Juan Carlos Acosta (Acosta Asesores): "We consider direct contact with the client to be very important"

Juan Carlos Acosta is the founder of Acosta Jurado Asesores, from Vélez-Málaga. With a diploma in labor relations and extensive training in labor, tax and accounting matters, Juan Carlos has been practicing since 2007 and in October 2011 he founded the consultancy with his father and sister.

During this health and economic crisis, what has been the biggest challenge you have faced in your office? Have you felt the viability of the sector is compromised?

The biggest challenge has been the ability to address the many doubts that clients had in these moments of so much work and health uncertainty. We found ourselves in moments in which we had not even been able to read the royal decrees when we already had calls asking us questions about them. Regarding the viability of the sector, we have not felt it was compromised, but there have been many moments of stress, overwhelm and uncertainty due to the obligation to carry out procedures with the administration without having been informed how to carry them out.

You have been a fundamental part of the pandemic due to the large number of benefits that you have had to manage. How did you digitally face this increase in the volume of work, which was also not in person? Do you consider the implementation of teleworking viable? Perhaps through a hybrid formula?

Luckily, we are a consultancy that has been implementing digitalization for a long time and training in it, so it has not been a big stumbling block for us, although it is true that this pandemic has caused faster mandatory training in many processes. As for teleworking, today it is something that we do not consider.  We consider direct contact with the client to be very important. It does not mean that sometimes, for various reasons, we have not done it, but we do not see it as a solution to implement in the short or medium term.

What were the main economic effects of the pandemic on your clients? What would have happened if the ERTES had not been approved due to force majeure? How do you assess the impact of the crisis generated by COVID in your province on companies and the self-employed?

There are many workers, both self-employed and employed, who would not have survived. Perhaps the most worrying thing was, in some cases, the delay in receiving certain aid to survive

If the ERTES had not been approved due to force majeure, many of them would have possibly fallen by the wayside. In fact, we had clients who a few days before the pandemic had started the activity after having made a significant investment to start it.

In relation to the impact on companies and the self-employed, there have been companies that have known how to adapt to this technological change and that has meant that, not only have they not suffered a drop in profits, but it has also led to an increase in income. On the other hand, there have been others that, due to the type of business or a certain lack of adaptation, have had to close. 

Has the aid that has been granted both at the national and local level to the different sectors arrived on time? Have some sectors benefited more than others? Have they been enough? And the aid from the European Union?

Having a little empathy with the different organizations and due to the work complexity that we have all had, we can say that they have not taken long. What could perhaps be faster? Well yes.Of course there have been some sectors that have benefited more than others, but I understand that with more than justified reasons. And if you ask me whether or not they have been sufficient, in some cases they are insufficient. I think there could have been more, the problem is that not only has it been an economic crisis, but also a health crisis and that prevails, so I hope that much of the aid has actually gone to that sector. And in relation to aid from the European Union, it seems that the procedures for requesting it, at least in Andalusia, are becoming more agile. I hope that this also allows the collection of the same to be equally agile.

The Business Creation and Growth Law contemplates the simplification of the procedures to establish a company. How do you think it will affect the local business productive fabric?

If a real simplification occurs, I consider that it can be productive for the promotion of self-employment and therefore employment.

Among the functions of the Collaborating Mutual Insurance Companies with Social Security, the important role of preventing occupational risks as well as caring for the occupational health of workers stands out. The pandemic has put a premium on the prevention of occupational risks. Do you think companies perceive it that way too? What do you value most about the service received by

Companies, unfortunately and very sorry, often see having risk prevention contracted as a 'fine remover' from the labor inspection, no matter how much we advisors try to inform them otherwise. And regarding the evaluation of Fraternidad-Muprespa's services, we cannot have the slightest complaint. We have been collaborating with you for many years (I am the second generation of advisors to do so) and in the event of any incident you have always tried to find the best and possible solution and I guarantee that this is appreciated.