Rent Your Own B&B in Battambang, Cambodia See Opportunity Digest on page 17.

INTERNATIONAL Rent Vacationers the

LIVING’S
May 2016
Volume 4, No. 3 Gear They Need
Incomes
By the Staff of Incomes Abroad

Y
ou don’t want to lug bulky
equipment with you on vacation… COVER
and neither does anyone else. STORY

Abroad
That’s why there’s opportunity for
expats to set up rental businesses in top
destinations worldwide. If you want
to live in a place where people take
vacations—sunny, beach resorts or
FUND YOUR LIFE OVERSEAS bustling, tropical cities—getting a slice
of the rental action could be your ticket

Learn From Entrepreneurs

to income.
Surfboards, baby strollers, scooters,
motorbikes…there’s a market for them
Living Their Dream all.
For the low price of a couple of
By Barbara Winter used motor scooters in Vietnam, Steve
Mueller started on the path to owning Steve Mueller’s Vespa scooter

F
or several years, Gretchen Biasotti was a business reporter
for a small city newspaper. Although she reported on big
companies in her area, her favorite interviews were with
people running their own small business.
“They’re so easy to interview because they’re excited about
what they’ve built and love to tell the story,” she says. “It made my
job so much easier because I didn’t have to ask a million questions
in order to end up with an article.”
You, too, can take advantage of the insights and lessons learned
Continued on page 2
business has taken off in
his own successful classic Vespa tour Vietnam and Cambodia.
company in Ho Chi Minh City. “The
Vietnamese…just their energy, their entrepreneurial spirit, you get caught
up in it and think, ‘Hey, I can do that too!’” says Steve.
Struggling with the mobility needs of their wheelchair-bound mother
on vacation provided the impetus for a pair of sisters to start Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico’s only mobility equipment rental company…while a
couple of energetic toddler moms have cornered the baby-needs market
in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua...and Costa Rica has inspired more than
one enterprising expat to rent out surfboards. Continued on page 6

BRICKS-AND-MORTAR
Also in This Issue…

Destination Wedding Planning is

Profitable on the Riviera Maya Page 3 How I used my English
skills to craft a new life in
Mexico
By Don Murray

S
Page 11 Are you scared of big
ome destinations lend themselves to the perfect business changes? That’s good
idea, as Joyce Mnguni discovered when she first visited news
Mexico’s Riviera Maya with her husband, Alex. Page 12 Solo travel: Get set for your
“We both fell in love with Playa del Carmen and its overseas adventure
people,” she recalls. “The beaches are postcard perfect with
powdery white sand and stunning turquoise water. The weather Page 13 Easy income in your own
©iStockphoto.com/Shane Shaw

is always warm, and Playa has great internet service, modern Spanish Airbnb
malls, amazing restaurants, and beautiful resorts. There is also
an international airport a short drive away in Cancún, with Page 14 City, vineyard, B&Bs:
connections to all the major hubs in the world.” Traveling the world rent
free
This connectivity plays no small role in Joyce’s business.
She’s a wedding planner, and the popularity of the area among Couples can spend anywhere between Page 16 Keeping up with global
$10,000 and $50,000 on a destination opportunities
North American couples is undisputed.
wedding along the Riviera Maya.
Continued on page 4

www.InternationalLiving.com
 BARBARA WINTER

Learn From Entrepreneurs

Living Their Dream
Continued from page 1

by those farther down the entrepreneurial
path. Enthusiastic owners can teach you a
lot about what it takes to run a successful
business. Once you start paying attention,
you’ll discover these teachers can be found in
all sorts of environments. You can learn a lot
just by watching them in action.
Several years ago when I was visiting
my daughter, she suggested we have lunch
at The Milky Way. This tiny restaurant was
lovingly run by Leah Adler, an 85-year-old
little pixie who just happens to have given
birth to Steven Spielberg. Her utter joy in
making her customers happy was obvious as
she flitted from table to table chatting with
every diner. She seemed to be having such a
good time that I thought being a restaurateur
must be a new occupation for her. She had
that honeymoon glow. When she came to our
table to inquire about our meal, I asked her if
she was at the restaurant every day.
“Oh, yes,” she said. “I leave home at
8:30 a.m. every morning, and I’m here until
closing. I’ve been doing this for over 30
years and there’s no place I’d rather be. I get
to plan dishes with the cooks, flirt with old
men, and drink wine. What could be better
than that?”
She has no plans to retire. I don’t recall
what I ate that day but meeting Leah was one
of the most memorable dining experiences
I’ve ever had.
Pay attention when you stumble upon
someone running their own business. Even
better is to make it a regular practice to seek
out these dreamers and doers in their own
natural habitats. Take regular field trips to
places where small businesses cluster. You
can also observe entrepreneurs working at
flea markets, art fairs, farmers’ markets,
and community festivals. Be conscious of
behaviors that you find magnetic—and those
which you don’t.
If it’s appropriate, engage them in
conversation. Ask them probing questions.
How long have you had this business? Why
did you start this particular enterprise? What
did you do before you started this? Were your
parents entrepreneurial? What do you like
best about working for yourself? What’s your
least favorite part of it? What mistakes did
you make? How do you find customers? How
do you keep the customers coming back?
You get the idea. You might also begin
by briefly sharing your plans so it doesn’t
appear that you’re interrogating them so you
can duplicate what they’re doing. In fact, it
matters not at all that your business is nothing
like the one this person is running. You’re
looking for philosophy, entrepreneurial
thinking, and attitudes about serving your
customers.
On one such field trip, I walked into a
lovely gardening store. I was greeted by the
owner, Julia Metcalf. After I had browsed and
admired the visual feast which was the shop,
I asked her how long she’d had the business.
I was surprised when she said it was just
three months old since it had the settled look
of a seasoned enterprise.
“Why did you start this business?” I
asked.
Julia said she’d always loved gardening
and had five gardens of her own. One night
she had a dream, and when she woke up
knew that she was being told to use her
creativity in a bigger way.
Without any certainty about how it
would come together, she decided to open a
shop to share her love of gardening. After she
quit her job as a guidance counselor, things
began to move quickly to make her vision a
reality. “It hasn’t always been easy,” she said,
“but I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m
amazed at how quickly it’s grown.”
I left the shop feeling as if I’d taken a
shower in pure, positive energy.
If becoming self-employed is part of
your journey, look for the most enthusiastic
and joyful entrepreneurs you can find and
see what they have to teach you. Just look
at how Steve Mueller found entrepreneurial
inspiration from the Vietnamese and their
can-do attitude. He set up a scooter rental
business there, and you can read all about it
in this month’s cover story.
Finding the people who can help you
learn what you need to know so you can
move forward is not to be taken lightly. The
experience of others can save us time, add
deeper insights, and keep us from making
costly mistakes. So read on for some great
expat business experiences in the rest of this
issue.
At any rate, I’m planning to keep Leah
Adler as my role model, and I’m already
flirting with more old men—just to make sure
I remember what she taught me.
Our editor-at-large Barbara Winter is the
author of Making a Living Without a Job (now
in print for more than 20 years), Seminar in a
Sentence, and Jumpstart Your Entrepreneurial
Spirit. She shares her ideas about self-
employment through
seminars and retreats
throughout North
America and Europe.
She has traveled
extensively and lived
in six states. She
currently makes her
home in Valencia,
California.

Publisher Jackie Flynn © Copyright 2016 by International Living Publishing Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Incomes Editorial Director Eoin Bassett

Managing Editor Cleo Murphy
Reproduction, copying, or redistribution (electronic or otherwise, including online)
is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the Publisher. Incomes

Abroad Copy Editor Jason Holland

May 2016
Volume 4 • Number 3
InternationalLiving.com
Graphic Designer Ian Fleming
Photo Editor Hugo Ghiara
Advertising Helen Daly;
Fax (353)51-304561; Email:
advertising@internationalliving.com
Abroad is published monthly. Copies of this e-newsletter are furnished directly by
subscription only. Annual subscription is $59. To place an order or make an inquiry,
see: www.internationalliving.com/about-il/customer-service. Send address changes
to International Living’s Incomes Abroad, International Living Publishing Ltd.,
Elysium House, Ballytruckle, Waterford, Ireland. For editorial inquiries, see:
www.internationalliving.com/about-il/write-for-il. Incomes Abroad presents information
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may be dangers associated with international travel and investment, and readers
should investigate any opportunity fully before committing to it.

