Moving to DR & Want to Start A Business

[Fuentes]

Papi, are you selling something? I got nothing to sell. Are you fronting for somebody?

[PapiViejo-Dark Lord]

Go back to sleep...It was my mistake to disturb you.

[tugboaboat5393]

Hear Me Out B4 Judgement.... A Haitian "Pic-A-Flor".... Gathet up The Baddest One... Get them STD tested, and Open up shop!! Thoughts?

Plenty of bad ass haitians,, too bad some of them are under the radar and dont have thier documents in order,, cedula  ,up to date passport or work permit .

How about DR Bail Bonds - We bring food on Sundays!

[Hunter_1]

The most successful businesses for expats that I have observed in monger places everywhere is the hotel owners. 

Lorenzo has done well with New Garden for example.  The Sosua Inn Euros seems to be doing well....Owner of Casa Valeria, etc.

Forget bars and restaurants...those are more for fun and something for the expat to do.

[wcyber]

I'll share an idea..

When it comes to finding ideas, key factors to consider are: Something in High demand, scalable, low investment and low risk.

PLEASE AVOID THIS MISTAKE where Many lazy tourists rely only on Google, and start connecting with sellers online for rentals and properties for example; then they end up buying at American cost lol. A building or small house that you can buy in the DR for $30k, you'll see them being sold online for $90k-$150k, and Americans would buy them bc they're close to the beach!! "Honey what a steal?" lol. When they could've gone directly there, talk to the locals, get a lawyer and only pay $30k. If you see a rental or property listed in an English site, then it's from another American, a smarter one who visited the DR, rented or bought the place for pesos, and now trying to flip it for your Dollars. So don't be that Joe! Go there in person and purchase or lease stuff directly from the Dominicans.

Being an American, easiest business you can do there is one that cater to tourists, you won't even be noticed. Also it's an industry you want to be in, as I've already implied, the money is in rental properties. Rent decent apartments in the $300 Month range, all furnished, then lease them daily on AirBnB...$50 per day brings you $1500 Monthly with just one unit. Then you can grow from there, branch out in other things or get multiple units. Here on this website alone you already have renters.

[PapiViejo-Dark Lord]

Ok...I might have bit a couple folks unnecessarily. Sometimes my responses are hot & hotly contested. I'm calm now.

[crazy_canuck]

Why? Are you looking for something to discredit me with?

Not wanting to discredit or discourage anyone.
The fact is, you should seek advice from people who owns legit and successful business in dr because as everyone is telling you, it's very difficult and risky there. People are not telling you what or what not to do, they are warning you of all the shit you should be aware of if you are serious about starting a business there. After that, if you chose to go on with your idea, at least you will have been warned.

[tugboaboat5393]

I'll share an idea..

When it comes to finding ideas, key factors to consider are: Something in High demand, scalable, low investment and low risk.

PLEASE AVOID THIS MISTAKE where Many lazy tourists rely only on Google, and start connecting with sellers online for rentals and properties for example; then they end up buying at American cost lol. A building or small house that you can buy in the DR for $30k, you'll see them being sold online for $90k-$150k, and Americans would buy them bc they're close to the beach!! "Honey what a steal?" lol. When they could've gone directly there, talk to the locals, get a lawyer and only pay $30k. If you see a rental or property listed in an English site, then it's from another American, a smarter one who visited the DR, rented or bought the place for pesos, and now trying to flip it for your Dollars. So don't be that Joe! Go there in person and purchase or lease stuff directly from the Dominicans.

Being an American, easiest business you can do there is one that cater to tourists, you won't even be noticed. Also it's an industry you want to be in, as I've already implied, the money is in rental properties. Rent decent apartments in the $300 Month range, all furnished, then lease them daily on AirBnB...$50 per day brings you $1500 Monthly with just one unit. Then you can grow from there, branch out in other things or get multiple units. Here on this website alone you already have renters.

bingo on the rental properties  !!

