Talk about bad service. For the past month I have been looking for a printing company to do some work for me. I have contacted 10 of them, both by phone and email; only 2 actually responded. When I call back they give me the same old story; we had lost your number, the boss is not here to sign the quotation, I promises to get back to you this afternoon …..
- Thread starter Chip
- Start date
The DR is the place for entrepreneurs
A couple of comments:
1) One problem I see with expat business failures in the DR is that many, if not a strong majority, had never been in business before. They have no experience actually starting and running one in a culture they are familiar with. It's hard enough where they came from. But combine a whole new set of rules and a totally different business culture with little or no experience, and the failure rate isn't surprising to me.
2) If you just rely on tourist biz, you have maybe a 15% chance of success. There just isn't that much of it in total, the Big Players have huge share within the resorts and there is significant competiton for the small % of non-AI business. Tourist business is at the mercy of factors beyond your local control, like the world economy.
3) A sucessful business environment assumes a fair and predictable legal and court system to protect a business. The DR does not have either, nor are anti-trust laws worth a damn.
4) If you don't import your revenues, you better be able to capture revenues from the local Dominican market.
But Chip is correct. There are opportunities here. But one must proceed with caution. Like the roads, the business potholes here are more numerous and MUCH deeper...and often hidden.
1) One problem I see with expat business failures in the DR is that many, if not a strong majority, had never been in business before. They have no experience actually starting and running one in a culture they are familiar with. It's hard enough where they came from. But combine a whole new set of rules and a totally different business culture with little or no experience, and the failure rate isn't surprising to me.
2) If you just rely on tourist biz, you have maybe a 15% chance of success. There just isn't that much of it in total, the Big Players have huge share within the resorts and there is significant competiton for the small % of non-AI business. Tourist business is at the mercy of factors beyond your local control, like the world economy.
3) A sucessful business environment assumes a fair and predictable legal and court system to protect a business. The DR does not have either, nor are anti-trust laws worth a damn.
4) If you don't import your revenues, you better be able to capture revenues from the local Dominican market.
But Chip is correct. There are opportunities here. But one must proceed with caution. Like the roads, the business potholes here are more numerous and MUCH deeper...and often hidden.
Commiserations. On the one hand everyone is complaining about the crisis, but try and get someone to come and take measurements and provide a quote for a shelving unit! We haven't been able to unpack several boxes of books because of this.
10 years ago, I saw a bedside lamp in a crafts shop and ordered several for my apartment. I'm still waiting for them to be delivered.
Also, so many businesses seem to be opened on impulse without any serious groundwork, business plan, nothing. As in "wouldn't it be nice to open a little shop selling baby clothes?"
In case someone is seriously contemplating becoming an entrepreneur in the DR, be aware that there are consulting firms that will do market research for you and let you know if your business idea has a market in the DR, what strategies would be most appropriate to effectively penetrate a niche, what and who your competition will be, what publicity strategies will best work for bringing in the desired customers, etc.
The one that comes to mind is MKT Consulting, but there are many others in SD. My advice is to search for them in the yellow pages.
Anyone that is not willing to invest in understanding what he/she/they will be facing as a business entity in the DR is simply not fit to run a business. If that's the case, find some else to occupy your time and/or supplement your income.
-NALs
The one that comes to mind is MKT Consulting, but there are many others in SD. My advice is to search for them in the yellow pages.
Anyone that is not willing to invest in understanding what he/she/they will be facing as a business entity in the DR is simply not fit to run a business. If that's the case, find some else to occupy your time and/or supplement your income.
-NALs
One of the best ways to get ready to go into a business is to work for someone else in the same environment. Sure, the pay is lousy and you're not trying to take orders, but consider the advantages:
1. You learn where the potholes are before you drive.
2. You learn about the nature of the market, and who your true clients/customers are.
3. You learn about the true extent of your competition and other obstacles to penetrating the market.
4. You figure out whether it is a business that sustain your income expectations.
5. And you do it all on someone else's dime, in someone else's name.
Just a thought,
DRob :glasses:
I think that one of the biggest and in many cases most fatal disadvantage a foreigner has in business here, is the lack of valuable, influential maybe even powerful and constructive contacts.
It's yet again a reason to HOLD and wait, get established and make quality acquaintances and get to know this country BEFORE committing any seizable sums of money here.
The problem I seem to observe more than I care to, is that too many foreigners tend to base their "analysis" on the street wise directions (nebulous fabulations, mostly) of mostly uneducated people whom in turn have mostly never really ever invested (own) money or worked on a consistent base successfully.