2 International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016


How I Used my English Skills
to Craft a New Life in Mexico
I
live in one of the world’s most beautiful
cities, Querétaro, in Mexico’s Colonial
Highlands and earn my living teaching
English. My neighborhood is the UNESCO
World Heritage Centro Histórico, filled with
classic churches and convents from colonial
times, tree-shaded plazas, and alleys that
beckon you with the promise of discovery.
I live one block from a gorgeous city park,
the Alameda Hidalgo, and a half-mile from a
stunning aqueduct built of pink quarry stone.
Every day when I walk my dog, I think to
myself: Now this is the life!
Querétaro is a thriving state capital
and commercial center with about a million
inhabitants. It’s famously safe, clean,
and cultural. It has attracted international
investment and developed a very cosmopolitan
air.
When I arrived here a year and a half ago,
having already lived in Mexico for three years,
I registered my intentions properly with the
Mexican immigration and taxation bureaus
and I hung out my shingle as a private English
teacher specializing in business English.
I started with one student. But through
word of mouth, distribution of my business
card, and advertising on Vivanuncios and
Segundamano—the Mexican equivalents of
Craigslist—I have built up my roster to more
than a dozen students. I live here for a fraction
of what it would cost me to live in an average
city in the United States, I have permanent
residence, and I support myself entirely on
what I make here.
How did I get to this point?
Let’s go back to 2010. I was a 51-year-
Teaching English:
Where to Start
Teaching English is a great way to fund
an overseas life. Here are some websites
where you can start looking for positions:
•• http://www.esljobsworld.com
•• http://www.eslbase.com
•• http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist
•• https://www.esl101.com
•• http://www.teachers-latin-america.com
•• http://www.tieonline.com
PORTABLE INCOMES
By Patrick Murtha
old high school teacher, with considerable
experience in the business world as well. I
had taken a chance on relocating for a job at a
charter school that unfortunately ended its run
a year after I arrived, and there weren’t many
other teaching jobs available in the area. What
to do?
I had always kept the idea of teaching
internationally tucked away as a possibility
for the future, and I thought, well, this is
that future. I put my resume online (see box
below) and within three days had a position
lined up at an English academy for adults
in Changwon, South Korea. The adventure
Patrick Murtha has found a permanent home
had begun. After teaching business and and an easy income in Querétaro.
conversational English there for a year, I got
wind of a job teaching academic subjects job teaching English somewhere, but the
in English at a university high school in better positions are restricted to those with
Culiacan, Mexico and stayed there for three certifications such as CELTA or other TEFL
years. I checked out Mexico City briefly but courses, master’s degrees, prior teaching
ultimately wound up in Querétaro. experience, or some combination of these.
Be Your Own Boss Of course, you could work in an entirely
different field depending on your credentials,
Now that I’m working completely
experience, acquired languages, and the
independently, I wouldn’t want to go back to
policies of the country you relocate to, but
working for employers. I prefer having clients
what you bring to the table always matters.
rather than bosses. It took me more than five
years to get to this point…longer, when you It’s a cliché, but a true one, that the
consider my work history in the U.S. But I international life is for people who enjoy
have now established control over my work, beautiful sunsets, and can slow down to
which is what matters to me. appreciate them. Most of us expats haven’t
gotten rich and never will; that’s not what
I make about two-thirds of my we’re in it for. You need enough money to live
income from teaching private business and comfortably, of course, but that is less money
conversational English classes to adults. than you suspect it is when you live abroad.
The need for English in business here is And there are many ways to earn it, while
pressing. The European owners of local working less.
factories communicate with their managers in
Find a country with a high current
English. Resumes are submitted in English.
demand for English teachers—South Korea,
Job interviews are conducted in English.
China, and Turkey come immediately to
Making professional career progress without
mind—arrange for a job online, and go. Many
English is almost impossible. Of course, that
employers will pay for or reimburse the cost
is increasingly true all over the world, but
of your flight and will provide an apartment
Querétaro is ahead of the rest of Mexico on
when you arrive.
this point.
After four years of living in Mexico
The remaining third of my income comes
and having my work visa sponsored by the
from freelance remote writing and editing
schools that employed me, I applied for and
projects that I do online. I am grateful that the
was granted my permanent residence. This is
internet permits me to earn a good chunk of actually a required process at the start of your
my income in dollars, since the dollar is so fifth year. I can now stay in Mexico forever—
strong in relation to the peso right now. Plus, which is my intention. It is pleasing that
I like the variety my different work activities there is no expiration date on my Residente
give me. Permanente card. I never have to leave the
Skill sets matter. Anyone can get a beautiful country I have come to call home.
International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016 3
 BRICKS-AND-MORTAR BUSINESS
Destination Wedding Planning is
Profitable on the Riviera Maya
Continued from page 1
You cannot walk the beaches without
seeing dozens of photographers taking
photos of happy young couples.
From Cancún to Tulúm, shiny limos,
filled with wedding parties dressed in formal
wear, can frequently be seen loading and
unloading from hotels, restaurants, and
resorts on most evenings. It’s easy enough
to spot honeymooning newlyweds in bars
and restaurants all over the area, and they
are happy to tell you about their wedding
that just happened a day or two ago.
Joyce, from South Africa, had been
working in client services on cruise ships
when she met Alex, from Denmark. Their
cruise ship careers gave them an opportunity
to see the world and carefully consider
where they wanted to set up home. In fact,
it was on a break from their cruise ship
positions that Joyce and Alex first visited
Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
Joyce charges
between $3,000 and
$10,000 per wedding
for her services.
Joyce believes the Riviera Maya sells
itself as a wedding destination. And the
couples she connects with are usually eager
to have their weddings there.
“This area offers many wonderful
choices for a wedding, from the resort itself
to hidden, ancient cenotes (underground
caves filled with crystal clear water) or even
a catamaran cruise where the couple can be
married on-deck near an offshore reef, with
snorkeling for guests after the ceremony.
There are so many options.”
So what do you need to set up as a
wedding planner? Energy and patience
are high on the list. But if you love to
organize details and enjoy the fuss and
frills of a wedding, this could be the perfect
opportunity for you in the right destination.
Training and certification classes are
4 International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016
available, primarily online, but Joyce says
there is truly only one way to become
a wedding planner and that’s through
experience.
“I think it’s a bit like becoming a good
chef. There’s way more to it than reading
a recipe from a book. Yes, you have to be
extremely well organized and be able to
make decisions without hesitation,” she
says. “You must know how to work with
people under stress; your stress and their
stress. And sometimes, you just have to
know when to say ‘no.’ Saying ‘no’ to the
mother of a bride may be the most difficult
one. Those things can’t be learned in any
book.”
Charging a Fee
Joyce says couples can spend
anywhere between $10,000 and $50,000
on a destination wedding along the Riviera Joyce Mnguni has tapped into the demand for weddings
Maya. in the sun as a planner in Playa del Carmen.
“There are a number of variables that
will usually have 200+ guests at an upscale
contribute to total cost,” she explains.
venue and a menu that includes several
“Three big ones are the number of guests,
the selection of venue, and the menu for
courses and a main course of lobster and
steak, for example, as well as expensive
the reception dinner. Some brides also
wines and champagnes and multiple limos.
provide tour packages for the wedding party,
which obviously adds to the price. Another Joyce charges between $3,000 and
great expense is the floral arrangements. $10,000 per wedding for her services. “I
Something small and simple with roses, base my fee structure on the complexity
for example, will cost far less than a large of the wedding and how many vendors I
arrangement with orchids.” coordinate with,” she says “To be honest,
my custom services are worth quite a bit.”
A smaller wedding of 20 to 40 guests
at a modest venue, perhaps a beautiful Joyce is paid as much for what she knows
public beach, with a menu of baked chicken and who she knows as for what she does.
and mashed potatoes may cost $8,000 to “I hire the photographer, book the
$10,000. entertainment, manage all aspects of dealing
Larger, more complex weddings with the venue. I deal with the florists
obviously require much more of Joyce’s and make sure that all the colors meet the
time to coordinate with the various vendors bride’s requirements. I also arrange for hair
involved. She provides several assistants and makeup for the bride and her maids of
and coordinators at the venue the day of honor. I organize the local transportation
the wedding to ensure that everything goes and accommodation for the wedding party
smoothly. and coordinate any excursions or tours
for the group. Then, of course, there’s the
“There is always something that needs
cake,” Joyce says.
coordinating or fixing on the day of the
wedding, and it’s crucial that we are there to “I’m on the phone for hours each day,
handle any issues,” Joyce continues. “The making local calls to vendors and suppliers
more of my staff that is involved, the higher and doing Skype calls with brides in the
the final cost will be.” evenings.”
Weddings that run upwards of $50,000 “If you want to get into this business,