[VivaLaVega]

Yeah, not so much. Dozens of deserted hotel properties between Costumbar and Cabarete, every hotel in Sosua for sale, hundreds and hundreds of rooms available on AirBnB.

But in principle, secure a quantity of something in bulk at a deep discount (annual lease) and sell by the piece at a premium (nightly rental). But the product in this case is highly competitive and not in demand.

Another principle, add value. A dollars worth of sand water and cement becomes a five dollar block. A seed becomes a tree, a tree becomes lumber, lumber can become furniture. No shortage of labor for a small scale manufacturing business. Adding value, (environment, TV’s, preparation, service) is how Flip gets us to pay five bucks for a bucks worth of wings.

Two markets, the emerging local population. I am sure phone ownership has doubled in 10 years. What’s next? Tourist, expat, retiree... Harder to peg a need for something that’s not already competing for those dollars.

I don’t know, people ask me all the time if I would do a business in DR, I have one or two ideas but my mantra has been “make dollars and spend pesos”, so likely will continue to work elsewhere in the region and spend my free time in DR.

[Saint]

Again, like chasing dimes you need capabilities.  Some statistics: 10.7 million people live in the DR.  80% of the population lives in urban areas, 50% of the population is under 40.  First, you do not learn Spanish your not serious and most too lazy on here to do that. Whoever said entertainment is not popping is out of touch big time as there is a building boom in nightclubs in the DR.  I was in Santo Domingo few years ago and I saw trap merging with hip-hop you always need to be in front of the market growing a business. Most on here only know sosua. Retail and fashion big with young people in the DR. You playing with that monger dollar you old and out of touch as that is not where you play in the DR.  Construction company doing remodeling targeting high net worth Dominicans and Ex Pat's will work.  Entertainment over everyone's head as if you only know sosua and do not know understand current trends you will not be able to.play the entrepreneur entertainment game.

[PapiViejo-Dark Lord]

FUBU TAXI
We pick you up, anytime and any where with our air conditioned vehicle. It won't be cheap, but it will be on time and fast.

[lazy_monger]

FUBU TAXI
We pick you up, anytime and any where with our air conditioned vehicle. It won't be cheap, but it will be on time and fast.

Taxi mafia is serious about people cutting on their business.  I new somebody who did this before Uber and he made his clients keeping on the low.  If you have one passenger they sit up front. 

This is not a bad thread.  However, people need know the pitfalls of opening a business.  There is a saying if you want make a million dollars in the DR bring 2 million.   Many people have gone broke chasing the dream. 

That said, people have done it.  My boy started a dairy farm and is making a living but he has always had businesses. He has been working for himself since high school.   He took his time though and he able to stay down there for long periods of time to get the lay of land before he moved.  Talked to a lot reputable professionals about ins and outs of doing business in the DR.  Including the possible pitfalls.

[PapiViejo-Dark Lord]

Just to drop a few names and highlight the fact that brothers are doing it! Developing your business is a foundation of strength. And I think it's common knowledge that E Dean Cole is starting up a restaurant, Ed Kane provides taxi/tour services and TMD provides legal advisory services.  I know I've missed a lot but well done to everyone hustling in the DR for dollars!!  Personally, I'd would like to establish a business to manage Chica Finances....cause there's a lot of rainy days in the DR!

[flashshaker]

Something I have always thought about and as you know they say its the oldest profession for a reason.  How hard would it be open a place like Blackbeards or something close a 'resort style' casa.  I know places like that in Colombia and yes I understand the prostitution aspect of it but figured it might be doable.  The idea is to have ladies 'working' at the resort  catering to all  (men/women/couples).  Ok, so you look for and lease a closed hotel or one avail for rent.  Do some refurbs and hired some girls on commission to cater to the clients.  The house sets pricing.  The girls gets their cut, they get tested and are expected to follow a certain code of conduct.  Maybe with greasin the right palms, this could be done.

[PapiViejo-Dark Lord]

Blacksbeards is for sale and I bet Oasis would sell at the right price. If anyone wanted either of them, it probably wouldn't be to hard to buy them. Time to use those gme profits!