Good business to get into

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
4,441
2
0
Every few months we have someone bounce into the room waving a fistful of dollars asking advice as to where to invest it. I don't know how big of an inestment this would take, nor whether by franchise or what, but going east from Santo Domingo there is a stretch of highway for 177 kilometers that has no visible gasoline stations. I saw three or maybe four propane places, but to buy diesel, none. I bet it woiuld take more bucks than most of gthese eager guys have, but to put in a gasoline station where none exists should be great. I assume that just a klick or 2 off the main road one would fiond them, but no signs pointing out "Exit here for Isla Station."
Der Fish
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
gas station is a huge investment. way above the means of wannabe expats who occasionally pop here asking about business advice.
 

DRob

Gold
Aug 15, 2007
8,234
594
113
Most people are simply dreaming out loud, and trying to imagine how to have their Margaritaville fantasy while maintaining the Four Hour Work Week.

Well, as mentioned above, that dream is real, and Big Frank will sell it (along with Little Frank's first born) for the paltry sum of 1.2 Million. Dollars.
 

caribmike

Gold
Jul 9, 2009
6,808
202
63
Not a chance. These possible spots are all already claimed by the usual bunch of people. Wanna bet?
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
There's a semi retired Spanish guy at my colmado every other day when I get my coffee. He owns six of those coin op roulette machines and splits the money 50-50 with the store owners. He prob works 15 hours a week and makes enough to keep him happy. I figure he averages around 12000 pesos every other day.
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,480
733
113
Whereas there are new propane gas stations popping up all over the place. My guess is that it's an easy way to launder money and the petroleum companies don't seem to be interested in the propane monopoly.

Lot's of cash turnover. Narcos or corrupt politicos ideal solution.
 

bachata

Aprendiz de todo profesional de nada
Aug 18, 2007
5,341
1,246
113
A bikers club would be a great business to start in DR, lot of fun while living in the paradise...

JJ
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
Whereas there are new propane gas stations popping up all over the place. My guess is that it's an easy way to launder money and the petroleum companies don't seem to be interested in the propane monopoly.

Lot's of cash turnover. Narcos or corrupt politicos ideal solution.

they are popping up like mushrooms. there is one on the way to Munoz that was selling for 60 pesos per gallon for a month, when everyone else was around 80. just last week he went back to normal, but the competition is killing these guys.
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
113
Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
Best biz in the DR to invest into is heavy construction equipment.

You can have your own mechanics for cheap to maintain and service the fleet for peanuts.

You can operate a construction company with a very loooooooow budget on expenses and hiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh profits.
You can also make a good bundle of cash on rentals.

The key is that you must import the equipment (used as new will pay a VAT of ad valorem) yourself, not buy it locally.

After a max of 5 years you must sell to renew your fleet.

But if you really wanted to make wads of cash in the DR, all you need is to make a contract with Nissan or Mitsubishi to use their engines on locally built forklifts.

About 80% of the parts outside of the engine and tranny on a Forklift come from second line manufacturers to most brands on the market.

There's a multi-billion dollar market for forklifts in our side of the world today. As economies develop, so too the need increases for these important machines.

It's cheaper to lease/finance a new one with very little worries on parts or service for 3 to 4 years, than venture with a used one.

That's why you see Caterpillar forklifts with Nissan and other brand engines. Pistons, hoses, trannies, tires, etc...

The initial investment into fabrication is big but the returns are even larger.

The other choice for the DR lies in localized manufacturing of motorcycles. Big bucks there.

If investors are shy about these things and the know how, there's always RE rental income.

Develop compact Japanese-styled apartment/studios with minimal space wasted. The rental income is very high on these.

The other good biz would be to establish a brand of footwear manufactured all by hand in the DR, but to custom made molds of clients shipped to the factory.

Hand labor in the DR remains veeeeeery cheap. Producing high quality items hand made is rather easy and profitable overseas.

Access to the US market is open and free for these things from the DR. Under the FTA we signed.

Just to name a few...
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
Best biz in the DR to invest into is heavy construction equipment.

You can have your own mechanics for cheap to maintain and service the fleet for peanuts.

You can operate a construction company with a very loooooooow budget on expenses and hiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh profits.
You can also make a good bundle of cash on rentals.

The key is that you must import the equipment (used as new will pay a VAT of ad valorem) yourself, not buy it locally.

After a max of 5 years you must sell to renew your fleet.

But if you really wanted to make wads of cash in the DR, all you need is to make a contract with Nissan or Mitsubishi to use their engines on locally built forklifts.