talk your way into working as an assistant
wedding planner for someone who has a
lot of experience. Even if you have to work
unpaid for a while, the experience will be
worth it.
“As I was growing up, I witnessed
hundreds of weddings and brides over the
years, as my mother’s business assisted
them in planning the most special day of
their lives,” says Joyce. “It is such a happy
business, and I always knew that one day,
I’d be doing the same thing.”
Getting Started
As she traveled the planet, a vision
of running her own destination wedding
service began to take shape.
Always on the lookout for the perfect
location, Joyce recognized the potential
for her new business in the #1 vacation
destination on the Caribbean.
So, in 2007, the couple resigned from
the cruise line and put down roots in Playa
del Carmen. Despite her background and
training, Joyce wisely realized that as a
newbie to the area, she needed to learn the
lay of the land before venturing out on her
own.
“There were a few destination wedding
planners already operating in Playa. I
was able to secure a position with one of
them for a few years, building my list of
local contacts and resources while gaining
experience in the industry,” she explains.
However, Joyce quickly identified a
shortcoming in the existing destination
wedding providers in the area and set about
offering a different service. The market
offerings consisted mostly of pre-packaged
weddings with few options available for
a bride to customize her big event. After
gaining knowledge of the local market, it
was time to strike out on her own.
Becoming a
Wedding Planner
You can train to be a wedding planner
through online courses. The courses
offered by the Wedding Planning Institute
provide basic instruction and certification,
as well as advanced instruction in
event planning for those who have
accumulated some experience and want
additional training. They also offer live
seminars across the U.S., providing
accelerated training sessions with a
short internship and have affiliations with
several community colleges.
BRICKS-AND-MORTAR BUSINESS
“In 2010, I opened
my own business, Dream
Weddings Riviera Maya.
I wanted to do custom
weddings, made-to-order
with no pre-designed
packages. I had someone
build my website, which
is regularly updated. That
was the first step.”
Website
Joyce said she invested
©Dreamstime.com/Patricia Kullberg
between $6,500 to $7,500
to get her business going
and was able to recover
her initial costs in the first
year.
“Most of that was the
expense of building the You can meet a need for wedding planning services in good
website—about $5,000— destinations all around the Caribbean.
but my website is the front
into my bank account.”
of my business. I rely on it to represent me
to the thousands of people in the U.S. and Her greatest challenges are dealing
beyond that I wouldn’t otherwise reach. with unrealistic budget expectations and
There was also about $1,500 in government
successfully connecting with clients
fees, plus the initial expense of setting up
scattered across many different time zones.
and opening the office.
“I’ve only had to deal with two
“Some find my website directly from
‘bridezillas’ over the years,” Joyce says.
their browser and others find me because
“Most brides are fairly easy to work with,
I maintain a presence on a number of
but I understand how emotional a time this
wedding sites.”
is.”
Joyce has her office in downtown Playa
del Carmen and employs an assistant who Joyce now has permanent residence in
provides administrative and operational Mexico and earns enough money to live a
very comfortable life. Her personal monthly
support. Rent for the office is about $450 a
budget is between $2,500 to $3,000. She
month, sometimes less with the favorable
exchange rate. travels internationally, once or twice per
The busiest time of the year for year, shares a beautiful home with her
weddings along the Riviera Maya is from husband and child, and enjoys upscale
May through November. December is restaurants several times each week.
generally slow because of the holidays. “We love the beach and often swim in
Sometimes, Joyce handles up to four one of the local cenotes. We have a nice
weddings in a week. group of friends and enjoy hanging out with
“Our office is important so that I have them, too,” she says.
a place to meet with couples and discuss “With my family in South Africa and
the many details of their wedding,” she Alex’s family in Denmark, we live an
says. “When a couple is here for a scouting
international life. Working on the cruise
trip, there are a ton of particulars to settle.
ship was a great introduction to working
Having a comfortable meeting place is
with and living with different cultures. The
crucial. Once they leave, follow-ups are
Riviera Maya is truly a cultural blend of
done with phone calls and emails so that
people from across the globe, travelers as
there is always something in writing.
well as residents.”
“I’ll send a contract that specifies all the
details of my services and collect a deposit. Reflecting on the course her life and
The venue will provide their own contract career have taken, Joyce beams, “I knew
for their services, and I work with the venue that Playa would make a great home as
to ensure the contract is correct. I collect well as a perfect location for my business.”
the balance of my fee one month before the Judging by the results, it seems her instincts
wedding. I accept PayPal or wire transfer were dead-on.
International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016 5
 COVER STORY

Rent Vacationers the

Gear They Need
Continued from page 1

Running a rental business is often a some weeks. I’ve caught, I think, 80,000
way for enthusiasts to be involved in their waves.”
favorite past-time on a daily basis and pass Now, after 12 years, and building his
on their interests to others. business from scratch, he has one of the
Pursuing a Passion oldest and most popular surf shops in town,
Chuck Herwig began his successful Chuck’s W.O.W. Surf.
surfboard rental business in Costa Rica when But things started small. Soon after
his career as an industrial engineer in Florida moving down, Chuck was offered a job as
hit a dead end. Tired of the corporate jungle, a surf guide with a travel agency. He also
he sought a major change and his thoughts helped a friend with a surf shop and did ding
turned to his one true passion…surfing repair on surfboards. In 1995, he decided to Jenson Foti, right, and his team are filling a wide-open
and his favorite surfing spot in Central open his own surf shop, selling surfboards niche for motorcycle rentals in the bustling,
progressive city of Medellín in Colombia.
America. Saying adios to his stateside life and apparel, as well as renting boards and
and corporate job in Florida, Chuck’s choice offering surf lessons. York where he had learned to surf.
for his next chapter was Jacó on Costa Rica’s Although surfboard rentals account for “When I was in my corporate career
central Pacific Coast; a well-known and only about 15% of Chuck’s overall business, I was going to Costa Rica on surfing
popular tourism hot spot with world-class with board and clothing sales and surfing vacations,” says Steve, who was a sales
surf. lessons making up the rest, he does consider executive in the telecommunications field.
“I had traveled to Costa Rica several it important. And he definitely serves a need “Finally, I was done with corporate America
times. Then there was enough of me here for visitors. His rental clientele is a mix and decided to make the leap. I spent several
that I had to stay,” says Chuck. of experienced surfers in need of high- months checking out different beach towns
“I have a passion for what I do. I really performance boards, as well as intermediates to get a feel for them. Surfing was my
enjoy my job. I can walk to the end of my and beginners. primary reason for moving down.”
street and go surfing anytime I want,” says Steve Reyer shared Chuck’s passion Steve decided on one of Costa Rica’s
Chuck. “I’m still doing well financially. I for surfing. But rather than starting his shop most established expat strongholds and a
live on a nice property, about eight minutes from scratch, he bought a well-established, hot surfing destination, Nosara, to stake his
inland on the edge of the jungle. I’m a existing business. It’s a much easier route, claim.
cowboy at heart, as well as a surfer. I love to he believes. Steve also chose Costa Rica to He returned to New York and sold all
get out on the water. I surf five to seven days escape the frigid waters of Long Island, New his possessions. Leaving with a couple of
suitcases and “cashed out.” He moved down
How to Find Customers for Your Rental Business with a healthy bank account, but Steve
admits he didn’t have much of a game plan.
Depending on the type of item you’re renting, you’ll find a variety of channels to promote your
“I thought about getting into real estate,”
business to customers.
he said. Instead he ended up following
Novelty PR: When you have a quirky item, you have a good chance of getting media his passion and buying a well-established
coverage. Steve Mueller became the subject of a TV program with his Vespa scooter tours, surfing business from a guy who wanted to
and Tony Martin was inundated with bookings when his VW Kombi campervan rentals were retire.
featured in a national newspaper. Get your press release out there. Steve’s business, Coconut Harry’s,
Effective websites: A good website will make it easy for customers to find you. Put yourself boasts an inventory of some 150 surfboards
in the customers’ shoes. If they’re searching for your service what search words are they of varying styles and types to fit every skill
likely to use? Be sure to use these words on your site. level. He had no retail experience, per se,
Blogs and testimonials: People share information online about their common needs. You’ll
but his experience in marketing, accounting,
find a multitude of parenting blogs where baby-gear rentals will be big news. The same goes and managing people helped out. The fact
for surfers who compare notes on rentals in various surf spots. Get your customers to post that the original owner had kept meticulous
testimonials about your business. financial records was a big help.
When buying a business overseas, as
Local affiliates: Tap your fellow tourism entrepreneurs to spread the word. Hotels, cafés,
anywhere else, it’s important to perform your
restaurants, and hostels should all have your details to pass on to their customers. Having
good services in a tourism destination helps the overall customer experience, so they will be
due diligence. It’s also likely that you may
only too happy to help.
need some local legal assistance to deal with
required processes and documents which, in

