sopat

Hi All,
I have been reading the posts of here and you guys are a wealth of information, so I thought that I would ask for some info about an idea that I have.
Me, my husband and children will be coming to live in Barbados in May and as he is a returning national, he will work until my citizenship comes through, which will probably be next year. So i'm thinking ahead to what I can do and was thinking about trying to start my own business in cleaning and also Gardening (my husband would do that side!)
Does anyone think it would be a viable business or would I be treading on too many toes? And what sort of prices do people pay for cleaning and gardening services?
Any answers gratefully received.
Many thanks

Foxy_fromCanada

Hello,

To run your own business, you'll still need a work permit until your citizenship is finalized.

I'm afraid it may not be very easy to get a work permit for cleaning and gardening, as there are a lot of people here doing those jobs. It's something you could do once you have citizenship, though.

To get a work permit, you have to prove that a National does not have the skill required to do the job (and therefore someone out of the country, who has the skills, is required). On top of that, you have to prove that you have those skills required.

This probably isn't what you wanted to hear... sorry, and good luck.
Foxy

Serendipidy

Hi there and welcome

Unfortunately the business area you are considering is probably one of the most competitive in the island along with beauty - everyone with access to a grass cutter (weed whacker as they known here) is a businessman in that area and same with the mop and bucket as its an area of business that has no outlay and is cash in hand.

If you were to run a business offering those services then you would need to be careful of checking peoples credentials both for immigration and criminal activity which is not easy here and i think employers carry a fine if they employ illegal immigrants.

Dipdiy

sopat

Thanks for the replies. Looks like I will have to consider another idea then..... I noticed that someone else said that the island has everything that people would need already. I was hoping to find some kind of niche but obviously cleaning and gardening is already more than covered.
Any more ideas for a viable business in Barbados??

Sunniebgi

been here 16 years, can't think of anything, but if you or anyone else comes up with something, I'd be interested to know.