Moving to Negril, Jamaica – A Success Story

Everyone always wants to know how people move to Jamaica, manage to stay long term and survive.  This is another post in what I hope becomes a bigger category of success stories.

I virtually met (through this blog) and have been chatting with a woman named Sarah for quite some time now.  When she saw my call out for interviews on our Facebook fan page she contacted me right away and was happy to share her story.  So here it is!

Q:  When was your first time traveling to Jamaica and how long after that did you decide to make it your permanent home?  How long have you lived there?

A:  My first trip to Jamaica was in September 2011 as part of a wedding party. I’ve travelled my entire life and have been to other islands but something about Jamaica felt different. I loved everything about it and the feeling stuck with me long after I returned home. I was busy with my life and career at the time and didn’t think too seriously about it again, until I returned for another destination wedding a year later. Situations in my personal life had changed since my first trip and this time I felt a much stronger desire to return to Jamaica as soon and as often as I could. For the next year I returned every few months to spend a week on 7 Mile Beach in Negril and experience as much as I could “off a resort”. In April 2014 I decided to leave my position as a senior stylist in a high-end, specialty hair salon to spend my first of two 3 month long stays in Jamaica. This trip was just for fun and, at the time, what I thought would be a once in a lifetime experience. I had every intention of returning to Canada to stay, thinking that 3 months abroad would satisfy my wanderlust. I lasted about 2 months back in Canada. September 2014 was when I returned to Jamaica with the intention to start a life and a business. I have lived here for just over a year.

Q:  Why did you choose Negril to be your home and business base?

A:  After staying in Negril for 3 months, I thought that I would like to get away from the tourist areas and set up a business elsewhere. I spent another 3 months living in Lucea, traveling all up and down the coast looking for business opportunities throughout Hanover and parts of St. James. Near the end of my 3 month stay, the money I had saved was getting low and I was starting to feel like I was attempting the impossible, frustrated with various ventures that had fallen through. I went to Negril to talk it out with some acquaintances and was not only given a potential idea but also a small space that I could fix up and use. The idea to start a laundry service in Negril made sense, having so many hotels and busy hotel staff nearby as potential clients. I knew the area better than other parts of the island and really missed the beaches, people and nightlife in Negril.

Q:  How did you decide on your particular business as a way to make a living in Jamaica? If you didn’t have that business what else would you be doing for an income?

A:  I knew that as a foreigner gaining traditional employment would be difficult and that, with my budget, starting a small business was the way to go. Hairstyling seems obvious but to get in the right location for the type of clientele I was trained for was challenging. I considered anything from a bar or restaurant to an internet café or games room; buying, renting, renovating or building a space. I can’t say that laundry has been a lifelong passion of mine, but it made sense business wise. Start-up costs were fairly low and I had finally found a location and service that I knew enough about, with plenty of potential clients in the area.

Its all about connections in Jamaica. Now that I have spent more time here, I would like to say that I would have found somewhere to continue to practice my trade but to be honest at the time, if I hadn’t found this opportunity, I would likely be in some kind of financial trouble or have had to figure out a way to work in Canada and share my time until I found something.

Q:  What has been the best thing about running a business in Jamaica? And what have been the worst things?

A:  Some of the best things about running a business in Jamaica are also some of the worst things! For example, the lack of enforcement of rules and regulations can work against you when you are trying to find reliable help, but this can also work in your favor when it comes to keeping initial start-up costs low. The slow island pace can be frustrating at times but has also resulted in a much more relaxed lifestyle than what I had back home. The best thing about running a business in Jamaica is having the ability to live here: to be able to take my time and enjoy all my favourite things without counting down the days, to be near the ocean, to experience the beauty and appreciate all the things we take for granted in North America.

Q:  As a foreigner who lives in Jamaica, are there things you wish you would have known before you moved, that you had to find out the hard way?

A:  This is difficult to answer! There are so many things that I’ve learned over time that I wouldn’t have understood until I actually experienced them first hand. I probably would have been more cautious pursuing any type of land or building purchase as there are a lot of issues with land titles and squatting. Also, not that it would have helped but, it would have been nice to know how difficult it was going to be to withdraw any “large” sums of money for start-up purchases from my Canadian bank account (and by “large” I mean anything over a few hundred CDN).  Nobody on either the Canadian or Jamaican side was very helpful with this.

Q:  If you knew someone who wanted to move there what would be the top three pieces of advice you would give them?

A:  Try to be patient and kind with people’s assumptions towards foreigners. Some days the “friendly tourist chat” and repetitive questions get old but I just remind myself that this is not Canada, where people are used to living with other cultures and backgrounds. With that being said, culture shock is real and normal. Don’t let a few bad experiences affect your outlook on an entire country. Learn about the history and culture and to understand patois so people feel more comfortable around you. Friendships may not develop as quickly as they do at home. In my experience, less is more when meeting new people. Be polite without being overly friendly or trusting right away.

Take advantage of locals’ knowledge of native ingredients and their health benefits. Try natural remedies, teas and juices. Get out of the supermarkets as much as you can and buy fish, meat, fruit and vegetables from local shops and street vendors. Put your own spin on recipes or try substituting local ingredients in your home style dishes. They are cheaper, fresher and much easier to find.

Travel to the island often. Take your time and do your research before making any big decisions. I know we hear this one a lot – but seriously, even after two extended stays in Jamaica, I still didn’t fully understand what it would feel like to live here until my life in Canada no longer existed, no safety net, no return flight to fall back on.

Q:  Would you do it all again and if so, is there anything you would do differently?

A:  Without any doubt in my mind I would do it again. I couldn’t imagine my life any other way. I was very fortunate to have had a lot of help from locals I met over the years. Thankfully, the only thing I lost during my transition was time and living expenses. I have a hard time wishing I did anything differently as I gained so much knowledge and experience during that time. I believe that if you put in the effort, things have a way of working themselves out when the time is right. Trust the journey.

Thank you very much for sharing your story with us Sarah, and I wish you continued success!