21 employees who shareholder can render their Workers Limited be a capitalist services paid shareholder. Society.: personally, 3,005.06 directly and indefinitely. Limit per shareholder ; 1/3 of the social capital. Pecuniary liability: limited to provision. Taxation: Corporation Tax. 107 Only two workersshareholders needed. Guide for Good Practices Any shareholder Same processes as the rest of can own more mercantile than 33% of the societies. shares. 51% minimum of the social capital is to belong to the workershareholders. In addition: Qualification application. (optional) like Workers Limited Company or Workers Limited Society and register of the registered office in the Register of Cooperative Societies in the Commercial Register. LEGAL ASPECTS LEGAL FORM COOPERATIVE SOCIETY OF ANDALUCÍA CONCEPT CHARACTERISTICS ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES PROCESSES FOR CREATION Large number of Same processes Each 3 shareholders Persons in as the rest of shareholder has requirements minimum. regime of free for being mercantile a vote, no adhesion and societies. voluntary Minimum capital matter his/her capital. severance, with 3,005.06 €, common In addition: 25% at least interest, Qualification Fiscal paid-up carrying out application and advantages Pecuniary business register of the (Reduced rate) liability: activities, registered office maximum per attributing in the Register shareholder 1/3 results to the of Cooperative shareholders Societies. Taxation : once community Corporation Tax. funds have been taken. 7.2. Processes If you opt for any legal form involving the forming of a society, you should write some statutes regarding the company governing method, sign the Memorandum of Association before a notary and ask for the corporate name in the corresponding register. With these documents, you should carry out the following processes: a) In the Department of Finance and Taxation of the Regional Government of Andalucía you have to settle the tax on society operations. b) In the corresponding register (mercantile or cooperative), you will have to carry out the registration. Guide for Good Practices 108 LEGAL ASPECTS c) These documents are to be requested to the Town Hall where your business facilities will be located: A legal company offers seriousness and identity, two key business elements. - Opening license (if classified activity, environmental license) - Building permit (higher or lower), if necessary. We suggest you not to delay these processes as the granting of licenses takes quite a long time. d) In the Tax Administration corresponding to the fiscal domicile of the company, you have to ask for the Official Declaration of start of operations, being registered in the Trade Income Tax and the VAT number. e) In the Central Treasury for Social Security: - Register in the corresponding regime of the Social Security. - Register of the company in the Social Security if salaried employees There are several centres and bodies which will help you with these processes. Apart from informing, they will help you if doubts come up: • Centro de Apoyo al Desarrollo Empresarial CADE (Supporting Centre for Business Development) http://www.andaluciaemprende.es/ • Confederación Empresarial de la Provincia de Almería. ASEMPAL Business Confederation of Almería) http://www.asempal.es/ 109 Guide for Good Practices LEGAL ASPECTS Summary • Each legal form involves legal consequences. Study the requirements requested, disadvantages and advantages established by the Law. • You can choose being an individual businessperson or setting up a society, depending on the type of company you want to develop. • Bureaucratic processes are required for setting-up a company although you may find them like a never ending process. • Consider the bodies which can help you dealing with this process. Guide for Good Practices 110 8. SOME IDEAS We start to harvest 8.1. Businesses started Sale of seafood from Galicia on the Internet When talking about seafood everybody thinks of Galicia, specifically the Rías Baixas. There, a micro-company called Demarisco has started, selling goose barnacles and other type of fish on the Internet. They have orders from wherever in Spain and merchandise s distributed within 24 hours, ready to be eaten. The owner of this business has taken advantage from online commerce, also starting an efficient distribution network for the product to reach customers in perfect conditions. Guide for Good Practices 112 SOME IDEAS Solutions for your doubts via sms It is possible that you have been doubtful about something in a place where nobody could give you an answer. Thinking about such need, a British company called 82ask has started a service for solving doubts via sms in only five minutes. Coordination among personnel in the company, around 150 people, is the base of its performance as they answer around 100,000 consults per month. Travel agencies for Spaniards. Many Spanish tourists have missed activities and guides in Spanish while travelling or staying abroad. Some travellers have seen a business opportunity on that and have started an activity agency with guided visits and routes for Spaniards travelling to Brussels, Ireland r Germany. They offer a close and friendly service so that languages are not a problem when staying abroad. Commercialization of chicken feet Many ideas come from other countries and some of them are successful in our country. This is the case of somebody who found out that in Spain chicken feet are thrown away while in China they are considered as an exquisite food. Since then two companies commercialize them for China. Gloves for touch screens. Doing things when using gloves is very uncomfortable, and mainly in very cold areas. Mainly when we need to 113 Guide for Good Practices SOME IDEAS press a button or the mobile touch screen. . A Japanese company has found the solution and has designed gloves with conducting micro-fibres allowing to use any king of device with touch screen without taking the gloves off. Language schools Globalization and requests for speaking foreign languages when joining the labour market have led many people to take this matter seriously. In order to cover this market niche, a good option is to start a language school. This is what teachers of English, German and French, native speakers or not, have decided to do. 8.2. Emerging sectors Los ámbitos de actividad económica en los que se espera mayor crecimiento según la Unión Europea son los siguientes: We refer to the fields of economic activity where a higher growth is expected according to the European Union. Such fields are: A) Services for daily routines 1. Home service 2. Children care. 3. New information and communication technologies. 