Buying a business in Ambegris Caye

Arturo, please be aware that buying a business in Belize is very unlike buying one in the States. It is rare that any business owner will have adequate financials to show you. The best you  may be able to hope for is bank statements, and even if you can get them, you\'ll probably have to do the spreadsheet and try to ascertain if the company is profitable or not. Since a lot of businesses are pay in cash, this is not an adequate measure of profitability.

Also, businesses are not priced on a multiple of the net income. Mostly they are numbers derived from what the owner thinks his or her biz is worth, which is usually grossly inflated.

In addition, be aware that the island, in particular, is very seasonal. You will definitely need adequate reserves for those months. And in the restaurant biz, your competition will be fierce, making it even tougher to succeed.

Oh, and don\'t buy anything sight unseen - ever!!! And plan on being there whenever it\'s open, because good and honest employees are hard to find, unfortunately.  Good luck. Sharon Hiebing