Services Pay Well
In my book, I give many other examples of how American entrepreneurs established their own profitable enterprises in this six country region (Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala). While the stories in these places are covered extensively with much detail, Belize is mentioned very superficially. In the years when I did the research for the book and interviewed over 100 expatriate businessmen, most enterprises were in the production field.
Today a quick look at enterprises established in recent years reveals that many are service businesses and those having to do with technology. Among them are dozens of small firms in Costa Rica that are currently producing excellent computer software for exporting
worldwide.
Bird watching and Perm culture
Peter King and his wife Lindy got tired of sailing in the South Pacific and decided to stay in Costa Rica to try their hand at growing black pepper, medicinal plants (lemon grass and ginger) and other tropical crops on the 16 acre, an old cacao farm they had bought. It's located near Puerto Viejo, a southern Caribbean beach village at the foot of the Talamanca Mountains. Besides growing those specialty crops under sustainable agricultural methods (perm culture), they offer guided tours to persons who like to bird-watch and observe the natural jungle environment.
Bed & Breakfast
In November 2000, Carol Weir, writing in the Tico Times, reported how several expatriates are living in and around Dominical and finding the good life there. Dominical is a small village south o fQuepos along the Pacific Coastal Highway. It has a nice beach and village fishermen nearby. One example of expatriates locating there is that of Desiree Kantrin, a widow from Canada, who years earlier had visited a friend in San José and taken a trip to the Dominical area. Liking the peaceful place, she bought a small piece of land fronting the beach nearby Costa Paraíso.
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