Casting a wide net....

Not a serious answer

I would travel back in time about six months change the whole load into pesos and then buy a Banco Central 60% CD and here is what you would have,

100,000 x 50 Pesos = 5,000,000

60% interest in one year = 3,000,000 Pesos

Total 8,000,00 Pesos

Cash out and buy dollars at 30 to one

NOW YOU HAVE 266,666 USD!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeez why didnt I do that!!!

Going now to wallow in self pity for the rest of my life!!!!

Nick

Redscot said:

No, not looking to go into the fishing business . Actually wanted to ask a hyopthetical question to board members about business on the North Coast, actually anywhere in the triangle between Susua/Cabarete and Santiago.
So here goes....


If you were given 100k US Dollars to open any business of your choice, what would you do? I realize those that may be in this situation probably won't share that info, but what the heck. Dreamers, worry warts, and all those in between, input is welcome. Also, if a little mor emoney would change your decision please expand on your thoughts.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

Hi in Santiago ,i will open and internet cafe/bar.
It is much need it ,specially in that area.
Let me know if i can help.....Stofi

I would go with the Central Bank CD's

I would go with The Central Bank CD's. It's still not to late...
Don't speculate on the currency... if it works out in your favor, even better!
Simply expect to make 24% on your investment... this means that you could be $24,000.00 richer by this time next year (that's if the pesos remains stable...) and then you could relook at your options....If your from the US or Canada, that's more like $40,000 (taxable income). This income is more then sufficient for a reasonable person to live in the DR for a year with out any extra revenue. Get to know the country better and target the proper business. There are plenty of good opportunities in the DR, but it's not only about what you do, but also about how you do it....

Good luck!

hair salon with internet

Combine a dominican ladies hair salon with internet access.
Full house everyday! Dominican women don't go without their salon and they love chatting on internet.
Promise to give me free haircuts, ok?
Bartolomeo

Plenty of internet cafes in the area. Most of the time they are EMPTY, the other times they are full making that big 5 dollars per hour. You can make more get commercial bank cds.

Yes, EMPTY is the word, and there has been too many open up in cities like Santiago, POP etc the last few years.
And it is quite a costsam start of something that ?s not bringing in much in the long term.
Rental space, computers that you buy or lease, maintenance of them, generator or inversors with plenty of batteries, cleaning, staff, connection to internet, aircon or fans etc etc
I have not included insurance, have no idea what it might cost.

If you have 10 computers , 2 staff with 7000 pesos a months (incl. that you pay 13 month a year here ), a space with a rent of 10.000 pesos, electricity, internet connection...
Without the computers and generator cost of investment you have a monthly cost of apprl 40.000 pesos. Thats 1333 pesos of cost per day without having even paid for the computers or a generator!!
Meaning about 150 pesos a day goes to having the place only per computer. ( That is 10 guests of 15 minutes /charging 15 pesos ).

10 more guests of 15 minutes on 10 computers gives you another 1500 pesos... Now 5 hours of your day is completed with a 100 % on each computer. And you dont have 100 % all time on each computer. If you are open 12 hours a day, you have now covered 5 of those hours with a 100 %, which would be close to the reality. ( Most internet cafees are empty, or have like 20-50 % coverage )
This means per day you have 1500 pesos, open 30 days a month, it gives you
around 45000 pesos.
Now you have to pay for your lease of computers, maintenance, fix what is not ok with them, upgrade them. YOu also have to clean every day, pay insurance, fix something else in the rental space that does not work etc etc.
And after that you might want to take your own profit or salary... but there will be nothing left... sorry, but this is not a good business here, as you cannot charge enough for the service..

Redscot said:

No, not looking to go into the fishing business . Actually wanted to ask a hyopthetical question to board members about business on the North Coast, actually anywhere in the triangle between Susua/Cabarete and Santiago.
So here goes....


If you were given 100k US Dollars to open any business of your choice, what would you do? I realize those that may be in this situation probably won't share that info, but what the heck. Dreamers, worry warts, and all those in between, input is welcome. Also, if a little mor emoney would change your decision please expand on your thoughts.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

We had been brainstorming about exactly the same question for a long time as that is not a "small" decision.We decised that "tourisme" is the way for us.
A brandnew excursion is what we decided on.
And with alot of help and advice ( like from planner from this board) we are making the "big move" in july!
Hope to meet alot of people from this board!


xxx sabrina

Redscot said:

No, not looking to go into the fishing business . Actually wanted to ask a hyopthetical question to board members about business on the North Coast, actually anywhere in the triangle between Susua/Cabarete and Santiago.
So here goes....


