Opportunities await in the Dominican Republic? part 1
Business minded with the right drive and the will to win, there are opportunities in Dominican Republic. With start up cash and the right social circle a lot is possible.
I always felt that I was a different person from the majority and being “regular” was not my normal. I had the feeling of a small-town person who'd only knew their small town. The difference is I was in the big city, but still it felt the same to me as only knowing one country. I had to know elsewhere, there was more in the world than just what I've known. So, for most people it might seem kind of odd to leave North America and live in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic at that. For me personally it was bound to happen eventually. A different culture, a different language, in some ways a new start. The best way to describe it is to picture yourself walking in the middle of a group of strangers that are discussing a topic that you have no idea about and then after some time, somehow you hold your own in that discussion. That sums it up for how it is as a foreigner in a different country. It's challenging but rewarding and eventually you find your way.
In 2023 record breaking 10 million tourist have visited the Dominican Republic, last month alone (January 2024) there were over 1 million visitors. More and more people are visiting the most traveled country in the Caribbean and one of the most traveled countries in the world. Dominican resorts and boat cruises are having record years. This is why I see more opportunities opening on the island. All those travelers are having wonderful experiences and might decide to look into a place to call their own. From retirement, vacation home or even to live and work remote. More jobs will be created, more businesses, from people from all walks of life, there's something for everyone. On the other hand, my experience of day-to-day living is not being pampered at a resort. Nor is it being in a tourist area or in an expat community, it's smack dab with the locals. That's why I'm exposed to a lot of the real unfiltered Dominican culture. I don't want to sound cliche, but the truth is the Dominican people are very welcoming to everyone. It's a laid back culture, the people live in peace, and they don't bother anyone. They are quick to help you out if needed. It’s easy to make friends as everyone is friendly and often says hello.
What I learned with talking to people from North America are that a lot of them would think that Dominican Republic has no opportunities, and it would be difficult to live financially well. Not only is Dominican Republic not considered a third world country, but it also has the 7th highest GDP in Latin America and moving up. IMF has the Dominican Republic in 40 years becoming an “advanced economy”. With good statistics and the direction towards a brighter future sounded good, but it was more about living in the moment for me. With tomorrow not being promised, dreams get old and then become distant memories if no action is taken. Nevertheless, there are opportunities in Dominican Republic, not as much as US or Canada, but there are opportunities. I came here with the plan to create my own opportunities, make my own way. With that I’ve seen countless opportunities in this country, the difference is there's a good portion of people that might not necessarily have the startup money. They have the work ethic and knowledge of any job, just not the funds to start up. Most opportunities I came across involved owning your own business. That's also more common here in Dominican Republic, most people have their own business. They look to run their business and hire others, rather than look for a job. Jobs are not as available as they are in the US or Canada, so locals look to create their own way.
A lot of people could get discouraged or wait for the right timing when deciding to see Dominican Republic because of the different language spoken here. Feeling that they would need to be fluent in Spanish to get by. Ask yourself, have you ever known someone who has lived fine in a country and that doesn't speak the native language? I’ve known countless people, and they managed well without even trying to learn lol. “You can learn Spanish when your there” I told myself, but still I took lessons and I suggest anyone else to. A few words like how to say “hello” (hola), “goodbye” (adiós), “thank you” (gracias) and I don't speak “Spanish” (no hablo español) which comes in handy to break the ice and sometimes that person speaking to you might just know English and will gladly conversate with you, while practicing their English. Dominican people are very social, so even if you're an introverted person there’s no escaping from locals talking to you. From cashing out at the grocery store, to walking around in the neighborhood, locals are social and just want to say hello. There's lots of English-speaking communities in Dominican Republic, specifically in the North of the island.
The sad truth is that if you're from North America you are favored over Dominicans when it comes to being hired for jobs. Speaking English is very valuable in having a career in Dominican Republic. Employers would even pay the foreigner more in some cases, and even though I’m a foreigner I find that very unfair. One thing I like is that the Dominican people are always open to start a business or talk about business. Opportunities for investing on the island are only getting bigger. I like the idea of rental properties in the tourist areas. Really, I like many ideas that involve the tourist areas because of the good energy people bring, plus it gives a reason to be in that scenery. Punta Cana is building so many new condo communities, and I even seen some priced under 100k. Whether living in the country or not, DR has many investors. I plan to invest while living here, and maybe one day a new friend reading this might stay at my future airbnb “where guess get spoiled” lol.