6 International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016


The need for mobility equipment in Playa del
Carmen gave Terrie Gaughan and Sheri Bass
the inspiration for a business idea.
all likelihood, will not be in English.
Unlike Chuck, a higher percentage
of Steve’s business comes from surfboard
rentals…about 40%. Surfing lessons and
retail sales make up the rest. Most of Steve’s
renters are beginners and intermediate, but
he feels it’s important to keep a variety of
boards on hand for various skill levels.
“We carry a good selection of high
performance long boards and short boards
for those looking for quality. Experienced
surfers love these boards,” says Steve. “We
can rent for a week…or a month. You can
change the board during your stay based on
conditions.”
Steve says his rental prices were in place
when he took over the shop. He made some
changes, creating a long-term rental rate
($90 and $120 a week, respectively) and a
new category for high-performance boards—
making it a little more expensive ($20 a day
for a premium model versus $15 for regular
boards).
Besides the surf, the lifestyle and
environment in Nosara was also a big draw
for Steve.
“It’s a beautiful beach. There’s the
jungle and the animals. I get to surf every
day. There are great restaurants and lots of
live music. It’s a good group of people and a
wonderful place to live,” says Steve.
Spotting a Niche
Both Steve and Chuck followed their
passions into the rental business. But for
sisters Terrie Gaughan and Sheri Bass it was
a matter of responding to a need.
During breaks from teaching in the small
community of Selah, Washington, the sisters
shared vacations on the stunning beaches of
Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
COVER STORY
They often talked of living there full-time. Like most other countries, Mexico does
They frequently took their wheelchair-bound not have the equivalent of the Americans
mother, Shirley, with them on those trips with Disabilities Act. So construction,
south. But trying to push their mother to the engineering, and design rarely consider
beach in a wheelchair was impossible. accessibility options for those with mobility
issues.
“We all loved Puerto Vallarta, especially
mom, but the problems with getting her The market for specialized mobility
down to the ocean in a wheelchair were equipment was wide open. There was
very real,” explained Terrie. “We had to call virtually no competition in the area. And
upon the kindness of strangers to carry mom tourism is big business in Puerto Vallarta.
and her chair down to the water, or simply The city has an international airport (which
stay up near the street where she could not delivered record numbers of visitors in
get into the ocean. Regular wheelchairs 2014) and a cruise ship port. New hotels
won’t roll in the sand. It was horrible. and resorts are aiding in the growth of
There was no way to preserve her dignity or tourism and, while no specific numbers
independence.” were available, the women reasoned that
a number of those visitors, many in their
The experience presented an opportunity senior years, would be potential customers.
to fill a need that was unfulfilled. Visitors Although they searched for data, they were
to the area with physical disabilities were unable to accurately verify the numbers
unable to easily access the beach and many of handicapped tourists visiting the area
other areas of town. each year and relied solely on their own
“The beaches weren’t the only problem,” experiences and instincts.
says Sheri. “The streets around much of The idea of partnering up to start
Puerto Vallarta are rough cobblestones with a business that rented special fat-tire
steep, sharp curbs and very few ramps. They wheelchairs that can roll on sand and
are charming to look at. But walking, even other specialized mobility equipment to
for a person without disabilities, can be a handicapped tourists in Vallarta raced from
challenge and getting around in a regular a dream to the beginnings of a business plan
wheelchair is impossible.” almost overnight.
Overcoming Rental-Business Challenges
Importing: You may have to bring equipment in from overseas, so check out the restrictions
and levies that apply. Terrie Gaughan and Sheri Bass imported a brand new and very
expensive motorized wheelchair from Europe, which the Mexican government classified as
a “luxury item.” The pair was forced to pay a 100% luxury tax on it.
“The chair was already very expensive and by the time we paid the import fees, it was a
huge expense that really hurt us,” Terrie said. “We paid dearly for that lesson.”
Seasonality: Tourism destinations are often subject to seasonal business, so you have to
spread your costs and save for the slow times of year. For instance, although you can surf
year-round in Costa Rica, the tourist high season is only five months. The rest of the year
there are much fewer visitors, including fewer surfers, so renting surfboards has a limited
window.
“The expenses continue throughout the year with a fraction of the revenue making it tough
to make a profit in the low season,” says Steve Reyer, in Costa Rica. “In general, successful
businesses make enough to pay their bills and continue to stay open.”
“My main goal of moving here was to be able to make enough money to sustain myself and
surf every day,” says Steve. “I’m very thankful and fortunate to be able to do that. I’m also
very proud to employ many locals and give them a good living to enjoy their lives as well.”
Language: Like all overseas businesses, it helps to speak the language. You may be
dealing with overseas customers who speak English, but you still engage with local staff
and support services. Even though Jenson Foti just moved to Colombia in 2014, he is
already running his motorcycle rental business in Spanish.
How did he do it? Besides being immersed among Spanish speakers, Jenson has a
Spanish-language teacher come to his office every morning at 9 a.m. for a two-hour study
session.
International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016 7
 COVER STORY
“We didn’t come at this from a typical
business perspective; that is to make
money,” says Terrie. “We started Beach
Crossers primarily so that those with
mobility issues, like our mother, could enjoy
the beach with dignity and independence.
Naturally, we’d need to make a living, but
that wasn’t our primary motivation.”
In 2014, the three women put their plan
into action, and since then their growth has
been strong and steady.
A similar need for mobility prompted
two expat toddler moms, Sarah Fahey and
Rosi Cooney, to start a rental business in San
Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.
As the Pacific resort town became
increasingly popular with young families
on vacation, Sarah and Rosi recognized the
need for baby strollers, car seats, changing
tables, and cradles. She teamed up with Rosi
Cooney, and with just $1,000 investment
in baby gear, they got their business off the
ground.
Before starting up, they did some
checking to determine equipment rental
price points. “We did some market research
by looking into prices of rental equipment
in other family-friendly beach destinations,
such as Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Puerto
Rico,” says Sarah. “We were careful to use
those prices only as a guide but then adjusted
based on Nicaraguan travel budgets.”
They ran the rental venture from their
homes and not having to pay rental on a
premises kept their overhead low. The rental
equipment revenue comes almost exclusively
from tourists who are thrilled to learn that
they don’t have to drag everything with them
to enjoy their family vacation.
Getting Started
One of the first steps in operating a
rental business is acquiring equipment.
Beach Crossers in Puerto Vallarta handled
that in an innovative and economical way.
“Whenever one of us, our friends or a
family member would travel down to Puerto
Vallarta, we’d all bring a special fat-tire,
beach wheelchair or two on the airplane.
Sometimes, it would be walkers or rollators
as well. That’s how we handled our initial
inventory,” says Terrie.
But even before the need for inventory,
there was the matter of legally establishing
their business in Mexico.
In the beginning, both Sheri and Terrie
still had their teaching jobs back in the
States. They each flew back and forth to
Vallarta as they worked through the process
8 International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016
of hiring lawyers and accountants and setting
up the business. In January of 2014, Beach
Crossers permits and paperwork were all in
order. Unfortunately, the women lost their
mother that same month…before renting
their first wheelchair.
Shirley had left a dedicated sum in her
estate to ensure a healthy start for Beach
Crossers. Her daughters estimate the start-up
expenses between $50,000 and $70,000.
They broke even during their second year of
operation and expect to fully recover their
initial investment by the end of their third
year.
“We bought inventory, paid our lawyers
and accountant and all the business licenses
and fees (about $1,300) and, of course, we
needed living expenses in the beginning,”
said Sheri.
In June of 2014, Sheri took a one- Steve Reyer’s rental business accounts for 40%
year leave of absence and moved to of his income and gives him a lifestyle he loves on
Puerto Vallarta to complete the formation Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.
and organization of the business. Terrie
people coming and going and when they go
continued to commute several more times
they usually have items they need to sell.
that year.
“Our start-up costs were easily a tenth of
“In June of 2015, I took an early
what I’d expect to pay in the U.S. northeast.
retirement,” said Terrie, “and I moved to
We were able to purchase all of our rental
Puerto Vallarta full-time so that Sheri and I
items for under $1,000. Though, as the
could make this happen.”
business grows and the demand increases,
Equipment requires regular maintenance we will need to add to our inventory.”
to be reliable. And mobility equipment in
Getting Around
particular requires regular washing in fresh
water, replacing and greasing bearings, and Jenson Foti, like Sheri and Terrie, also
waterproofing electronics. Making sure that discovered that uncovering a market niche is
all is in working order is essential. sometimes as easy as not finding what you
want. He wanted to rent a motorcycle but no
The women have no need for a brick and
mortar facility at this point. one in his new home of Medellín, Colombia
had what he was looking for.
“For now,” Sheri says, “we keep and
maintain the equipment at our house, and Jenson has an oil industry job in the
Middle East with a work schedule of one
we have some help doing that. As we
grow, though, I can see us needing a larger month on/one month off. So, every other
space for storing the equipment. Business month he returns to Medellín, which he now
is growing, and we do work really hard,” considers home.
continued Sheri, “but we manage to get After several months of exploring the
to the beach a few times each week and area and enjoying himself, Jenson wanted
enjoy barbecue parties around the pool with something productive to do with his time in
friends. I think our mother would approve.” Medellín. He also wanted to build a business
While specialized mobility equipment with the potential to replace his oil industry
is expensive, baby gear is less so. Sarah and salary. He saw that Medellín has a regular
Rosi in Nicaragua got going for only a few influx of backpackers and young travelers.
dollars with a small number of strollers. And with no place to rent a motor scooter
or motorcycle, Jenson reckoned there was a
“It would not have been sustainable
if we needed to import everything,” says viable gap in the market.
Sarah. “The majority of our rental items— Seeing a business opportunity, he started
pack ’n’ plays, baby tubs, car seats—were Medellín Scooter Rentals in October 2015.
new when we opened. We also have a few He began with four motor scooters that cost
second-hand items in excellent condition. about $1,600 each. Initially, he operated
This is a transient town, so there are often from home, having customers come to his

