business

We ended 2014 with an economic balance that leaves us with five pieces of good news. The first one is that the Catalan economy created jobs in 2014, for the first time since the start of the crisis. The second one: the industrial sector has confirmed its recovery and started to create employment, mainly thanks to the good results obtained by the Catalan external sector. In addition, construction has left recession behind, after 7 consecutive years of decline.

...an out-of-business company doesn’t create any

Catalonia’s labour relations framework needed to become closer to European standards: we understand that the recently approved reform takes us in the right direction. For Catalonia, the context for optimal business activity is a strong, leading, and solvent Europe, and the past few years have shown us that better coordination and greater unity of action is needed. Because we share a market and a currency, we consider it obvious that the distance between the different fiscal and labour treatments in place in the different member states and regions must be shortened. The Spanish Government’s labour reform, already in force, points in that direction: it levels us with European standards.

At the end of February, the European Commission made a positive evaluation of its strategy Small Business Act (SBA), launched in 2008 with the motto “think small first”. It aimed to strengthen small business role as the engine for economic growth and employment. Among other things, the Commission pointed out that 100,000 SMEs had profited from its special financial tools, payment deadlines had shortened and administrative processes had also been reduced, while public tenders were more accessible for SMEs.

More than 160 years ago, the company that is now Gas Natural Fenosa began to offer its first services to Barcelona society, illuminating the streets of the city with the first gas lights. From then until now, the company has grown in parallel to the development of the Catalan and Spanish energy sector, until the moment 18 years ago when it began its international adventure. Today, the company is a global energy company, totally integrating gas and electricity, operating in 25 countries and with more than 20 million customers.

The era of knowledge, the effects of globalization or the digital revolution are going to rapidly transform the world we live in. In fact, our lives have already been transformed to some degree, even if a few years from now we will look back and laugh at how we are still using the Internet and new technologies today. No one doubts that this is only the beginning.

According to the experts, the key variables involved in deciding where to start a new business are influenced by the proximity of: supply sources and first-class suppliers of all types; a qualified, motivated and abundant workforce at a competitive price; an excellent knowledge environment; a strategic location and quality infrastructures; strong markets; a dynamic financial environment; a high standard of living; and, an efficient government which is also supportive.

Among all the cities worth their salt, Barcelona has always been associated with fun, sun and culture. But, more than ever, our city is becoming today a major business attraction pole and, in many other aspects, it is one of Europe’s leading cities.