It IS indeed not easy to make quality contacts around Coastal regions. People living a decent life around the two major cities, staying away from people with which the more successful and well to do locals do not seek to be seen publicly, seem to have much better chances to build an interesting network of people who don't only seek to offer "partnerships" on the basis of the foreigner chipping in the money and them loosing it.
As to NAL's certainly interesting suggestion to retain the services of some market analysis firm, I fear I have to question if for the size of mostly small businesses foreigners are looking to get into, these firms would really be in position to offer useful information to these prospects. These firms, usually are being contracted by large, at times international companies.
... J-D.
It's yet again a reason to HOLD and wait, get established and make quality acquaintances and get to know this country BEFORE committing any seizable sums of money here.
The problem I seem to observe more than I care to, is that too many foreigners tend to base their "analysis" on the street wise directions (nebulous fabulations, mostly) of mostly uneducated people whom in turn have mostly never really ever invested (own) money or worked on a consistent base successfully.
It IS indeed not easy to make quality contacts around Coastal regions. People living a decent life around the two major cities, staying away from people with which the more successful and well to do locals do not seek to be seen publicly, seem to have much better chances to build an interesting network of people who don't only seek to offer "partnerships" on the basis of the foreigner chipping in the money and them loosing it.
As to NAL's certainly interesting suggestion to retain the services of some market analysis firm, I fear I have to question if for the size of mostly small businesses foreigners are looking to get into, these firms would really be in position to offer useful information to these prospects. These firms, usually are being contracted by large, at times international companies.
... J-D.
Your Competitors
How often do you think a gringo's company would get away with this?
How often have I read that "aduana" confiscated container loads of goods falsely declared by fairly reputable firms...
How often do you think a gringo's company would get away with this?
Totally agree.
If you cannot do your own market research, why do you think you can market your product?
I have a recent funny update. We asked a few professional consultants to give us a quote for some work for a project, and as expected the price we received from at least one consultant was absurdly high, US27k for something that goes for US2.5k normally. Not only that, the dipsh$it filled his proposal with all types of nonsensical bullsh$it, even though he knew I am a civil engineer and would be reviewing his proposal.
My question is does this guy think we are stupid or is he really such a dumba$$ that he thinks he can make this fly???? Nonetheless, I informed my Dominican client and he let the consultant have it good. In fact the consultant admits that he really would only need US3.5k to do the job, go figure. This certainly confirms my hypothesis about doing work down here.
My question is does this guy think we are stupid or is he really such a dumba$$ that he thinks he can make this fly???? Nonetheless, I informed my Dominican client and he let the consultant have it good. In fact the consultant admits that he really would only need US3.5k to do the job, go figure. This certainly confirms my hypothesis about doing work down here.
Chip and Juanita, in my experience it is common for Dominican contractors to highball like this when they really don't want the work. They throw a huge number at you, convinced that you will most likely go away. On the off chance that you don't they will of course appreciate the opportunity to print some free money. Typically contractors of this ilk don't do much business with the private sector and are dependent on government connections to pay their exorbitant fees.
On the other hand, the other common type of contractor will make a lowball offer to get his hands on your project, then proceed to invent all manner of unexpected developments that require immediate dispensation of additional capital over and above the original quote, this can go on for years.
On the other hand, the other common type of contractor will make a lowball offer to get his hands on your project, then proceed to invent all manner of unexpected developments that require immediate dispensation of additional capital over and above the original quote, this can go on for years.
It seems our distinguished Dr1'er TheHun is learning to take advantage of the locals penchant for running their business in the ground. It turns out that one of his major (and maybe only real competitor) in town has been alienating his clients by purportedly removing parts from their cars while in for servicing and replacing them with used marginalized parts so they have to return frequently to replace them. The guy is such a tiguere that he then charges premium prices to replace the same parts he removed from the owners car!
As TheHun is honest, does good work and charges a fair price, now the only thing he has to worry about is getting Dominicans to stick to their appointment time because they are notoriously late.
As TheHun is honest, does good work and charges a fair price, now the only thing he has to worry about is getting Dominicans to stick to their appointment time because they are notoriously late.
baby clothes i n santiago
Its a good market in Santiago. Angelitos seems to be successful, and a few others in los Jardines.
Its a good market in Santiago. Angelitos seems to be successful, and a few others in los Jardines.
As a entrepreneurs I have had many failures and some success but i always keep reinventing my business plan and try to keep at it with out giving up. DR represents an ideal market on the surface with very limited competition in what we consider a professional service and great service providers but then again we might have different standards that what many here consider a good business.
To the majority of Dominican enternepernuers reducing overhead at the expense of quality does not mean much.
