A brief look at business opportunities for expats in Costa Rica

1. Business Opportunities and Challenges in Costa Rica This presentation will look at the business climate in Costa Rica in hopes of identifying potential opportunities for Expats

2. Costa Rica Is Easy To Get To

3. Foreigners can not work for Costa Rican Companies. You can be arrested for doing so. They can however, run their own businesses.

4. With Tourism being the number one source of income in Costa Rica, look to this area for potential opportunities

5. There are some road blocks to doing business in Costa Rica. The biggest challenge is Bureaucracy

6. Costa Rica is the top destination on the planet for Eco Tourism

7. The market for tourism in Costa Rica comes from many places

8. Always Dreamed of Opening a Dive Charter?

9. A Surf Camp or Surf School?

10. You can do some things in Costa Rica that you could not do in the US. Costa Rica is not a litigious society!

12. Costa Rica Prohibits Foreigners from Operating Charter Fishing Boats, You Must Partner With a Costa Rican or Operate through a Corporate Entity

13. With over 800 species of Birds, Opportunities exist for Bird Watching Tours

15. This retired Pan Am Pilot is now the largest breeder of Macaws in the World!

17. American Standard Baxter Healthcare Bristol Meyers Squibb Chevron Corporation (Worldwide Headquarters) Cisco Systems Citigroup Coca-Cola Colgate-Palmolive Computer Associates Dole Food Company Ernst & Young Global GE Hilton Hotels Intel Johnson & Johnson L.L. Bean Lucent Marriott Merck Company Microsoft Motorola Oracle Pfizer Philip Morris International Price Waterhouse Coopers Procter & Gamble Radisson Hotels Sony Music Entertainment The Gillette Company Tommy Hilfiger 3Com 3M Company Unisys (Corporate Headquarters) UPS (Corporate Headquarters) Western Union Well known US Companies doing business in Costa Rica

19. Insurance in Costa Rica Full Coverage including liability, natural disasters, fire, flood, etc… Runs about 1% of declared value on property

20. Tree Farms Are Another Popular Investment in Costa Rica and the Government Gives Incentives to Expats – Including Easing Residency Restrictions

21. Many Expats Operate Restaurants in Costa Rica

23. And Hotels. There is a Current Shortage of Hotel Rooms in Costa Rica and Demand Exceeds Supply, Making Room Rates High

25. Dreaming of Owning a Hotel? Here’s one for $950k plus a 3 bedroom 2 bath house.

26. Opportunities Also Exist in Real Estate Development, Investment and Services. Many Well Known US Real Estate Franchises are Now Opening Offices in Costa Rica. Remax, Century Twenty One and Coldwell Bank Have Multiple Offices in Costa Rica and are Adding More

27. Construction Services are in High Demand

28. The Vacation Rental Market Has Strong Demand. A Home and Land costing $350,000 has a Weekly Rental Income of $2000 per Week!

29. Specialty Retail Opportunities Abound

30. Who are the Entrepreneurs of Costa Rica Ticos, Americans, Canadians, French, Dutch, German, Students, Retirees, Professionals, Farmers, Entrepreneurs, Artists, Bakers, Designers, Families….