Italy is one of the leading European countries that are characterized with the stable criteria of economic development. The comfortable geographic position in the South part of Europe helps Italy to be effective and reliable partner for other countries. The most popular business to start in Italy is small and medium business. About 98% from more than 4 million of countries has a state of 20 members, or 4-5 members. So, if you want to start from the very beginning, the best optimal variant is small business, especially for foreign entrepreneurs.
The most popular business activities are food brunch, clothes and fashion, cosmetics, automobiles, pharmacology, building sphere. You have to get special license for the most of them. If you have enough money, you can buy ready-made business in Italy. There are mass of variants. The price depends on the concrete city and business activity. Thus, you can buy the beauty salon for 30 000 EUR, pizzeria for 500 000 EUR and the chain of popular shops for 5 million EUR.
Winemaking Business in Italy
One of the most popular and profitable businesses in Italy is winemaking. There is no sense to speak about the popularity of Italian wines. Do not think that your winemaking business is going to be successful from the moment you bought your business. Winemaking is serious business. You have to be well prepared to start making wines. What is more, you probably are offered to buy winery that is not profitable at the moment. You should know that good wineries are usually sold behind the scenes.
If you want to buy winemaking as a new hobby, you should go to the realty websites. The price for good winery is from 1 million EUR to 7-8 million of EUR. It can be higher just if you are offered to buy also property as a part of winery, like the middle aged castle or something.
Hotel Business in Italy
There is one more business in Italy that can be profitable. It is all about hotel business. There are many hotels in Italy. You have to choose. If you are going to make good business of it, you should not start with mini hotels for 100 rooms. You face many difficulties. For example, the most part of clients for mini hotels is locals. They used to visit your hotel in the season of holidays or in summer time. That is why you have to learn Italian and local preferences.
If you want to give your mini hotel for rent to a management company, it must be more than 100 rooms to be interesting proposal. So, you can find the investor or financial backer to gain profit from your hotel the year around.
There is one more thing. It can be related not only with the mini hotels but the most of brunches of mini business. Traditionally, mini business in Europe is family business. It means that the hotel owner and the most of operating personnel are family members. As practice shows, it is better to buy hotels for more than 100 rooms. According to statistics, the hotel for 200 rooms gives profit of 5 million EUR per year. The most profitable are 3-4 stars hotels. They are the most popular for tourists. By the way, you can get profit from not only rooms rent. It usually gets about 60 % of profit.
Never forget about additional services like banquet hall, seminars, conferences, parking and SPA services. It takes about 40 % of your profit. Of course, if your do not want to be the hotel owner, there is another way out. You can buy not the whole hotel but 10-15 rooms in it. You can rent them to managing company. The start price for hotel is 2 million EUR. This is a hotel for 45-50 rooms. It has a swimming pool, bar, solarium and fitness hall. Anyway, the maximum price depends on the hotel size and location.
Touristic Agency in Italy
Speaking about touristic agencies, it is better to start from Sicily, the region of undiscovered platforms and big opportunities. Sicilians say that their touristic efforts are lessen. This is true. What do you know about Sicily? – Oranges, mafia, Etna…is that all? Of course, you can find a couple of attractive proposals for high price to visit museums, interesting cities and the hotel in the center of Catania. Never forget that Sicily means the most beautiful seaside. Of course, you can hire a car in Catania and get to the sea in 40 minutes. Nevertheless, there is nothing more attractive than hotel beach.
Sicily is a beautiful beaches, mountain parks and natural monuments that are met at every step. The culture you see is unique. The food is fresh and healthy. The people are friendly and communicative. Who knows about it? Start with the website to tell people about the beauty of Sicily and wide opportunities that you are going to give them. You have to make the dozens of interesting excursion programs. Oh, it is not about boring historical monuments and museums, but mountain cross, degustation, cooking, visiting castles and Middle Aged villas.
So, finally, you have to find worthy apartments to rent and touristic programs for different sorts of tourists. Do not be afraid to start something new if it is interesting. Touristic business begins with the creative idea and hard work.
One of the best positive characteristics in Italy is stable politic-economic conditions. It helps to plan your business for further extention. You can give your business to your kids and grandkids to use and develop. Of course, all kinds of business are competitive platform. It does not matter whether you are designer, photographer or event agency, you should make your business special, different unlike the rest of others. Your service must be unique. So, the main task for all entrepreneurs (local and foreign) is good judgment and budget your real time and efforts. Never assume more responsibilities that you can do. However, think big!