Looking for business suggestions, job creation and ideas to help the Nicaraguan economy.

My wife and I are seriously considering a move to Nicaragua in the not to distant future. I am an electronics engineer who has spent his career developing embedded controls hardware and firmware for all sorts of equipment including instrmentation.

I would not mind working part time. I even take on projects from out of my home when I can get them.

Harold

This type of business does not exists right now in Nicaragua. It is doing well in Costa Rica. Why not in Nicaragua especially now with gas prices so high.

http://www.motoexpedition.com/costaricamotorcyclerental.htm

http://www.pronicaragua.org/

you say you're moving back to Esteli after the elections in your bio. That's great! We share a similar story like a lot of us Nicaraguan en el exterior. Born in Jinotepe Carazo in '69, moved to the states (Chino, CA, not too far from Anaheim) when it was politically motivated back in '83. I'd love to move back someday sooner and not wait till I'm retired but hesitant not because of political reasons but what would I do down there to make a living. If I were wealthy, I would work for free to contribute to ecomonic development of our country though so making a living wouldn't be an issue. Another thing is that there's still too much "palanca" to get anything done and I dispise that. Since I grew up here in the states, I must admit I have that go getter attitude about getting things done but not at a snails pace. everything over there seems to take forever to get done (case in point is the infrastructure, they've been talking about a coastal highway for years). Another reason I would like to move back is to show the rest of the world that Nicaraguan people are some of the smartest people in the world and that we don't need hand-outs to build our ecomony and have so-called first world stuff. if we didn't have people like the sandinistas ruining the country I bet you things would be whole lot different. Sick of hearing Nica the 2nd poorest nation in the Western hemisphere. I think it's time we take back our country and show the rest of the world what we're capable of like it was before the stupid good for nothing revolution. I remember hearing my parents we were the envy of Latin America and the Granero de Central America. Hey I rememeber my dad telling after his trip to Mexico in the late '70 that the Mexicans went crazy for his cordobas just like the US dollar or Euro today. anyway best luck on your move...sorry for the rant. a have a few others which I'll write one of these days.

The cheese business might be a tough go, if done for export. After all, you will be competing with the places all around Costa Rica, not to mention the mega-maker Dos Pinos - which offers first-rate products at pretty decent prices (at least in CR and Honduras).

Honduras imports beef from Nicaragua? If you say so, I believe you. I have been here in Honduras for 5 years, and have yet to have a decent piece of meat, so if this stuff comes from Nicaragua, I see no economic future there (joking, but only sort of)!

Anything rcycling related is probably a solid move, but even a slight change in the tax rules, collection means, export guidelines, materials codes, etc., could jepoardize the business, unless of course you can use the recycled material in production inside Nicaragua.

Depends what you mean by help the economy. On a scale of any larger size, you are talking to either AID people, or entrepreneurs, or corporations. Only the former usually has any independent concern for "helping the economy". The other two categories of people often believe you do this indirectly by helping yourself, or your business (this doesnt apply to any natural resources ventures, like mining or timber). If you asked the average person with money (enough money to actually fund something, even small), in most countries in the world, what they were doing to help their economy, they might think you were seriously confused, or playing a joke on them. Because, economically, you cannot really start on the other end. You need to make something, people somewhere, actually want or need. How much profit there is depends on the thing made, and the associated costs. If this raises the mean/median income great (hard to believe you could start a business right now in Nicaragua, which somehow employed people, but lowered it any further), if not there isnt much you can do about that - assuming the business is managed properly. Social justice requires money, and Nicaragua hasnt much, and what it does have is routinely stolen. Social justice is what usually happens in places with 29-69% personal income tax brackets, not often in places like Nicaragua. It is possible for someone to as you say start on the wrong end in thinking, but still start at the same place as you recommend. For example, asking what advantages Nicaragua has, is probably the exact thing most entreprenuers ask. What could I do with the edge Nicaragua has? This is what every business person asks though, and you ask that question even if you have no interest in social justice, or have such an interest but dont believe it is something individuals bring about (only governments can?).

For what it is worth, in Honduras too, flowers are imported and quite expensive (at least in the big two cities). They sell plastic flowers at many places, and if you ask for real ones, they simply tell you they are to expensive to stock and sell. I saw the same thing in Guatemala City. It might be due to a lack of understanding the value of the items, and what could be made in-country.