4. Support for young people in difficulties and insertion. Guide for Good Practices 114 SOME IDEAS B) Services for improving life environment 5. Housing improvements. 6. Security. 7. Collective local transports 8. Re-evaluation o urban public areas. 9. Local businesses. C) Culture and leisure services 10. Tourism. 11. Audiovisual sector. 12. Valuation of cultural heritage. 13. Local cultural development. D) Environmental services 14. Waste management. 15. Water management. 16. Protection and maintenance of natural areas. 17. Regulations, pollution control and the corresponding facilities. Next, we are showing the emerging sectors in Almería. It has been based on a study carried out by the Chambers of Commerce and the Secretariat of State for Equality Policies of the Central Government. -Auxiliary industry for agriculture - Construction materials, stone, marble, etc. derivates - Biological Agriculture - Waste management (plastics specially) 115 Guide for Good Practices SOME IDEAS - Re-evaluation o urban public areas: " Location and maintenance of urban furniture " Cleaning and maintenance of green areas " Garden centres - Alternative energy, water saving, sewage treatment plants. - Industrial processing, refrigeration and packaging for products. - Agri-food, fish and shellfish - Road transport of goods Guide for Good Practices 116 6 ADDRESSES OF INTEREST Town Hall of Roquetas de Mar Address: Plaza de la Constitución nº1. CP: 04740. (Roquetas de Mar/Almería) Telephone : 950.33.85.85 Web: http://www.aytoroquetas.org/ Dirección Provincial del Servicio Andaluz de Empleo (Provincial Department for Employment in Andalucía) Address: C/ Hermanos Machado nº4 - 7ª Planta. CP: 04004 (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950.01.14.00/902.50.15.50 Web: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/servicioandaluzdeempleo Servicio Andaluz de Empleo de Roquetas de Mar. SAE (Employment Service of Andalucía of Roquetas de Mar) Address: C/ Preciados nº15. CP: 04740 (Roquetas de Mar/Almería) Telephone : 950.32.08.27 Web: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/servicioandaluzdeempleo Centro de Apoyo al Desarrollo Empresarial. CADE (Business Development Supporting Centre) Address: C/ Preciados nº 15. CP: 04740 (Roquetas de Mar /Almería) Telephone : 671532325 Web: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/servicioandaluzdeempleo Guide for Good Practices 118 ADDRESSES OF INTEREST Confederación Empresarial de la provincia de Almería. ASEMPAL (Business Confederation of Almería) Address: Paseo de Almería nº 69- 7ª Planta. CP: 04001 (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950.62. 10.80 e-mail: [email protected] Asociación de Jóvenes Empresarios. AJE (Association of Young Business People) Address: Edificio PITA. Despacho 9. Ctra. Sacramento s/n. La Cañada de San Urbano. CP: 04120 (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950.22.52.81 e-mail: [email protected] Federación nacional de asociaciones de trabajadores autónomos. ATA (National Federation of Independent Workers Association) Address: Paseo de Almería nº5- Edificio El Águila 1B. CP: 04001 (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950.28.24.26 Web: http://www.ataandalucia.com Unión de Profesionales y Trabajadores Autónomos de Andalucía. UPTA (Union of Autonomous Professionals and Workers of Andalucía) Address: Ctra. de Ronda nº 181-Local Bajo. CP: 04005 (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950.23.92.91 e-mail: [email protected] Servicio Universitario de Empleo de la Universidad de Almería. SUE (University Employment Service of the University of Almería) Address: Edificio: Centro de Atención al Estudiante. Planta: 1, Despacho: 1.010. Ctra. Sacramento s/n. La Cañada de San Urbano. CP: 04120 (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950.01.50.06 e-mail: [email protected] Centro Municipal de Información a la mujer. CMIM (Municipal Centre of Information for Women) Address: Avda. de Roquetas nº 96 CP: 04740 (Roquetas de Mar /Almería) Telephone : 950.33.83.84/950.33.83.85 e-mail: [email protected] 119 Guide for Good Practices ADDRESSES OF INTEREST Grupo de Desarrollo Pesquero de Almería Occidental (Fishing Development Group of Western Almería) Address: Plaza Mayor de la Alpujarra nº 2. CP: 04470. (Laujar de Andarax, Almería) Telephone : 950. 51.4 1.61 e-mail: [email protected] Fundación CEPAIM (CEPAIM Foundation) Address: C/ Largo Caballero nº 52. CP: 04008 (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950.27.15. 75 e-mail: [email protected] Agencia Tributaria de Almería (Tax Agency of Almería) Address: Paseo de Almería nº74. CP: 04600 (Almería/Almería) Telephones: 950.23.67.88/950.18.04.00 Tesorería de la Seguridad Social (Social Security Treasury) Address: C/ Fuente Victoria nº2. CP: 04007 (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950. 18.98.00 Inspección Provincial de Trabajo (Work Provincial Inspectorate) Address: Centro Residencial Oliveros. Bloque Singular (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950.26.29.62 Servicio provincial de Consumo (Consumption Provincial Service) Address: Calle Hermanos Machado nº17 (Almería/Almería) Telephone : 950.01.01.00 Guide for Good Practices 120