Costa Blanca Magazin

Café con leche with Kerstin Kleine-Rahn on the Costa Blanca

Café con leche mit Kerstin Kleine-Rahn

From Leipzig to Spain: Entrepreneur Kerstin Kleine-Rahn explains how she is starting up on the Costa Blanca and why networking is her key.

She is a web designer, networker, app developer - and always open to the next step. In an interview with CBM, Kerstin Kleine Rahn explains why she never stands still for long, how to start up as a self-employed person in Spain and why a cup of coffee by the sea sometimes brings the best ideas.

Kerstin, you have Leipzig vs. the Costa Blanca.
What was your personal trigger?
I always need new challenges - the bigger the better. I'm a pretty curious person. After training as a restaurant specialist, I moved with my family from Leipzig to Baden-Württemberg, where I ran a music bistro and later a small night bar. I was a „Reingeschmeckte“ among Swabians - it wasn't always easy, but it was exciting. After five years of self-employment in the catering trade, I was looking for a new job - and ended up in the driver's seat of a 40-tonne truck. I spent four years on the road with the lorry, across the Swabian Alb and through the Black Forest. I also did that with enthusiasm - but the job was lonely. And I'm a networker through and through.

So I went back to Leipzig, did a distance learning course in web design and set up my own advertising agency. It ran very successfully for twelve years - over 100 customers, lots of exciting projects. But still: something was missing. The desire for a freer life, perhaps also for sun, sea and a different rhythm. So my partner Micha and I packed our bags and set off for Spain. It was a brave move - but I haven't regretted it. And the fact that my customers continue to accompany me, even from afar, makes me really grateful.

What was your first impression from the Costa Blanca?
We had only seen pictures of Spain before. And then we arrived here - and were immediately in the thick of things. I was surprised by the positive atmosphere. Many things are more relaxed here. I remember a scene in the supermarket: the cashier chatting to several customers at the same time, helping them pack their bags, laughing - that was new to me, but somehow also very human. This calmness is infectious.

Are there things in everyday life that you particularly enjoy here? or sometimes missing?
I love the fact that we can go to the seaside at any time. No holidays, no planning - just pack a coffee and cups in the afternoon, drive off and take a deep breath. That gives me so much. What I really miss are my daughter and my two little grandchildren, twins, four years old. But we keep in close contact - via video calls, with monthly postcards. It's not the same, but it works.

What do you particularly love about the Costa Blanca - and why would you would you recommend this step to others?
To be honest, I haven't seen that much of Spain yet - so far we've been full of arriving, setting up and everyday life. But what I really appreciate about the Costa Blanca is the strong German-speaking network. You don't feel alone. And you quickly realise how important it is to have a functioning environment. That gives you security, especially in difficult phases.
But I also realise that it is sometimes difficult to find the right service providers. That's why we developed the „Anudar“ app - a platform on which companies can present themselves. Anyone with a problem can find the right solution there. It's not about advertising, but about real visibility for companies that do good work. That makes life easier - for everyone who lives here or wants to start a new business.

You are a networker and Entrepreneur - what does your everyday life look like today?
My day-to-day work involves a lot of screen time. I design websites, advise customers - but the difference to Leipzig is: I can see the sea while I work. Or the orange trees. That changes my perspective. I also spend a lot of time travelling - meeting entrepreneurs for a coffee, listening to their stories. This gave rise to the idea for a business network.
We organised our first meeting in May - it was a complete success. We will continue after the summer break. Everyone who runs a business on the Costa Blanca is welcome. It's about exchanging ideas, mutual recommendations, concrete support - but also about leisure time. After all, a good network not only helps with business, but also with people. And that's exactly what we want to strengthen.

Finally: Is there a place?, where you prefer to be enjoying your café con leche?
My favourite place is definitely the sea. When I drink my coffee there with Micha, calm down, see the vastness - that's when new ideas often arise. Sometimes too many at once, if my partner has his way. (laughs) But that's exactly what I am: always with my head in the next idea, but with my heart exactly where I am at the moment. And that's here - on the Costa Blanca.