MIéRCOLES 17 OF MARCH Of 2004/EDITION no. 23394/UPDATED 02:30 a.m.

THE HUMOR OF

A culture that requires subtility

The roses, a species admired by its colorful one, aroma and beauty

Shelter Eyrie

Its height is not the one of one miss, because those that excel more by their size they do not exceed the meter and means. Nevertheless by their bearing, freshness and its good equipped petals, the roses so are admired as nobody miss of the planet.

Although Maria Osejo Angels, agrónoma and expert in flowers, recognizes them as the "ladies" of the plants, and like one of the "more profitable beauties" of the Earth.

According to Osejo, a rosal in a quarter of apple, whose investment goes up to around the 6.000 dollars, is able to generate around 30.000 dollars of gain to the year.

Although they take much care as all queen. Osejo explains that the culture of roses at commercial level, entails a permanent maintenance and a sun location total, moved away of any type of shade, and with moderate winds.

It details that seedtime is obtained concerning the plantitas of Costa Rica or Guatemala, in a size of up to 60 centimeters or acquiring it through laboratory. Fact that in some months could work in Nicaragua.

Despite easiest, at the moment, it is buying them to prices that oscillate between two to five dollars by unit. "What one takes control feasible of financing", it points agrónoma."Entonces, if it is by this route, the recommendable thing is to acquire them of certified conservatories. Once in the hands, it is suggested to cool them by 15 days to desestresar them, and soon to take them to the field ", indicates.

IN OPEN FIELD

Osejo indicates that previous to seedtime in opened field, is advised to disinfect with chemistries the grounds, that preferably must be loose and porous, to reduce the attack of plagues like the fungi, that rot the roots of the rosales and the attacks of zompopos.

After this, it comments ideally that the plantitas can be transferred and be seeded, at the end of January to last of March, so that April or May blooms in, between 30 centimeters in length and to 30 centimeters wide, with 30 centimeters of depth.

"Taking care of of which each hole counts on its organic installment and that their roots are well prim, because they are those that absorb all the nutrients. Otherwise they suffer it (they are not developed)", exposes.

Already with this, according to Osejo, each only reduces to fertilize making them use of chemistries that time that the rosales require it; to water being them the careful from which the vital liquid arrives directly at the end of the stem; and to prune them to assure its growth and to avoid that they become a "mass" of stems.

Usually a plant of roses, suitably handled, generates between five to twelve roses to the week and has a life utility that oscillates between 10 and 15 years. It is to say that only in a quarter of apple, are able to generate, in that same period, between 300.000 and 450.000 dollars.

MICROPROPAGACIÓN

Agrónoma Maria Osejo Angels, says that they are making next to the Agrarian National University (ONE)) an experiment of production of roses of the variety of Madame of the bar, and Visa to end of Micropropagación.

"It is to say that one works with the weave of concerned roses. At level of the yolks of the plants to originate chiquititas plantitas (as large as the head of hisopo) soon to transfer them to conservatory and later to the field ", it explains.

Nevertheless this is about to to verify itself. "We needed financing. We do not have money nor for the reagents. We required that the Government helps us, because if we managed to produce them commercially, in Nicaragua would be an alternative for the caficultores of the country ", exposed.

EXOTIC OF ORIGIN

According to Maria Osejo Angels, agrónoma and expert in flowers, the roses are original of Asia. They have a diverse height that at the maximum arrive at 140 centimeters, and uses that go from aromas for soaps, to juice and essences for perfumes. Although in Nicaragua its culture continues being artisan and he is continued mattering pink by the order of the 10.000 dollars to the week.

This is particularly interesting/strange considering that where I lived in Costa Rica produced huge numbers of ferns th use as the green stuff to go with flower arrangements. I was told that they were flown to the US.

If this is the case, it seems that besides selling flowers and such locally, there is serious export potential. They were being grown at about 1300 meters with a mesh over them to reduce the amount of sun and increase humidity.

Also quad rentals. There are quad or atv rentals in costa rica, but I have yet to find one here. Of course it would only make sense if it was in a tourist town like sjds.

