Sounds like you have many things figured out, please do learn the language ,as you will be taken advantage of, also learn the art of bribing , know how much, when ,and who to bribe, bring cash ,and never ever put it in the bank, just a small portion to operate your venture. I wouldn't recommend firearms , as they are seen as evil here and the general consensus is , only police can have guns(who never show up on time)leaving only criminals who care very little to nothing about gun regulations, armed. Oh and also , defending yourself is frown upon around here, the gov' and most news outlets recommend to never resist a robbery as they say, you cell phone or your money is not worth your life.
I hope you have developed copious amounts of patience when it comes to legal paperwork, i will need every bit of it. Other than that, beef is cheap, wine is supposed to be decent, coffee is horrible, no good bacon to be found or apple pie.
Good luck to you , Pilgrim