Hey folks,
I am thinking about purchasing a business on the caye in the next few months and am looking for some input. I am in the US right now but intend to move to CC for the business. What is the current feeling toward ex-pats doing business down there and how safe is it? Realizing that most folks only post the worst on these boards or other similar ones, I am looking for realistic info from all. Any business owners currently doing bus. on CC would be welcome. I also realize that re-inventing the wheel is not going to happen, so I do not intend to "change the caye to fit my business" I intend to continue doing business as usual with a few minor alterations. Also, what can I expect to pay for renting a home and maybe some suggestions of where I could do this would also be appreciated.
Thanx so mush to all replies.

Rent varies widely.
US split level maybe BZ$2500
Belize house BZ$1000.
Hildas Apts BZ$650
It is a lot safer here than in any US or Canadian city

Dane,
I see several posts on this board by you and appreciate your recent response, however, you had nothing to say about anything other than rent. Do you have any other thoughts on the other topics? I would appreciate any further input.
Thanx

Honestly,on this board general inquiries get a fairly weak response.i took a minute to answer the only really specific question that caught my fancy.
Heres the short answer-
To make a success here it will matter more what you value in your daily life than any general sense of the biz climate.
Stating the biz your are planning to run would make all the dif to any useful response. The expats and locals don't hassle as groups -it is small and you move on your own.

You really need to spend enough time here to be able to answer those questions on your own. Rule of thumb has always been live here for a year before doing anything and if you cant do that then everyone has different advice as everyone has a different experience on life here.

These posting always crack me up.

I will be graduating high school in two months and would like to live on an island and sit on the beach. Is there some buisness I can have where this lifestyle won't be thretened?

yeah.......but there is lots of competition

OP, it sounds like you're asking if you'll like living/working on CC and if you will be accepted as a business owner. Have you ever been there? It's certainly not for everyone. I don't think your questions (other than the specific ones about rent) could really be answered about any town since people's experience and expectations vary so much.

The advice is good: definitely visit, if not for a longer period, at least once and you'll answer a lot of your own questions.

Good luck,

Noelle

Yes. Sometimes its hard to hear about the young folks with their dreams...no need to be old and cranky about it.

The first question that comes to mind is why is the business for sale? I met a couple here on a/c that "bought into" a business because of the owners’ good reputation; never mind that he needed the money. (that's a long story) Little by little he 'sold out' to them. Now they have a business that has a lot of competition and doesn’t have the guy with the reputation.

I suggest you ask a lot of questions of a lot of people and you can't do that without looking in their eyes.