A friend once considered this very thing. The hard part was trying to find a middle ground for possible customers. They did a survey via some online travel magazine, and via newsgroups for motorcycle people. What they found, in a nutshell, was that people seemed to prefer very large bikes. Especially people from Europe, majority were mostly interested in the biggest bikes (600+cc), and wanted them for long-term rentals, or perhaps tours. The problem, beyond the cost difference (there is a big jump in price from the pizza-delivery 115-135cc bikes you see, to 200/250cc Japanese bike, then another monster jump to the BIG bikes), was that with these bigger bikes you are basically in the car-rental business, and that is or was a strangely rule-governed business back at this time anyway. For some reason, day rentals of smaller bikes, posed few problems, but there might not be the client base for this. If anyone was interested, the tour-bike company in Trujillo, Honduras might still be for sale (might be called "Turtle Tours" or "Turtle Off-Road Tours"). I believe it includes the bikes, trailers, maintenace van, 4x4 truck, shuttle car, spare parts, and all the rental gear/clothing/helmets/works (I think the bikes are all Yamaha 250 + 350cc). I do not know the year of the bikes, or if there would be any significant import issues. The business, before Trujillo fell on hard times, had many repeat customers and larger tour groups, mostly from Europe.

That you have to think a lot more and spend a lot of time here before you invest here. However I do have a friend who is a consultant on Latin America who has been quite successful here. He may be able to help but he charges $300 a day. Of course he is a salesman but has been able to help a lot of people make money here. I think if there is a good investment here he could find it for you and wave the charges until there is a profit. But I cannot promise that.

Canta no LLores

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I have a great interest in pursuing something along these lines. If you care to enter into a discussion outside of publc posts please contact me at paulruff_1999@yahoo.com

Exporting some of the unique products made in Nicaragua is definitely a good idea. If you visit San Juan de Oriente and Pueblos Blancos you will see what I mean. Handmade furniture has also good potential. In the area of organic products there's also good potential. I feel there's really a great deal of opportunity for a creative entrepreneur.

An outsourcing company that would provide their services to companies in the USA or other countries. It would be a win-win investment. What I know

Outsourcing IT jobs has become really popular in the USA. The cost of having an IT worker in the USA is high, some companies pay $60.00-$100 (including health insurance and other benefits) per hour for each employee. If the company outsources the work to a company in a foreign country like India it cost them $25.00 per hour for each contractor. The company in India turns around and pay their employees $500 a month.

In Nicaragua recent University graduates have difficulty finding a job after graduating and end up working on whatever they can find to make ends meet.

The Outsourcing Company would provide the training (6 months to a year) and encourage students to learn English.

This type of company would be great for Nicaragua for many reasons: 1.becasue there would be money coming into the country rather than leaving it.

2.It would employ people that went through school and allow them to work on their field and gain work experience. It would also give them access to the technology.

3. It would show people in Nicaragua the importance of getting an education. Some people in Nicaragua don't think an education is that important because many times it is difficult to find a job in their field of study. An outsourcing company would create a different culture; people would see the benefits of working hard to get an education rather than emphasizing a culture of uneducated maquiladora workers.

4. Since labor and office space is relatively cheap and the cost of computer hardware is relatively low the initial investment should not be as high if we compare it to investing in a factory or something else for example.

5. I have access to people who do IT computer-programming training in the States who is willing to do the training for free. To give an idea, when an IT employee takes a one week course to get training on a programming language it costs $1500-$2000 per person. The same training would be given to a Nicaraguan person interested at no cost.

6. Once the people gets the experience doing this type of work they could start their own company and give training to others.

Among some of the benefits for the Company in the States that would hire contractors in Nicaragua would be that Nicaragua is in the same time zone (time difference is a few hours) and they would not have to deal with the problem they have now when working with Indian Companies where for example they can not communicate immediately if there is a problem that needs to be fixed right away.

If there is enough work and hope for people in Nicaragua less people from Nicaragua would want to immigrate to the States and the US would eventually have less of an Immigration problem. They would also have the same benefits of outsourcing and be helping their neighbors who would buy US products.

The problem: I have had this idea for over 3 years. You might be wondering if this is such a great idea why don't you start the Outsourcing Company in Nicaragua. What is stopping you? Well, I don't have the experience or connections to get the contracts from an US company. I have some experience doing IT work and know people who is willing to do the training but I would need to work with a real good sales person that is capable of selling our skills, have some connections in IT and have enough confidence and credibility. Somehow it needs to be shown that we would be able to deliver and get the work done.