Running A Business In Jamaica
Not only have these interviews been educational, they have been enlightening for me and hopefully for all you Jamaica lovers too. The best way to learn about living in Jamaica or running a business in Jamaica is to go straight to the source and talk to people who have already done it. The following interview was with an American lady named Cher who, like me, abandoned what she was doing with her life to move to Jamaica and pursue a dream. I think hers turned out a little better than mine!
Q: When was your first time 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 1983. I traveled there solo, as I always did until my son was born in 1986. After that time, I brought him with me. I spent about 12 years taking trips, usually once a year, occasionally twice. I was a single mother and a waitress, and didn’t have a lot of expendable cash, so was very limited in how much “exploring” I could do. I spent most of my time in Negril, on the beach at the same small resort. I felt comfortable there. I moved to Vermont from Miami in 1994 and made one more trip to Jamaica from there and then settled in trying to establish myself in a new place with my son. When my son was about to graduate from high school, I again began to dream of the sea and warm breezes. After I made my decision to leave Vermont I began to search the net for a new place to live somewhere WARM. I actually looked at all the Caribbean countries….prices then were very reasonable. I finally decided on Jamaica because I was familiar (or so I thought, lol) with the culture, loved the music & had a friend that was willing to go into partnership with me to buy property, but ONLY in Jamaica. I sold my business & my house to facilitate my “project” in Jamaica. I have been living in Jamaica for 6 and a half years now.
Q: If you built your guest house why did you decide to go that route rather than just buying one? If you bought it what were the most difficult things about doing real estate in Jamaica?
A: I purchased a small, one bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house on Jamaica’s north coast, after looking at about 8 others up & down the coast. When I looked at the inside of the house, I knew that the high ceilings would accomodate a loft area plus there was plenty of room on the property to expand the living area and enough room to build a two apartment addition, which my partner and I discussed, then hired an architect to draw plans for. So, I purchased an already built home but put on an addition which was just as ambitious as building a whole new structure. I hired a Jamaican lawyer who handled most of the details that a North American real estate agent would handle (in my humble opinion, Jamaican real estate agents do close to nothing!) It took approximately 10 months for us to get the title & keys to the house. EVERYTHING was done online, by email with the lawyer (all communications) until time to close. Hurricane Ivan decided to hit Jamaica before we closed on the property so that created some concern for us. As it turned out, the damage to the north coast was very minimal. I think we lost a few shingles and lost one of our big bougainvillea trees. We did contact the real estate person & requested her to go to check the house for any water damage, but she was extremely uncooperative. Finally, our lawyer instructed her that she was required to do it.
Q: Was a guest house what you always wanted to do or did you get that idea just as a way to make a living in Jamaica? If you didn’t have a guest house what would you be doing for an income?
A: Since we had all that space in our yard for an addition and the money to do it (at the time, LOL!), we decided that using the additional apartments as a guest rental would be the logical thing, since I was planning to actually stay there and also we were just steps away from a lovely, unspoiled beach. I have had plenty of experience in the hospitality industry and also with cooking so I felt it would be no problem for me to take on this challenge. I am also a jewelry and clothing designer, so figured I could use those talents to fill in if money coming in from the guesthouse was not happening due to seasonal fluctuations. ALL of this has been much more work and more difficult than I would have ever imagined.
Q: What are the worst parts about running a guest house on the island? What are the best parts?
A: Everything in Jamaica seems to take longer than. It’s hot and people just seem to move slower…there is no “Home Depot”, Lowe’s”, or “Home Goods” stores in Jamaica. Shopping for building materials and furnishings is always a day long event. Shopping at normal hardware stores in Jamaica is a nightmare! Usually everything is behind the counter so you have to describe, in detail, what you need to the clerk who, at many times, seems actually clueless as to what you are talking about. Just for future reference, in Jamaica a faucet fixture is a “mixer”, LOL! There are some warehouse type places in the bigger cities where you can actually walk around a showroom to pick up bathroom fixtures or tiles, but selection is always limited and many times what is displayed is in short supply, so you have to go to “plan B”. In ALL the tiles I looked at I found ONE that I liked!!! Thank goodness there were enough available to tile both apartments!