Moms Sarah Fahey and Rosi Cooney started renting
baby strollers in San Juan del Sur
for an investment of $1,000.
apartment building. But before long, he
rented an office space within an existing
motorcycle sales and repair business. Most
of Jenson’s customers are travelers. And
his office is well-located in a Medellín
neighborhood with lots of hostels and hotels.
He rents his motor scooters and
motorcycles by the hour, day, week, and
month. The scooters start at $10 an hour.
The larger bikes start at $15 an hour, with
discounts over four hours and over eight
hours. The day rate is $45 for a scooter and
$60 per day for a larger bike. He also has
weekly and monthly rates.
Before coming to Colombia, Jenson
frequently rented motorcycles himself. And
he runs his business with his experiences as
a rental customer in mind. “I didn’t like it
when rental companies gave me a mileage
limit. So, I don’t have one,” says Jenson.
“People have taken my bikes all the way to
Cartagena and Cali.”
Across the world, Steve is operating
a similar business in Vietnam. Vespa
Adventures is headquartered in Ho Chi Minh
City.
On Steve’s second day in Vietnam, he
bought an “ugly” but classic used Vespa
motor scooter. Recognizing the value
and rarity of such a classic motor scooter
in the U.S., Steve began to buy as many
used Vespas as he could find. He had them
restored for little money by utilizing expert
local mechanics and then exported them to
eager buyers in the U.S. and across the globe
for a tidy profit.
Like Chuck in Costa Rica, Steve’s
success wasn’t instant. He had to change
directions a few times and manage the
morphing of his business into an entirely new
venture.
“Buying all those Vespas for export
worked for a while. In fact, it worked too
well. I essentially put myself out of business.
I couldn’t find enough used scooters to stay
in business. I had to shift business models a
couple of times,” said Steve.
When the supply of available Vespas
dried up, he kept a number of them for
himself and teamed up with local tour
companies to operate guided Vespa tours
throughout the region; tours that would take
several days to complete. He discovered that
many tourists didn’t have the necessary time
to take a multi-day tour, so he changed his
business model once again.
These days, Steve operates short, guided
day tours and nighttime tours of Ho Chi
Minh City.
Expansion
Knowing when and if to expand and
maintaining flexibility in your business
model are obviously very important.
In just six months, Jenson says his
business is profitable, and he’s in the process
of opening a second location with additional
locations planned before the end of the year.
He has also invested further to meet the
demand for larger motorcycles rather than
standard scooters.
Jenson has already signed the lease
for his second location, which he says will
start with a mix of 10 different motorcycles
and scooters. Based on projections from
his first six months in business, he has set a
goal to open three additional scooter rental
locations before the end of 2016, for a total
of four. Apparently, he isn’t the only one in
Medellín wishing there was a place to rent a
motorcycle.
Steve also has satellite locations for his
Vespa rentals…one in Hoi An, Vietnam, and
another in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
After a year and a half, toddler moms
Sarah and Rosi realized that an indoor
activities place for kids would also fill a gap
in the market, so they moved on it. Now their
business, Mums and Bums, not only offers
rentals but also a place for children to play in
their small Nicaraguan beach town.
“Our profit from the rentals versus the
play space changes nearly every month,”
says Sarah. “In November and December, the
majority of our revenue was generated via
memberships at the play space. However, in
January and February, we saw an increase in
rental needs, which I attribute to vacationers
escaping their wintery homes. So, it’s
probably fair to say that our revenue is split
evenly between play space and rentals now.
International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016
COVER STORY
“Rents, though higher in San Juan than
other Nicaraguan towns, are still reasonable.
And for a small business like this, we pay
under $700 per month including WiFi, water,
and electricity.
“Our monthly expenses now run around
$1,000 for everything: rent, salaries, taxes,
monthly maintenance/improvements/new
items, marketing, and cleaning supplies.”
In operation for only six months, Sheri
and Terrie at Beach Crossers noted another
obvious niche where they could expand and
purchased a specialized handicap van for
transporting mobility-challenged customers
and their wheelchairs around the Puerto
Vallarta area. They say the handicap van
service is an “on call” service and rates run
from $35 per trip up to about $75 per trip
depending on the distance traveled and time
involved.
“We are plenty busy,” says Terrie.
They bought the van in the States and
drove it all the way down, paying a nominal
import fee at the border.
Marketing
Steve Mueller takes little credit for his
marketing success. In late 2008, his Vespa
Adventures had a stroke of good fortune.
The popular television show, Top Gear, ran
a special on Vietnam during which the hosts
traveled from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi—
essentially the length of the country—on
motorbike.
The episode was a hit with fans, and
the phones at Vespa Adventures started
ringing off the hook. That exposure led to
even more exposure. Because Top Gear
has a big following in Australia, Jetstar, an
Australian budget airline, did a three-page
article on Vespa Adventures for their in-flight
magazine. That’s like winning the marketing
lotto!
Facebook, blogs, and email marketing
proved to be effective marketing channels for
the baby-gear business in San Juan del Sur.
“We started with just two strollers, a
couple of pack ‘n’ plays (a kit with a portable
crib, changing table, and toys), and a car
seat,” recalls Sarah from Mums and Bums.
“We also reached out to local businesses
who catered to vacationers (rental house
companies, hotels, and so on) and asked them
to refer clients to us and to include a referral
to our business in their correspondence
with clients. In our first month, we rented a
handful of pack ‘n’ plays without much effort.
We now have a fleet of strollers, car seats,
pack ‘n’ plays, and toys.”
9
 COVER STORY
Beach Crossers has an active website
which delivers a notable amount of business.
But most of their clients come from the hotels
and tour companies with whom they share
referrals.
The real perk of running a rental business
is that you get to spend all year in a place
where others yearn to visit or even have a
week-long vacation.
“I always wanted to live in Latin America.
I love the culture, family orientation, and
festivals. But I didn’t want to do without,”
says Jenson. In Medellín, he doesn’t have to.
He loves the wide range of goods, the low cost
of living, and the First World lifestyle. When
he discovered Medellín in 2014, he stopped
searching. He tried several places in Latin
America that didn’t fit his lifestyle.
“I was impressed with the cleanness. And
everything is super convenient—especially for
an American with dollars. It’s good value, and
now even more affordable (due to the current
exchange rate). I can do everything here I can
do in the States.”

