Albania vs Bulgaria for english speakers

@savethequeen77

Hello and welcome !

On the website, it appears that Bulgaria has more english speakers.

Maybe you could provide some infos on the nature of your business. Feel free to read the following article to know how to set up a business in Bulgaria.

Regards

Bhavna

Hi my name's Moe I'll be moving to Albania or Bulgaria
Im trying to decifer how to market my small businesses in English in either country. Any advice or where the most English speakers are who can see my ads? Thank you - @savethequeen77

Without knowing what the business is and who you are trying to cater for, we don't have much to go on.

While precise 2025 figures for native English speakers in Bulgaria are not available, data show they are a small minority. Most of the country's English speakers have learned it as a second language. The population of native English speakers is comprised primarily of foreign residents, immigrants, and dual nationals from English-speaking countries.

Small native-speaking population: Data from 2022 revealed that less than 0.3% of the Bulgarian population claimed a native/mother tongue other than Bulgarian or Turkish, indicating a very small number of native English speakers.

English as a second language: A 2024 Eurobarometer survey found that 29% of Bulgarians had a "workable knowledge" of English, making it the most commonly known foreign language in the country.

A 2024 Eurobarometer survey found that 29% of Bulgarians had a "workable knowledge" of English, making it the most commonly known foreign language in the country. - @SimCityAT

And 100% of Bulgarians claim to drive a roadworthy vehicle..... 😂

Well, if you're going to market your businesses in English, your only real hope, is in the major cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas, where you'll find the most English spoken.

However, as SimCityAT says, unless we know what type of businesses you're running, I couldn't tell you whether you'd have any success.

If you're directing your businesses towards expats only, you might find limited success. If you're expecting Bulgarians to read your adverts in English, I suggest that most won't be bothered with that. It really depends on what You're trying to sell.

@Bhavna

Hi,

I have a few ideas. Pest control, house painting and home inspection

Any thoughts on where I can advertise in Bulgaria   to locals who understand English ? I'm on a budget as well, these are all pow overhead

@cyberescue1

I'm wanting to do home inspections and house painting

What qualifications do you have to "do home inspections" and what does a client get for their money? Do you have Professional Indemnity Insurance?  Do you know how little it costs here to get a house painted?

I'm not making any assumptions either way, but are you sure you've thought this whole thing through?

@savethequeen77

From what you've said, I can't see it be a viable business project for you.

In Austria, I know one guy who does building, electrics, plumbing, painting He is from New Zealand. He operates in Vienna and lower Austria. Most of his work is from word of mouth and lived here for 35 years.

He is busy, but Vienna is very international and English is widely spoken.

He wouldn't be able to survive with just painting alone.

Colour me "suspicious" if you will, but one can't help but wonder - especially given the "revolving door" timing.

Perhaps it's time for the forum rules to be updated to require members to demonstrate, as simply as possible given the additional work involved and possible legal implications, that they're real people and have only one identity here. Even simply recording IP addresses would be a step forward. I know that it'd be time-consuming etc but the internet is a weird place nowadays...

@JimJ

Jim, the Admin team can check on the IP address. To register on the site, they have to give a valid email address. Some do slip through the net. Remember the guy who was spamming asking for WhatsApp & Telegram groups. He was a prime example of a dodgy guy. His story didn't add up. He was banned, then used another account, which got banned again.

If something doesn't seem right, you can always report the person to ask the admin team to check them out.

@savethequeen77

Unfortunately, it's not just a matter of having a potentially viable business. It's impossible to just decide "I'm moving" and legally move without a huge amount of paperwork!

Have you looked into the legalities of getting a long stay visa that allows you to run a business?  I have no idea about Albania, but for Bulgaria, unless you have a passport from an EU country (and you state you are American, so you don't), the first step is getting a D visa before applying for residency. You may be wise to look at the permitted categories and decide which one you might qualify for before making a decision.