Self-employment or entrepreneurship is becoming an escape valve for all those unemployed due to the lack of opportunities in the labor market. This is indicated by the latest data from 2013 according to the Association of Autonomous Workers (ATA). A total of 54 new entrepreneurs daily in Spain in 2013, the first year in which an increase (+0.6%) in the number of self-employed has been recorded since the crisis broke out. In 2013, 17,944 entrepreneurs were established as self-employed, bringing the total to 3.04 million.
In some Spanish provinces this increase is even more notable. This is the case of the island of the Canary archipelago Lanzarote, where the Lanzarote Chamber of Commerce served more than 2,100 entrepreneurs, through the Business Creation Service in 2013, which is 14 percent more than in the previous year.
The important presence of tourism in Lanzarote has led to the creation of numerous companies oriented to wine tourism (local wine activities), nautical-sports activities or sustainable tourism, thanks to the environmental awareness of the island promoted since the irruption in the late 60s of the Lanzarote artist César Manrique and his particular artistic works, respectful and integrated into the landscape of Lanzarote and oriented to maintain its own cultural identity.
The obstacles to overcome in self-employment
The business creation initiatives promoted by organizations such as the Lanzarote Chamber of Commerce have placement agencies, guidance services, initial advice on procedures, legal forms, feasibility plans and financing, solving one of the major problems faced by many entrepreneurs when taking their first steps, which is both the lack of support and training in bureaucratic procedures and business administrative matters.
For those companies not specialized or oriented to computer sectors, the creation of a website is one of the main difficulties faced by entrepreneurs without training in the subject, although more and more companies offer services where the creation of their own page is optimized and facilitated as much as possible, such as the pre-designed templates en1and1, where without experience or programming knowledge you can get a professional website.
Online sales represent for many companies all or a good part of their income, in addition to being a growing trend, as indicated by data from the National Institute of Statistics, which at the close of the third quarter of 2013, confirmed the record figure in Spain of 3,291 million euros in online sales, an increase of 21.7% compared to the same period of 2012.
Companies with online sales services have, in addition to the competitive advantage of easy customer access and availability to products and services 24 hours a day, the creation of original and functional content, as well as complete descriptions of the products that help to give a more professional and expert impression, which is an important differentiating element.
Even without an online sales service, a website is an essential complement to the functions of traditional channels (telephone, regular mail) and one of the most economical ways to advertise to customers and over the competition.