Nostalgia Allowed This Expat Couple to Get Off the Corporate Conveyor Belt
By Cleo Murphy

Tony Martin was living the high-stress life of a senior
executive in the music and media business…regularly flying
from his home in the U.K. to New York and European cities.
“I was earning well,” he says. “But it seemed the more I
earned the more I needed to earn.”
Eventually, Tony, 53, and his wife, Yvette, 49, decided it
was time to escape. Five years ago they took a VW Kombi
campervan on a six-week trip around France in search of a
new home and found their dream spot—a four-acre site with a
lake, two rivers, two houses, and a swimming pool—for 30%
of the value of their house in the U.K.
“It’s crazy the value you can get in rural France by comparison
to the U.K.,” says Tony. “France has a blue-sky climate, and
we can sit by the pool, admiring all that nature has to offer in
our T-shirts right up to October.
“We live just outside a village, Monflanquein, 30 minutes
south of Bergerac airport. The village has amazing night
markets where you can take a plate around the stalls of local
food producers and share a table with other people.”
Tony and Yvette describe themselves as “refugees from the
media industry” and are loving the slower pace of life they
now enjoy, along with their young son, Scooter.
New Income
For the first two years of their overseas life, Tony continued
to work remotely with his job. But as he shifted into semi-
retirement, he and Yvette were looking for an income. They
recalled their time in the campervan and thought about
getting into the rental business with reconditioned VWs. So
they invested $34,500 in a vehicle, set up their business, and
Tony used his PR skills to get some coverage in a national
newspaper in the U.K.
“Two days after the article appeared, I thought I better check
the new email I had set up for the business and there were
450 enquiries,” he says. “Even though we only had one van,
we took bookings for four vans that season and scrambled
around to find more.”
“It was meant to be a semi-retirement thing,” he admits. “But I
felt there was an energy around it, so I went back to the U.K.
investment community. Now, I’m about two years away from
stepping back from the business.”
While Tony expects his shareholders will see a dividend in the
medium term, the business is a long-term investment, so a
return isn’t likely for another
few years.
Maintaining VW campervans
from the 70s is not easy.
But fortunately Tony found a
French guy, just 20 minutes
from his home, who restores
Beetles, Porsches, and
campervans. Parts, he says,
are still easy to come by.
The vans have lots of added Tony and Yvette Martin are enjoying
extras that Tony and Yvette life in the sunny south of France
thought were missing when renting VW Kombi vans.
they originally took their VW
trip around southwest France: games, movies, navigation
systems, and a starter pack of French food.
Overcoming Challenges
Tony warns that running a business in France can be quite
rigid. “France is an amazing place to do things a little more
slowly, but it can be frustrating to deal with administration.”
He has overcome the difficulties by setting up a French
company for insurance, local garage expenses, and so
on, and a U.K. company for bookings and revenue. One
company simply invoices the other. He also warns against
hiring full-time staff in France because of the level of
employee rights. Instead he hires contractors and causal
labor.
Tony still has semi-retirement in his sights, but he has
capitalized on the demand for this fun, quirky mode of
vacationing. He has opened a center in Girona, across the
Spanish border, and another in Auckland, New Zealand.
Today wedubyou.com has 26 vans across France, Spain, and
New Zealand. They will shortly be opening in California. He
has appointed managers to both places. Plans are underway
to have wedubyou.com operate in California in the near
future.
On the Spanish island of Ibiza—which still has a hippy culture
from the 60s—Tony has entered into a franchise arrangement
to make his VW van vacations available. This, he hopes, is
the first of a number of franchises he plans to develop, and
he’s happy to discuss the idea with potential partners. You
can contact him at team@wedubyou.com.

10 International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016


Are You Scared of Big Changes?
That’s Good News
I
n her pre-fame days, the actor Helen
Hunt was living and working in Los
Angeles. What scared her then was the
idea of auditioning for parts on Broadway—
live theater. For most people fear is a
showstopper, but Helen used her fear to
propel herself forward.
“If I started to feel too safe doing
anything,” she explained in a 2001 interview
with Charlie Rose, “I would move toward
what scared me.”
So she packed her bags, left the comfort
and familiarity of LA and headed to New
York City to move both literally and
figuratively in the direction of her fear.
Wise move!
I spent seven years commuting 90 miles
a day to my corporate job. Then, I set in
motion a series of events that led me to where
I am today: a successful self-bosser who
wakes up every day to my comfortable home
office with a fantastic view.
And during that time—over two
decades—I’ve helped change-seekers
manage the fear of making a major work/life
change. Along the way I learned a few things
about fear—and what to do about it. You may
think I’m going to tell you to be fearless. In
fact, I’m going to tell you just the opposite…
If you’re scared of moving overseas, it’s
actually really good news. Think about it: If
you didn’t believe that redesigning your life
was possible, you’d have nothing to fear—
right?
The key is to stop waiting until you’re no
longer afraid and to instead realize that even
positive change is still scary. Then find the
courage to embrace that change.
Courage is not a matter of losing your
fear so you can take action. Courage comes
from taking action, which, in turn, helps you
to overcome your fear. The fact that you’re
drawn to the international life means some
part of you really is ready for an exciting new
chapter. Trust that fear and move toward it.
Frank wanted my help coming up with
an idea for a portable business. At 58, he was
looking to relocate to Panama but wasn’t
quite ready to retire. He had lots of gifts and
interests that together we could fashion into
a viable income stream, and he had a clear
end goal.
By Valerie Young
I was confident I could help.
That is…until Frank said: “I’d start a
business today if I knew it wouldn’t fail.”
Frank wants what a lot of journey-
seekers want: guaranteed success.
But waiting for the illusive sure thing
keeps far too many people from even
attempting to live the international life…
which makes as much sense as deciding not
to leave the house unless you know all the
lights are going to be green.
There are no sure things. You have to get
as informed as possible, take small steps, and
tweak your plan as you go.
Attaining my dream house with the view
was three years in the making. Well before I
put my previous house on the market I spent
considerable time sprucing things up and
cleaning out years of clutter.
There are no sure
things. You have to
get as informed as
possible, take small
steps, and tweak your
plan as you go.
Still, the closer it came to moving day,
the scarier it got. I started second guessing
my decision. After all, I liked my old
neighbors, and there was a lot I loved about
my old house.
Let’s say you’re stuck because you’re
afraid if you give up your salaried job to
move to another country that you won’t be
able to earn enough money.
Indulge your fear for a moment by
asking yourself, “What is the worst thing
that could happen if I didn’t make enough
money?” Your worst nightmare might range
anywhere from having to borrow money
from your family, to declaring bankruptcy,
to living out of a cardboard box under a
bridge in Bogota. Scary stuff, for sure.
Unfortunately, no matter how unbearable
your current situation may be, you might be
International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016
CHANGE YOUR LIFE
tempted to pause the mental horror story here
and make a hasty retreat.
That would be a mistake. Because
worst-case fantasies are usually just that.
Bring a dose of reality to your thinking by
considering how likely this fantasy is to
occur. When you really stop to think about it,
the odds that your worst-case scenario will
happen are pretty low. You can lower the
chances even more by doing some advance
thinking about things you could do to either
prevent your worst fear from happening or to
minimize the impact if it did occur.
Whether it’s fear of failure…the
judgment of others…or a lack of self-
confidence that’s holding you back, the
solution is not to wait until you’re no longer
afraid before making your move. The only
way you’ll really know you can handle
whatever happens is to take action despite
your fears.
It’s perfectly normal, for example, to
be afraid your new portable profit center
will flop. Being afraid that any setback
will prompt a hail of “I told you so”
from unsupportive family or friends is
understandable. Just make sure you take
actions that signal to yourself—and the
naysayers—that you have just as much right
as the next person to regroup, learn from the
experience, and try again.
One way to foster a “feel the fear and
do it anyway” attitude is to hang “I CAN
HANDLE IT” signs above your desk, on the
dashboard, and on the bathroom mirror.
It helps, too, to break things down into
small manageable steps. Instead of focusing
on moving halfway across the globe, a safe
place to start might be to send away for
literature or connect with expat groups on
social media.
Begin with low-risk steps and gradually
work your way up to making your overseas
dream a reality.
Editor’s note: Valerie Young is a
business-idea expert who has helped
thousands of people to make the break
from having a boss to being their own boss.
She began publishing the Career Change
newsletter in 1995 and now runs retreats,
workshops, and seminars. See her website,
Changing Course, for more.
11
 TRAVEL SOLUTIONS
Solo Travel: Get Set for
Your Overseas Adventure
T
raveling alone is the most liberating and
rewarding experience. You get to set
your own schedule, itinerary, and pace
without having to consult another.
It builds your confidence in day-to-day
life because you learn to cope when speed
bumps come along, whether it’s missed flight
connections…dirty hotel rooms…or trying to
find an ATM that accepts your debit card.
When you travel to a place where you do
not know anyone, it’s like getting a fresh start
in life. People do not know your story and
cannot pre-judge you. You have the option of
showing off your true personality.
My first solo journey was more than 25
years ago. Since then business and personal
trips have led me to Brazil, Canada, and
throughout Europe. Curiosity led me to
Afghanistan, Cuba, and Japan to understand
the cultures.
I have been married and divorced, and
traveling solo after I became single again
was not without difficulty. Sometimes I made
arrangements with travel companions, but I
was often disappointed when plans with others
fell through.
Eventually, I made a decision not to let
my fear of being alone prevent me from seeing
the world as a solo traveler. I’ve been doing it
for a couple of decades, and I absolutely love
it. It helps to have a few strategies to get the
most out of your solo journeys.
Meeting People
Traveling solo does not mean you are
traveling alone in a bubble. Book a city tour to
meet and interact with other travelers. There
are several reliable tour-guiding companies
you can use including Context Travel, Rick
Steves’ Europe, and Urban Adventures.
The website meetup.com is a great way
of finding open groups in your destination.
Do your research before you go. Contact
expat websites and express your interest in
connecting.
Dining Out
Enjoying local cuisine is a huge part of
the travel experience: Tucking into a delicious
plate of pasta in Italy…a paella in Spain…
or the gorgeous gastronomy of France. But
it’s important to enjoy the experience on your
own.
12 International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016
By Jennifer A. Huber
Before your journey, take yourself out
to dinner alone in your hometown. If you
feel self-conscious, bring along a magazine
or smartphone to read at the table. This
will distract you until your meal is served.
Remember, people are not judging you when
sitting alone. If they are, give them something
to keep them guessing about you.
Speak the Language
If you don’t speak another language,
you can choose an English-speaking country
for your first solo journey. Enjoy the tropical
delights of the Caribbean in Belize where
English is the official language or try the edge
of Europe in English-speaking Ireland.
My first solo overseas trips were to
I feel more alive
when I’m out on my
own.
England and Ireland where I soaked up
the European vibe. I had the feeling of a
true adventure without the roadblock of
understanding another language. Since then,
I have confidently visited countries like
Sweden, France, and Portugal where English
is not the native tongue. But I brushed up on
key phrases and quickly learned a smile is the
best way to communicate.
Alternatively, you can learn a language.
Community colleges and continuing
education programs frequently offer language
classes, and there are several language
programs on the market. Many guidebooks
have a dictionary with key phrases.
Download a language learning program
app to your smartphone. Duolingo is a
great free program to learn key phrases and
words and Google Translate is terrific for
translations. With this app you can type in
words or phrases, use your finger or stylus to
write them, snap a photo of a sign, or dictate
using the microphone. The app will display
the translation in the chosen language as well
as pronounce it.
Communal Space
If you’re writing, blogging, or running
a business on your travels, co-working
spaces are ideal for solo travelers who need
an internet connection. They are shared
workspaces providing tools such as a fast
internet connection, outlets to charge your
gadgets, and—usually—a peaceful work
environment. You’ll be among other solo
travelers, so interaction with other like-minded
people is a possibility. (See Incomes Abroad,
March 2016.)
Keeping Safe
Before heading out on your trip, share
your itinerary, including your flight and
hotel information, with someone back home,
whether it’s a parent, sibling, or friend. Drop
a line to this person once a day so they know
you are enjoying yourself. This can be done
through email, Facebook messenger, Skype, or
free smartphone apps like Viber or WhatsApp.
Enjoying an adult beverage in a pub with
the locals usually makes for a memorable and
enjoyable time but limit your alcohol intake
so as not to lose your inhibitions. This way
you will stay alert to your surroundings and
belongings.
Unwanted Attention
In a friendly atmosphere, stay open to
the possibility of small talk but guidebooks,
magazines, and smartphones are a handy way
to ward off unwanted attention.
When checking into your hotel room, ask
the front desk clerk for two keys, especially
if you are within earshot of other guests. This
will give the impression there is someone
traveling with you.
Looking back to my first solo trip, I
realize I am a different person today. Because
of traveling solo, I have had experiences out
of my comfort zone that have made me a
stronger, more confident person.
I feel more alive when I’m out on my
own, making decisions, and enjoying what
I want to see and do, whether it’s touring a
museum, walking through a local market or
kayaking a new waterway.
Traveling solo allows time to reflect. It’s
an opportunity to know your true self and
come to the realization you are capable of
anything.
Editor’s note: Jennifer A. Huber
regularly travels solo. She writes an award-
winning travel blog called SoloGirlTravel.com