Our Family business is the Making of Fine Guayaveras.. A good typical error my many of us.. we made so an effort on apprerance, great product . that forgot the main point of doing business making moeny.....We have been i nbusines for over 30 year and now we have become a large palyer but not due to good planing or to a great business plan it was more thing of time in the market.. For the most part of the comapny history we where survung by making tiarlors shirts sicne we could not afford the cost of setting up a lare factory and have ready made shirt to our costoemrs..
....some ohw we got the cash and thigs are changing.. The head of the famili business is lettign some of us the young guys take some iniciatives and thigns have change...
I see a niche i nthe DR for our product line not jsut a niche to manufacutere the shirts...this was nto the idea behing moving here it was to do like many domincas that made some moeny do.. come home to how that your sucessfull and drive a SUV...
I salute the Dominican,American entrepreneurs that go at it everyday not knowing if their business will be successful tomorrow...I was told by my grandfather that with time comes success.. lets not skips the time part... stick to a business plan..(adjusting with time and need) but do not go changing your services every time someone makes a new business and is successful stick to your guns.. if construction.. make the industry better.. if call centers. keep your doors open something will pop up.. if clothes keep a full inventory...if food service dot put thing in your menu that you don't have on stock....ah and always have 6-8 operating cost on the bank it helps.. LEt see some nice American delis open with good service...and good coldcuts.. that's nice business with some 35% profit...
To the majority of Dominican enternepernuers reducing overhead at the expense of quality does not mean much.
Our Family business is the Making of Fine Guayaveras.. A good typical error my many of us.. we made so an effort on apprerance, great product . that forgot the main point of doing business making moeny.....We have been i nbusines for over 30 year and now we have become a large palyer but not due to good planing or to a great business plan it was more thing of time in the market.. For the most part of the comapny history we where survung by making tiarlors shirts sicne we could not afford the cost of setting up a lare factory and have ready made shirt to our costoemrs..
....some ohw we got the cash and thigs are changing.. The head of the famili business is lettign some of us the young guys take some iniciatives and thigns have change...
I see a niche i nthe DR for our product line not jsut a niche to manufacutere the shirts...this was nto the idea behing moving here it was to do like many domincas that made some moeny do.. come home to how that your sucessfull and drive a SUV...
I salute the Dominican,American entrepreneurs that go at it everyday not knowing if their business will be successful tomorrow...I was told by my grandfather that with time comes success.. lets not skips the time part... stick to a business plan..(adjusting with time and need) but do not go changing your services every time someone makes a new business and is successful stick to your guns.. if construction.. make the industry better.. if call centers. keep your doors open something will pop up.. if clothes keep a full inventory...if food service dot put thing in your menu that you don't have on stock....ah and always have 6-8 operating cost on the bank it helps.. LEt see some nice American delis open with good service...and good coldcuts.. that's nice business with some 35% profit...
Thanks for the insight. With regard to your comment:
A good typical error my many of us.. we made so an effort on apprerance, great product . that forgot the main point of doing business making moeny
I would say that if your family has been doing the business for thirty years I would say that by default they have made enough money to stay in business.
Thanks for the insight. With regard to your comment:
A good typical error my many of us.. we made so an effort on appearance, great product . that forgot the main point of doing business making money
I would say that if your family has been doing the business for thirty years I would say that by default they have made enough money to stay in business.
Reply With Quote
CHip your are right enough money to stay in business not meas a profitable enterprise..with our new projections and revise approach we are looking at not just breaking even but being able to make descent profit consistently..
I would like to invite does dr1 members in Santiago for a tour of our factory a t see our products .. plus we will be participating in DR fashion week this weekend
A good typical error my many of us.. we made so an effort on appearance, great product . that forgot the main point of doing business making money
I would say that if your family has been doing the business for thirty years I would say that by default they have made enough money to stay in business.
Reply With Quote
CHip your are right enough money to stay in business not meas a profitable enterprise..with our new projections and revise approach we are looking at not just breaking even but being able to make descent profit consistently..
I would like to invite does dr1 members in Santiago for a tour of our factory a t see our products .. plus we will be participating in DR fashion week this weekend
Construction Professional
Hi i'm a construction/ senior project manager / architect professional in NY for 15 years. My formal education is Architecture from the DR.... you mentioned the work ethic and good work, these are characterictics that define me..,I'm interested to know what type of construction work do you do in the DR?
Hi i'm a construction/ senior project manager / architect professional in NY for 15 years. My formal education is Architecture from the DR.... you mentioned the work ethic and good work, these are characterictics that define me..,I'm interested to know what type of construction work do you do in the DR?