About 80% of the parts outside of the engine and tranny on a Forklift come from second line manufacturers to most brands on the market.

There's a multi-billion dollar market for forklifts in our side of the world today. As economies develop, so too the need increases for these important machines.

It's cheaper to lease/finance a new one with very little worries on parts or service for 3 to 4 years, than venture with a used one.

That's why you see Caterpillar forklifts with Nissan and other brand engines. Pistons, hoses, trannies, tires, etc...

The initial investment into fabrication is big but the returns are even larger.

The other choice for the DR lies in localized manufacturing of motorcycles. Big bucks there.

If investors are shy about these things and the know how, there's always RE rental income.

Develop compact Japanese-styled apartment/studios with minimal space wasted. The rental income is very high on these.

The other good biz would be to establish a brand of footwear manufactured all by hand in the DR, but to custom made molds of clients shipped to the factory.

Hand labor in the DR remains veeeeeery cheap. Producing high quality items hand made is rather easy and profitable overseas.

Access to the US market is open and free for these things from the DR. Under the FTA we signed.

Just to name a few...

you mean ASSEMBLY of motorcycles, i am sure...
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
Best biz in the DR to invest into is heavy construction equipment.

You can have your own mechanics for cheap to maintain and service the fleet for peanuts.

You can operate a construction company with a very loooooooow budget on expenses and hiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh profits.
You can also make a good bundle of cash on rentals.

The key is that you must import the equipment (used as new will pay a VAT of ad valorem) yourself, not buy it locally.

After a max of 5 years you must sell to renew your fleet.

But if you really wanted to make wads of cash in the DR, all you need is to make a contract with Nissan or Mitsubishi to use their engines on locally built forklifts.

About 80% of the parts outside of the engine and tranny on a Forklift come from second line manufacturers to most brands on the market.

There's a multi-billion dollar market for forklifts in our side of the world today. As economies develop, so too the need increases for these important machines.

It's cheaper to lease/finance a new one with very little worries on parts or service for 3 to 4 years, than venture with a used one.

That's why you see Caterpillar forklifts with Nissan and other brand engines. Pistons, hoses, trannies, tires, etc...

The initial investment into fabrication is big but the returns are even larger.

The other choice for the DR lies in localized manufacturing of motorcycles. Big bucks there.

If investors are shy about these things and the know how, there's always RE rental income.

Develop compact Japanese-styled apartment/studios with minimal space wasted. The rental income is very high on these.

The other good biz would be to establish a brand of footwear manufactured all by hand in the DR, but to custom made molds of clients shipped to the factory.

Hand labor in the DR remains veeeeeery cheap. Producing high quality items hand made is rather easy and profitable overseas.

Access to the US market is open and free for these things from the DR. Under the FTA we signed.

Just to name a few...
Most of your ideas involve Dominican hands doing maintenance, assembly, repairs, manufacturing, that's the tricky part.

Best business is always trade in my opinion, not manufacturing, and nothing with involves a service level to maintain or many employees to babysit. (like they say in my country: beter een gulden handel dan een tientje werk (better 1 guilder of trade than 10 of work).
 

Garyexpat

Bronze
Sep 7, 2012
2,105
739
113
I believe there is quite a monopoly on gas stations. Getting permits etc. would probably take years and lots of $$ for any outsider. Derfish, I am trying figure out what 177 stretch you are talking about? Although I drive the country on a regular basis I admit that going east is my least favorite and therefore least traveled part of the country but going east of the capitol you have stations in Boca Chica (a few Shell stations I can think of) Juan Dolio (granted off the highway on the Blvd. but just a few miles), then SPM? Maybe you mean the new bipass which I have only taken once. I run my truck on propane and when I do have to switch to gas I feel sharp pains (it has a V8) until I find and fill up on propane again.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
I believe there is quite a monopoly on gas stations. Getting permits etc. would probably take years and lots of $$ for any outsider. Derfish, I am trying figure out what 177 stretch you are talking about? Although I drive the country on a regular basis I admit that going east is my least favorite and therefore least traveled part of the country but going east of the capitol you have stations in Boca Chica (a few Shell stations I can think of) Juan Dolio (granted off the highway on the Blvd. but just a few miles), then SPM? Maybe you mean the new bipass which I have only taken once. I run my truck on propane and when I do have to switch to gas I feel sharp pains (it has a V8) until I find and fill up on propane again.

there are certain enterprises that are reserved for Dominicans. i would suspect that a gas station is one of them.