Easy Income in Your
Own Spanish Airbnb
W
hen we moved to the beautiful
city of Valencia, Spain two years
ago, I assumed I would get a
job easily as I’ve never had any problems
before. My husband, Mark, had secured
work as a contractor with the United
Nations, but I was struggling to create an
income for myself.
That’s when I came up with the idea of
doing Airbnb.
This for us has been the most profitable
and fun business we have encountered since
moving to Spain. We are always searching
for interesting ways to make money—I
have sold items on Ebay and Wallapop and
trained in beauty treatments.
We rent a three-bedroom apartment
in the middle of Valencia and—with our
13-year-old daughter, Aliyah, in one room—
we still have a spare room for guests. Our
landlord was agreeable to us renting it to
visitors, and so we began.
Airbnb has been a lifesaver for us
and—although we are doing it solely for
the extra income—we have had such a
great time meeting people from all over
the world. Airbnb has not just given us a
much needed extra income boost but also a
social connection with the world. We would
recommend it to anyone who can (with
landlord permission) to try this out.
Potential Income
We have managed to make around $700
a month. Yes, you have to strip beds, chat,
and be available. But it still gives you lots
of free time to live your life. You can tweak
your availability and only take the bookings
you want. You have the opportunity to
look at the reviews prospective guests
have previously received, and it is at your
discretion who you accept.
Our guests have been from all over the
world. We’ve had Australians, Germans,
Austrians, Swedish, Dutch, Americans,
and more to stay in our home. (We’re from
Northern Ireland ourselves.) We struck
up a real bond with a couple from San
Francisco—vibrant, inspiring people who
were travelling across Europe and remotely
working on their start-up company. We
are also working on a start-up, so we were
really excited to meet them and have the
SETUP SOLUTIONS
By Elizabeth Bateman
opportunity to share our ideas.
We hope to catch up with
them again this summer.
Taxes
Airbnb laws here in Spain
are tricky and vary widely
depending on your region,
so it’s important to do your
research. For instance, in
Valencia you have to register
your property on a local
registry at the town hall if you
wish to list it on Airbnb. They
depend on you to supply the
correct information for tax
purposes. In Barcelona, they
add a tourism tax to the guest’s
bill. Madrid is trying to pursue
new laws to restrict the number
of days a guest can stay.
Expert Help
We are lucky that Mark
is already autonomo (self-
employed). And he has a great
accountant, which has made
things a lot easier. In Spain,
you need a good accountant
who can speak English and
Spanish. He keeps us up to
date with the ever-changing Elizabeth Bateman earns around $700 a month from her
tax laws. You find the best spare room in Valencia, Spain.
accountants through word-of-
mouth. It’s really important to keep receipts sheets, again very affordable here.
of all your expenses and to be completely Airbnb has allowed us to earn an
aware of the laws in relation to tax, no matter income from outside Spain through foreign
where in the world you are setting up. vacationers, rather than depending for
Good Facilities income on the Spanish market, which is still
in recession.
If you’re inviting guests into your home,
Our advice to anyone thinking of
it’s important that it is always clean. And it
renting out a room is to put yourself in your
helps if it’s attractive and fully-stocked with
guests’ shoes and make every trip fun and
food. Valencia has a great branch of IKEA
personalized. We try to give all our guests
outside the center for lots of cool cheap items
to spruce up an apartment. We have bought the best experience, and, as we’ve lived here
extra sheets and towels as we went along for two years, we have great knowledge of
and now we are making a healthy profit. what’s good to see and do.
Local printing shops and the tourist board For our next plan, we will be writing
make it easy to supply all the information for about traveling across Europe to visit new
tourists. Fresh fruit is super cheap here at the places and see some of our guests. We
local markets so stocking up for breakfast hope to get Airbnb on board so we can get
is affordable and easy. We buy everything sponsored and blog about our experiences.
in bulk: toilet paper, coffee, tea, cleaning We will be doing what the Spanish do by
products, etc. We also have a cleaner who taking off the month of August and having a
comes once a week to help with ironing the much-needed vacation!
International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016 13
 HOUSESITTING
City, Vineyard, B&Bs:
Traveling the World Rent Free
Y
esterday, I sat around a hand-hewn,
farm table made of Tawa wood
in Nelson, New Zealand. I was
surrounded by my husband, children, and
various neighbors as we celebrated a day of
moving sheep and turning gardens. The air
was still, and the autumnal sun was graciously
warm. It was a perfect moment.
Since leaving our All-American life in
2013, with three kids in tow, we have spent
time in 23 countries and counting. More than
half of our time wandering the globe has been
spent housesitting, which saves us an average
of $2,500 a month…approximately what our
home in Seattle, with utilities, cost us.
Our very first assignment was in
Basilicata, Italy tucked between the southern
Apennines and the Mediterranean Sea. The
neighbor taught our family how to make
pancetta on New Year’s Eve. Then there was
the pizzeria we watched over, during the
off-season in the Alps, while the owner took
a much deserved break. We often looked after
businesses that were closed for the off-season
and answered the phone or took queries as part
of the arrangement.
I remember the apartment in Barcelona,
Spain that was for sale and felt desperately
vacant, until we breathed life back into the
echoing spaces…I remember the vulnerable
grapevines in Aix-en-Provence that needed
to be tucked in and watched over for any late
winter frost…I remember the ritual of opening
the shutters each morning at the villa we
tended over a Tuscan winter. The ochre sun, as
it hit the terra-cotta floors, bathed the house in
a buttery light.
All of these diverse experiences came to
us through housesitting.
Incredible Value
If you are considering an overseas move,
housesitting is the perfect way to judge
whether a culture, region, or country is a
good fit for you. When we set off to see the
world nearly three years ago, we did not want
to just travel through places but experience
life in other cultures. What we didn’t know
at the time was that housesitting would be
the quickest way into an authentic cultural
immersion.
While renting an apartment or home can
14 International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016
By Colleen Mariotti
give you more of a sense of place than a hotel,
housesitting adds even more richness. Because
you are literally stepping into someone’s home
and community, real life starts immediately.
The work involved in caring for someone’s
home and animals is quickly off-set by the
depth of the experience.
Housesitting is also a great way to try on
different hats. Do you fancy running a B&B
on the French Riviera or watching over a flock
of sheep in Puglia, Italy? Have you thought of
restoring a castle in the Spanish countryside
or caring for rescue animals on the Greek
islands?
There is a housesitting opportunity to
fit almost any lifestyle change you may be
considering. The beauty of housesitting is
that it is an exchange. You bring the best of
yourself, and the experience receives you and
pays you back in unimaginable ways.
Housesitting assignments are as diverse
as the people offering their homes. Some are
free in exchange for property responsibilities,
such as pets and gardens. Some opportunities
require payment for utilities. Others may pay
a small salary for varied tasks such as booking
customers in the off-season or making the
occasional meal at a B&B.
The beauty of housesitting is that the
opportunities are available both on and off
the beaten path. The savings allow us to
spend more time in places, like the south of
France or London, that would usually be out
of budget for an extended stay for our family.
Housesitting makes it not just possible but
profitable as housing was the largest expense
in our life before this journey.
Helpful Tips
We have learned a few things during our
many assignments that have saved us time and
money, and taken us to many dream locations.
First, there are many housesitting sites
available with listings around the world. We
use Trusted HouseSitters, Mind My House,
and House Carers. We also use local sites that
in many countries are the “go-to” resource
just for that market, like Kiwi House Sitters
for New Zealand. We discover these sites by
asking local real estate agents and property
managers when we enter a new country. The
sites have small membership fees (ranging
from $25 to $100 for the year) that we have
found more than worth the money.
Second, flexibility helps in terms of
dates and timeframes. The housesitter profile
everyone appears to be looking for is a
professional, single person, or couple that
has flexibility with travel dates. As we are
traveling with kids, and it is a bit of a harder
sell, flexibility has been key to our success.
Third, a responsible online presence helps
immensely. While many of the housesitting
sites have important profile sections, most
of the assignments we have been offered
have come from our blog, www.livology.
com. People like to see who we are, and it
gives credibility to our family travels. Many
homeowners have told us that our social media
presence and/or blog have been the reason we
were chosen.
Although this is true, we now find many
of our opportunities through word of mouth.
Last week we were offered two opportunities
in Tasmania, and one homeowner asked if we
could drive his RV across Australia. Once a
positive reputation has been established, you
will have more opportunities than you can
handle coming your way.
Lifelong Relationships
Housesitting is not a vacation, and it
will push you outside of your comfort zone.
We find the most successful housesits for
us are those where both parties treat it like
a partnership more than an employee/boss
relationship. Housesitting works because both
parties have “skin in the game.”
There is always a leap of faith involved,
but the excitement and uncertainty is what
keeps it interesting. An open mind and a sense
of adventure are mission critical. Living like
a local is easier said than done at times, but
always worth the risk.
From remote locations in the Southern
Hemisphere, to glittering cities in Europe,
we are forever changed by this simple
opportunity. Each place we spend time, we
leave a part of ourselves.
As the sun dropped over the Tasman Sea,
we walked back to the farm where we are
currently housesitting…on a journey enriched
by the opportunity to “walk in someone else’s
shoes.”
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16 International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016