I think most folks who are doing a project in Jamaica will find that unless you are there watching what is going on when it is happening, you will be disappointed in the construction in some way. Everyone in Jamaica will tell you that they can do what you want, be it plumbing, electrical work, masonry, tiling or painting. My electrical work done was acceptably, although the electrician, at one point tried to charge me $36,000J for some work that he finally settled on $12,000J for work done! My plumber made some very huge mistakes…..never put support under the bathtubs, so when you filled them with water, all of it would seep out onto the floor. To correct this we would have had to cut through concrete block walls, so instead we have opted just to use the showers. He also chipped out part of my tile wall to facilitate installing the toilet upstairs & did a lousy job of it. The mason’s work was acceptable but was extremely sloppy when he was flashing and dropped cement all over my sidewalk and roof, and then just left it to dry….that was a major undertaking to try to clean up that mess!! My painter was excellent and I would recommend him to anybody. Precise work and cleaned up after himself everyday. The tiler did a good job, but really neglected to put enough grout in certain areas of the floor. The welder who did the ironwork for the spiral staircase neglected to put enough protection on my tile floor in the original house and dropped welding material on my white tile floors and actually burned the surface of the tiles, so they looked like they were perpetually full of dirt & dust…..unfortunately, I got no compensation for this major blunder!
The best part about running a guesthouse is probably meeting people from all over the world. Because of the “off the beaten track” area that we are located in we tend to get very interesting travelers that are more laid back and less demanding than those who would choose an all-inclusive resort. It has been an interesting undertaking to say the least!
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: I don’t think there is any way to know ahead of time what living in Jamaica is like until you’re immersed in it and have spent a good amount of time there. I was pretty familiar with the culture, since I had spent years in Florida where plenty Jamaicans live and had always gone to spots where reggae music was playing. I was also involved in several relationships with Jamaican men in the States, so I thought I was somewhat prepared for the plunge. What I didn’t realize is that Jamaicans IN Jamaica are quite different from Jamaicans in the diaspora. Jamaicans who migrated in their teens and spent their growing years in North America become quite influenced by that culture and the differences are not as apparent as those Jamaicans that have never left the island. I am a guest in their country so I must be the flexible one. I am a peaceful woman and tend to stay out of drama situations, especially when it’s other people’s business….this is a good thing to take note of if you are planning to spend an extended period of time in Jamaica. OBSERVATION is the key. Be very careful who you trust, not only in money matters but also in conversation….better to keep your mouth closed.
Q: What’s the best part about the decision you made to be a resident and business owner?
A: The best part of living in Jamaica is being surrounded with “eye candy” at every turn…..the beautiful turquoise sea, lush greenery and lovely smiles. Then there is delicious food, infectious & mesmerizing reggae music and eternal hope in the hearts of people who have lived through much sufferation.
Q: If you knew someone who wanted to move there what would be the top three pieces of advice you would give them?
A: a) Plan to spend an extended period of time there, NOT in a tourist area, first.
b) Extend your hand and information VERY cautiously……really KNOW who you’re dealing with BEFORE you deal with them.
c) Stay out of other people’s business & dramas.
Q: Would you do it all again? If so, what would you do differently?
A: Yes of course I would do it again, but VERY differently. I would have kept a home for myself in the States and spent less money. I also would have done a much smaller scale resort and split my time between the US and Jamaica….maybe 6 months a year at each.
Q: Can I come over for dinner again? If yes, what would be on the menu? (LOL)
A: Of course you can come for dinner again….please give me some notice though, lol! Menu is up to you!!
Thank you Cher, for your awesome and in depth look at living in Jamaica and running a business there. I appreciate your honesty and candidness. The place is gorgeous and I look forward to seeing you again in the future….and of course sampling your food again!
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