markwoods39

Hi all

Can anyone tell me or has got links where i can find out how to start a soft ice cream van business in paphos. We have a van that we want to ship out to cyprus, and thought we could make a go off it in the harbour area or beach and doing street rounds in the evening. we have a villa in milou, that is on the way to polis, and would love to move out there but we could not sit around all day. What we cannot understand is why people have not started doing ice cream rounds in cyprus, i am sure it would work out? what do you think. If anyone could help us we would really appreciate it.

yummymummy150

Hi Mark .We do have a van that comes to our apartment in the universil paphos.Any where there is a lot of holiday rents.would be good I have seen one parked at the harbour. Only you may start a ice cream war with locals.
Tricia (will p.m you)

markwoods39

Hi Trica

Thanks for your PM. Is your ice cream man a soft or hard let me put it another way shall i . Ok is it hard ice cream or soft ice cream he sells as i not seen any soft ice cream vans about. Trica would you think a dinky donut stall would be great in the harbour as i also have one off those to, but would need to get someone to run it for me though. I was in cyprus last week and wished i never returned to the uk, but no job over there i would soon get bored pottering about in our villa.

yummymummy150

Hi Again Mark.
Dont know about the kind of ice cream it was last summer and i was on a deit. But as you know if you can set up for yourself all the better .
Iam still in Scotland hope to get out within the year. So i will know where to come for a parttime job but i may eat your profit.
Tricia

markwoods39

Hi Tricia

Well we are hoping to move out there in april this year? depends if we can set up the ice cream and donut up over there. We would want someone to run the donut for us. If you are going back this year and need some work let us know ok. We also have a spare room with it own bath/shower and toilet, but it is 20 mins drive from paphos in milou village that towards polis.About you eating all the profits you soon get sick of the site off them trust me

yummymummy150

Good for you Mark .Hope it works out foryou.If its what you want some times we need to be brave and go for it or we would always say what if.
Live in donut seller I will send my 16 year old son to see you .I think i will be bringing him kicking and sreaming to Paphos he is not keen.
How long have you had the place Polis.I love it there .
Tricia

snoo

The 'ice cream war' comment isn't such a joke!! We have just sold our villa in Paphos....lovely villa, shame about other aspects of the place (I'm not going to moan on....but I'll just say make sure you know what you are going into!!). My friends who bought in Paphos some 4 years ago hoping to start a business met with obsticles at every turn. They had a few business ideas which they eventually realised that the Cypriots had sewn up! It's a standing joke over there that if you open a shop or business in cyprus, there will be a Cypriot selling the same thing in the shop next door tomorrow!! They are now back in the U.K........broke and trying to sell the villa in Paphos (after also being ripped off left right and centre!!)
Just make sure you look into it properly.
As regards the ice cream......we had a van that came daily(also on Universal) selling soft ice cream, but to be honest it was the WORST i've ever tasted!! Shops are few on the large area that is Universal so maybe you will do a bomb!!
Good Luck........x

pasturesnew

Markwoods;
Been reading your posts, thought I would wish you good luck with your venture - sounds like a winner? I note that the ice cream man still visits my area around 4PM - even when it is raining, cold, snowing etc etc...so I expect it would be more profitable in the Cypriot sunshine.

crampp

We have an ice cream van that comes around the Kato Paphos 2/3 time an afternoon in the summer. There are also a number of ice cream shops and kiosks that do ice cream around the harbour, an ice cream van in the car park of the Tombs of the kings and 1 in the off road parking near Aphrodites rock. And that's off the top of my head. I'd look into it a bit more if you are serious about it and choose your spot wisely!

Good luck.

mabisfab77

i agree do a little more home work first there are many old men on bikes selling ice creams ok not soft ice creams but ice creams you do not always see everything that goes on in cyprus you must look a couple of times remember you must buy your ice from somewhere so Cypriots may control you this way in larnaca there are lots of kiosks for ice creams and alike and limassol in nicosia i see a few vans visit my friends home there everyday so i think market is tight. so just look before you jump and good luck

budda1

:curse:Personally I think you'd be mad to even think about an Ice cream business out here, 1. There's loads already, 2. The Slipriots do not take kindly to foreigner's trying to take business away from them, 3. There's a very bad water shortage here, we are having our water turned off everyother day now, and it's getting worse by the day and it's only April.......Starting a busness can be a problem in itself., have you looked at the import duty for you're van?? Everything is controlled by who know's who here and I'm sure you'll come up against many problems making it not worth you while....sorry to be so negative, but Honest I'm afarid, it's a complete world unto itself Cyprus, EU., regs and Laws only apply when they need them and the country is fastly going down the pan, which is a shame as it was a lovely place 10 years ago.....It's so corrupt, neglected and properties are vastly over built now that it's all going to come crashing down, well it's stated already, it very very exspensive (food, drink, cloths, petrol, Insurances) here now, and they charge what they like because they can....just be very careful if I were you......don't trust anyone who say's they can help you if there's money involved or not, it will be to take you're idea and do it themselves.....

budda1

Please, just a polite note for anyone coming to cyrpus to retire or start business etc., come here for 3 months, leave all you're luxuries at home, live like you would at home and see for youselves, it's the only way to assess the situation properly, six months would be far better and you get to know the ins and outs., try and read the Cyprus Mail paper., online, the Grapevine, today for example, no water again...they are thinking of putting extra 15VAT charge on land. The introduction of VAT is an "EU" requirement...gosh exspensive or what.. Went for a bowl of pasta, 12.73 euro's and it would just have filled a saucer., hmm no booze, no drinks just cup of tea, which they didn't like, as they make the money on the local cheap wine sold in a carton for 3.99,,,,but you in a carafe 13.00 euro's,.........eeewwwiiiieee....we paid 32 euros and were in and out in 20 minutes flat hmmmm, rather do it at home.....................cheaper, nicer and a more friendly atmosphere no blarring music, fast revving cars everwhere and motorbikes do wheelies on the main roads, it's like being in Kamikazi land....you'd have to see it to believe it.

Honest_H

budda1, I couldn't agree more! Its the same in Larnaca. :curse:

Which is why I've given up and making plans to go home!

budda1

I think there are a lot of us about, especially now with the VAT, no water, the filthy air, the prices of everything escallating is a Joke, it's such a shame, but that's the EU.,for you eh ????? and progress for you eh., were off to Oz., it's taken us 10 years to make our minds up where we want to be, coming from Jersey, Oz., is the best option for us, sun, sea, sand, beaut food, reasonable prices and very nice people, have been going there for the past 15 years so our minds are now made, up and were off in July, sold house in Cyprus in 1 day, Jersey house sold within a week, and of we go................can't wait.............................................. ....such a releif.....must say we have no kiddies, so we are very lucky to be able to change our minds as and when we like......were so excited.......

Honest_H

I really hope it all works out for you. Its best to do the moving about without kids, it can be hard on them.

My youngest was born in Cyprus and is still too young to understand (nearly 2), but my oldest is nearly 7. She doesn't really remember Northern Ireland as we left when she was three, but, she's really excited about it. We haven't hidden anything from her, so she's fully informed about everything. She even made me make an appointment to see her new school when we visit next week.

I know its a year away, but I'm very excited. Let us all hope that 2009 brings us everything we want!