Rent Your Own B&B
in Battambang, Cambodia
Although Battambang is the second largest city in
Cambodia, it feels like a small town. It’s a friendly, quiet place
that attracts people who enjoy a slow and relaxed lifestyle.
Nearby Angkor-era ruins, a seasonally navigable river that flows
into Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap, and the unique bamboo
train (a tiny flatbed rail car run on a motorcycle engine on
existing tracks) attract visitors to the area year-round.
“Battambang would be a good location for a mid-range
B&B—a market that is currently underserved in this city,” says
IL Correspondent Wendy Justice, who visited the town recently.
“There is a luxurious boutique B&B in town run by two expats
from the U.S. and Australia, and a popular hostel owned by a
U.K. couple. But I saw very little on offer in the mid-range price
category.”
You can rent a home or villa that could be converted into
a B&B for bargain prices, starting at just $250 per month.
However, finding places is a word-of-mouth exercise as there
are no real estate agents. Check out the expat sites Battembang
Community or Move to Cambodia.
Start a Pizza Place
in Corozal, Belize
Corozal is a low key town that’s attracting a growing
number of expats due to the low cost of living, fantastic
weather, and friendly locals.
But what Corozal is lacking is a simple, down-to-earth
pizza takeout business.
“The town doesn’t offer the variety of food options and
restaurants you’ll find in the most popular areas of Belize,
since it’s not a tourist destination,” observes IL Belize
Correspondent Ann Kuffner. “But every expat town can
support at least one or two decent pizza joints.”
The initial startup cost for a small pizza shack is low. You
could rent a suitable premises for around $500 a month. A
well-operated business that prices their pizza competitively
will attract both expats and Belizean clients. That’s the key to
success for this type of business.
Right now, there’s only one sit-down restaurant in the
town serving pizza…and an estimated 800 to 2,000 expats
live in the Corozal District. Some of these expats would
appreciate well-priced quality takeout pizza. Others might
prefer to pick up an unbaked pizza pie that they can take
home to bake.
The Belizean taste for pizza is also strong. Pepperoni’s
Pizza is in the tourist center of San Pedro on Ambergris
Caye, but the majority of the customers are Belizean.
Pepperoni’s operates out of a small, simple shack where
they make quality pizzas from scratch. They sell pizza pies,
as well as pizza by the slice, beers, and cold drinks. They’ve
been wildly successful for more than 15 years.
OPPORTUNITY DIGEST
Ecuador’s Goverment Wants
English Speakers
Ecuador, a country much loved by expats for its climate,
environment, and affordable living, is hoping to improve the
standard of English in its public schools. The government is
looking for English speakers to teach on short-term contracts of
10 months, with a three-year limit on your stay.
This is a great way to try out living abroad with an income
before you decide to move for good.
The project is called It Is Time to Teach English in Ecuador
and classes start in May and September. All parts of the country
are covered.
“Ecuador has a lot to offer in a small package,” says Suzan
Haskins, IL Editor in Cotacachi. “From the majestic mountains
of the Andes where most of the population lives in colonial-
influenced but very modern cities to undeveloped Pacific Coast
beaches and the glorious Amazon—a place few get to see…but
you will, if you live and work in Ecuador.”
New Rental Market Opens
Doors in Costa Rica
A development boom on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast
is creating openings for interior designers, pool maintenance
companies, handymen, cleaning services, and other businesses
that can support the vacation rental business.
International Living Roving Latin American Editor Jason
Holland scouted the area recently and saw big changes since his
last visit.
“Development is going at a good pace, but the new
construction blends in with the scenery of jungle-covered
mountains and palm-tree lined beaches,” explains Jason.
“New homes are going up in and around the popular expat
destinations of Dominical, Uvita, and Ojochal. And there is
something new, condos, which were available previously in
very limited numbers.”
Much of this new construction is destined to become
vacation rentals. The owners hope to see a return on investment
by renting their place by the week to the growing numbers of
visitors who flock to the surf, sand, and jungle of the Southern
Zone (that you also get to enjoy when you live there).
And therein lies the opportunity. There are service
providers, helping manage and prep these vacation rentals for
guests. But with all the new units coming online there’s room
for ongoing support services.
Start-up costs would be low, and you could work with
current property managers to offer your services. With low
local wages, you would hire a crew to do any actual physical
work leaving you free to manage the business and network
with new clients. Get to know the area, make the right contacts
among owners, and you could become a property manager
yourself at some point.
International Living’s Incomes Abroad | May 2016 17
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