Your best business development ideas in Belize

42358POSTS

9 years ago

Hi everyone,

As a foreign entrepreneur, launching a business in Belize is a fantastic project and an exciting challenge. Some ideas are likely to succeed. Some others are promising but may not work as well as intended.

In your opinion, what kind of business or industry is likely to succeed in Belize? What kind of industry or service currently unavailable or underdeveloped in the country would meet local needs?

On the other hand, what are the most common business types foreign entrepreneurs would be eager to launch in the country but with very little chance of success?

Thank you for your insights.
Priscilla

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Monkey Town brew Serial expat

294POSTS

9 years ago

We're doing supplies for brewing beer and plan to do a micro brew at some point. I guess time will tell if that's genius or madness.

I think the new resorts popping up could probably slow down a tad. Tourism is growing, but not THAT fast. I see so many places in Placencia almost empty, even in high season. I think foods and beverages that people from US, Canada, and Europe are used to would be a smart direction. I think what Ian Anderson is doing with kombucha, deli meats, and artisanal breads is genius.

Will The Old Serial expat

418POSTS

9 years ago

Monkey Town brew wrote:
We're doing supplies for brewing beer and plan to do a micro brew at some point. I guess time will tell if that's genius or madness.

I think the new resorts popping up could probably slow down a tad. Tourism is growing, but not THAT fast. I see so many places in Placencia almost empty, even in high season. I think foods and beverages that people from US, Canada, and Europe are used to would be a smart direction. I think what Ian Anderson is doing with kombucha, deli meats, and artisanal breads is genius.

I hope you do well with your Microbrew, looking forward to trying it!

Last year I was in Placencia for three trips, including the month of December. This year I was there just before Lobsterfest returning to Texas in late July. Every business owner I asked, said last December was about normal, but that Lobsterfest 2016 was the biggest ever and business was better and continued good farther into the year than they had seen before. I will be returning in a few weeks, for several months, so hope the trends remain positive.

With the long awaited Norwegian Cruise Line starting up at Harvest Caye mid November, it will be interesting to see what if any effect that has on the area.

1 member reacted to this post

Kevin Performance Construction Active member

39POSTS

9 years ago

I'm with you--food and beer, I know food and of course construction. Know this if you brew a nice wheat beer I will be very happy

1 member reacted to this post

Monkey Town brew Serial expat

294POSTS

9 years ago

Thanks, guys. We are really excited to bring more beer variety to Belize. The license thing may take a while, but we'll keep selling supplies until then. We did a really nice home brew coconut wheat that was pretty fabulous, and we also recently did a Wit that was one of the best brews we've ever done, so we'll definitely be doing a couple different styles of wheat!

I definitely see tourism growing, particularly in the south, and in fact I researched a bunch of numbers for our business plan, and things look really good. I just think new places opening may be outpacing growth. My concern with Harvest Caye remains that the effects will be mostly negative. Damage to the reef, trash, etc. with little financial return to most people since all their food and lodging, etc is covered. There are a few people here getting jobs there, and that's certainly a wonderful thing, but I'm just hoping it's not a total disaster. Here, for example, they gave all the tour concessions to one tour guide, instead of sharing that wealth among all the many Monkey River guides. And they won't be stopping in the village for snacks or gifts or any of that because apparently they don't have time? I've been pretty unhappy with them from the word go.

Will The Old Serial expat

418POSTS

9 years ago

I agree with you on Harvest Caye. At other destinations the cruise lines stop, they structure everything so that they control/profit 99% of everything.聽 Harvest Caye will be no different.

I think one positive way it will effect the area, is some of the folks will want to come back in the future to spend more time in the area. When you look at NCLs schedule it appears that out of the one partial day the ship is at Harvest Caye, passengers are only off the ship for 5-6 hours. That is just a tease,

聽 although it will satisfy many cruise ship tourist, some will want to actually see the area on a future trip.

2 members reacted to this post

Ginny777 Member

13POSTS

9 years ago

What about wine

1 member reacted to this post

Monkey Town brew Serial expat

294POSTS

9 years ago

Well, we have sold some of our wine yeast to some of the local wine makers, and what we've tasted has definitely been a lot cleaner and crisper. Some of them use bread yeast, and some of them don't use any packaged yeast at all, which means it's wild yeast. In any case, we haven't considered making wine because there are so many people already doing it, though we do want to put out some hard ciders. It would be pretty fantastic if someone could do grape wine, though I'm not sure if there's anywhere in country that grapes would grow.

Kevin Performance Construction Active member

39POSTS

9 years ago

#10

We should link up when I come down are you in Belize? I am flying in Thursday into Mexico and will be in Belize Friday.

Also just my opinion but I think micro brews and everything you can offer with a microbrew would be much more appealing than wine in an area such as Belize.

1 member reacted to this post

rayonthebay Active member

54POSTS

9 years ago

#11

Hello Kevin,

Is performance construction a home builder? If so, I would like you to email me at xxx

Regards,
Ray

Moderated by Bhavna 9 years ago
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Kevin Performance Construction Active member

39POSTS

9 years ago

#12

How do I PM? I will be flying in tomorrow to Mexico and then onto Belize Friday.

guestposter3251 Guest

0POSTS

9 years ago

#13

one first step would be to determine why the micro brew in san pedro failed.

Christine ViP

42879POSTS

9 years ago

#14

@kevin > click on the profil and on button "send a message".

[sorry for the off topic]

Kevin Performance Construction Active member

39POSTS

9 years ago

#15

thx!

Kevin Performance Construction Active member

39POSTS

9 years ago

#16

San Pedro is more Isolated maybe? Tough/more expensive to get things out to the Island and a more limited market, and no export?

Monkey Town brew Serial expat

294POSTS

9 years ago

#17

Well ... I have a pretty good idea of how and why that happened. Some of it is expense and island isolation. There were also some of what appear to be business decision mistakes. I don't really want to trash talk, but there were a lot of mistakes that had nothing to do with being in Belize. Of course I'm not on the inside, either, so there could have been - and I'm sure were - things going on I didn't know about. I guess what I'm saying is that I know what happened, but I don't know why.

Will The Old Serial expat

418POSTS

9 years ago

#18

Priscilla wrote:
In your opinion, what kind of business or industry is likely to succeed in Belize? What kind of industry or service currently unavailable or underdeveloped in the country would meet local needs?

Here is an idea from Belize's past, that with the right people, money and government cooperation would really help in many ways. I came across this article as a spinoff of the new Holaday thread.