Hi there, my husband and I welcome any and all help. We will be back in Belize, San pedro in the next few weeks. This trip is to gain answers look at living possibilites ect. What we want to know is this:
We want to open a T-Shirt store.
How hard is it.
How many tourists come to San pedro each year ( thats important)
Is there alot of red tape?
Do we need to employee locals ( thats not a problem) Any and all detailed infor would be very helpful!!

Sorry to burst your bubble, but do not open a T-shirt store unless you have re-invented the T-shirt and have something very unique to offer...

There are lots and lots of gift shops with a very large selection of nice and cheap shirts, and not really enough people to buy them, thus the constant (really nice) USD 6.- and less shirts on sale.

Do yourselves a favor, and find a niche for your new business - or contact a reputable and long time established realtor and check for an available existing business for sale.

ok. Can you tell me how many tourists come to San Pedro each year. We even though of living in San Pedro and opening a store in Belize city to hit the cruise ship passengers.

thought" I meant! Sorry

If you want an accurate reponse to that question you're better off contacting the Belize Tourist Board rather than asking here: info@travelbelize.org

I think you'll run into the same issues if not more in Belize City if you want to open a T-Shirt shop.

Like Weile says, you have to have something unique to offer or purchase an existing business.

Not sure how many tourists come to the island each year. Not sure if anybody knows the exact number. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air are bringing them all in, and they would probably know better than anyone else.

You should contact the A.C. Chamber of Commerce, the San Pedro Business Associaton and/or check with the Belize Tourism Board. I am sure that you can find lots of info by google'ing statistics as well.

All I know is that there are at least 50 T-shirts on sale for every tourist passing through, so I must repeat my advice of not opening a T-shirt business, unless you have re-invented the T-shirt, in which case you'd probably not choose Belize as your launching platform.

Please, don't get me wrong. Lots of good people have come and made a good life for themselves (and others). Unfortunately just as many have come and lost everything, mostly because they didn't take the time to become familiar with the way of life and business here.

I don't know how much time you have spent in Belize; but a friendly advice would be to check it out for at least six months before you even consider risking your hard earned savings on a new business.

Not trying to disencourage you. Just being realistic, that's all...

"Tropic Air and Maya Island Air are bringing them all in"

Don't forget the water taxis.

Right Simon, but the European hippies already have the T-shirts, or bought them on Caye Caulker :-)

Everything and nothing is doable as a business here - luck, dedication, a good idea, common sense, business sense, starting capital to run at a loss for a while are all needed in varying quantities and differing orders and still won't guarantee success.

If you are capable of running a business in your home town and then make it ten times harder and can still run it you will be fine here. A generalism but if you use it as a guide it won't be too far off.

Great line!

--Lan Sluder

So, since I can run a successful business in Belize does this conversely mean that I could move to the US or UK and have a business that is 10 times as successful?

Or get trampled by those fast talkin', fast movin' gringos!

i don't know,, seems to me to be much easier to open a business here than up north?
but,, i never tried it up there. i heard things,,

Amanda, but of course. However you would have to deal with grey skies, packed Tube Trains, miserable unfreindly people, high taxes, even more higher taxes etc etc...... oh yes, and 1% Commissions. ouch.

Also you have a slight advantage that you have been here many years, have a good reputation, are established in a good business market, know the ins and outs of who is who and what is what etc. New arrivals have none of this in a saturated(?) market where finding a new successful business is far from easy.

Opening is easy. Keeping it open is another thing Bill - by North you mean us or US. But you're in the same bracket as Amanda, and you seem to have a simple need from life - fun easyish simple lifestyle, batteries for the camera, a Belikin for the other hand and life's good.

I wouldn't want to be starting from scratch here in San Pedro these days without a keen hunger and fat wallet.

...or should that be keen wallet and fat hunger..........

Of course all this drivel is just my opinion and worth the paper it's written on.

No paper here...but yer using up all my monitor ink!

Oh Phil - I love the part about knowing what is what - the rules change often - not even daily but sometimes by the hour. It is a constant learning curve. But it keeps your mind and wits sharp.

I don't think I would be happy going the "easy" route - too much spare time and nothing to moan about.

by north i meant the states.
and your right. we have managed to keep beer in the fridge and battery's in the camera for 11 years now.
maybe that's our secret, we don't ask for much more than that.

edit: well, maybe an ipod or two.

Yes, that is right Amanda 10 times as successful! Not to worry, I will keep an eye on things here for you.

You're a good man Tim - that's why I luv ya.

IMHO, a type of business that would be successful in Belize is a service-type business, like plumbing, electrician, A/C repair, computer repair, house-sitting, etc. etc. In know that Belizeans already fill many of the niches, but the beauty of a service business is not having a bunch of inventory, and if you already own all your own tools, not much overhead.

FYI if you are thinking of importing blank t-shirts for printing/selling you will need an import license from the government for each shipment. The license usually only lasts 30 days, sometimes 45 and at times that will only approve a reduced amount. Strange but true!