If you were given 100k US Dollars to open any business of your choice, what would you do? I realize those that may be in this situation probably won't share that info, but what the heck. Dreamers, worry warts, and all those in between, input is welcome. Also, if a little mor emoney would change your decision please expand on your thoughts.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

I would open me up a little raffle agency and raffle all kinds of stuffs through a good marketting plan in place....Dominicans have always been crazy with raffles so you know that these tickets would sell.
I would be buying stuff that the poor can't normally afford such as TVs, Refrigerators, stoves, bikes, hair dryers etc... And i would even buy television time to make sure that it gets broadcasted on TV as well.

Who knows, that could be a start of a television career as well, especially if you do some really good marketting and can bring in some viewers and improve their ratings.

You will not only be making some nice clean profit but will also be giving the poor the opporunity to attain something they never even dream on having for a very small price.

Maybe you are right!
But TV ad time in this country is superexpensive, and the Dominican way of "knowing" is by word... They always no someone who knows someone who bought something somewhere...LOL

carina said:

Maybe you are right!
But TV ad time in this country is superexpensive, and the Dominican way of "knowing" is by word... They always no someone who knows someone who bought something somewhere...LOL

Click to expand...

You should invest in security buisness , people do not like too much people standing on the front of a bank or any other buisness with a shot gun in their hand . Doesn't feel really secure for tourists and everybody .

If you are interested , I have the skills , I am french , english bilingual , I just need to learn and practice more spanish language .

regards ,
Laurent .

Do you mean to hire out guards, watchmen etc?

carina said:

Do you mean to hire out guards, watchmen etc?

Click to expand...

Not at all , it is another type of security .

Brainstorming...

Hm... I decided to do some brainstorming on my own here...

Questions:

1) Target Dominicans or Tourists or both?
2) "Low cost items" with big turnaround?
3) "Hig cost items" with low turnaround?
4) Business that need investment to get going?
5) Business that require staff?
6) Discrepancy between what people need and what they can actually afford or are willing to pay for?
7) Sell merchandise or know-how?

I for one would try to target Dominicans with something related to know how, that is relatively hig-cost for the customer and does not require a big initial investment from me. Something that is not seasonal and does not rely on current trends. One example of such a business is what I believe AZB is doing in Santiago.

Good points Voyager..

Also add 8. Location ( where will I settle or live and what are the perspectives in that area - Location analysis )

carina said:

Good points Voyager..

Also add 8. Location ( where will I settle or live and what are the perspectives in that area - Location analysis )

Click to expand...

Of course location! Thanks for the addition!

Personally, being the incurable romantic (I can cook too!) I have this feeling for the south coast. The waters there are the Caribbean Sea, and my pulse go up a notch or two. The north coast, on the other hand, suffer from the Atlantic Ocean, of which I have had enough when living in Scandinavia.

The cartoon figure Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes) set up a booth, selling "a kick in the ***!" for a dollar per kick. He figured that most people need a kick in the ***, but alas, business was slow...

Maybe I should set up a booth outside Adrian Tropical, selling kisses "Swedish Style" for 50 pesos a kiss? Yeah?

PS. Gaw' blimey, the word a_s_s is censored??? Hahaha, we are prissy, aren't we?

Voyager said:

Of course location! Thanks for the addition!

Personally, being the incurable romantic (I can cook too!) I have this feeling for the south coast. The waters there are the Caribbean Sea, and my pulse go up a notch or two. The north coast, on the other hand, suffer from the Atlantic Ocean, of which I have had enough when living in Scandinavia.

The cartoon figure Calvin (from Calvin & Hobbes) set up a booth, selling "a kick in the ***!" for a dollar per kick. He figured that most people need a kick in the ***, but alas, business was slow...

Maybe I should set up a booth outside Adrian Tropical, selling kisses "Swedish Style" for 50 pesos a kiss? Yeah?

Click to expand...

Well , if you sale your swedish kiss in D-R only for 50 pesos , I'm selling mine a 100 pesos , I'm french , the french kiss is really popular worldwide .... lol

LOL yes do that, I can assist in advice as I am from Sweden!

As I prefer living here on the North Coast, I?ll do the local kiss-palace here!

Aye, Carrrrramba, such competition already?

However, being of a powerful Finland/Sweden origin and having been to France a coupla dozen times, I am sure I am up to the challenge and can give you a good lickin' any time...


///////////////////
PS. To avoid misunderstanding: "licking" : colloq. beating, fighting

Voyager..a bit of competition is just healthy....