Entrepreneur profiles Archives

Creating Tropical Fruit Liqueurs in the Caribbean

By David Hammond |

May 1, 2015

When the cold New York winters got too much for Nino Marzano and Maria Postell, they started thinking about turning their favorite vacation spot into their new home. And, in 2011, they made the transition—letting go of the stress and the cold to live full-time in one of the Dominican Republic’s premier vacation and expat hotspots: Punta Cana-Bávaro. With its white-sand beaches, reef-protected crystal waters, coconut palms, and resort infrastructure, it was the perfect antidote to New York.

How to Become a Suitcase Entrepreneur

By Bonnie Keough |

May 1, 2015

Ecuador, a place I often travel to, is a land of rainforests, breathtaking river gorges, and volcanic hot springs, where you can be pampered by affordable spa treatments or simply enjoy the beautiful landscapes. I’m still amazed at how much my life has changed over the last 10 years since I discovered how to fund my travels and spend more time in Ecuador. I feel so fortunate to have had the experiences. And to make it even better, these were business trips. I made far more money than I spent. The priceless memories cost me nothing.

Finding a Work-Life Balance in a Pacific Beach Town

By Bonnie W. Hayman |

April 1, 2015

Adrienne Greenwood had a choice. Stay in wet and rainy Whistler, Canada, close to the poverty line or go elsewhere. That’s when she discovered the tropical beach town of San Juan del Sur on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. “Nicaragua has everything I need: warm, friendly, family-oriented people and a good yoga-and-wellness community, full of colorful and quirky individuals who have also chosen an off-the-beaten-path existence, and a sunny tropical climate all year round. I love that,” says Adrienne.

Building a Healing Retreat in the Heart of Cool, Colonial Mexico

By Glynna Prentice |

April 1, 2015

Beverly Nelson has a passion for holistic health...and for Mexico. That’s why she opened a retreat center in San Miguel de Allende, in the country’s Colonial Highlands. Today, she enjoys a life that is fulfilling both personally and professionally. She welcomes clients from around the world who come for workshops and lectures, individual and group retreats, and healing modalities like acupuncture and various types of massage, including Ayurvedic. During her free time, she and friends enjoy San Miguel, going to concerts, films, gallery openings, the theater, or dinner at someone’s home or in a local restaurant. “There is so much to do here in San Miguel, there is never a lack of choice,” she says.

If You Can Earn From Home in the U.S., You Can Earn From Costa Rica

By Bill Nixon |

April 1, 2015

Living in Costa Rica has been great since we moved here last year. Each day my wife, Kelli, and I drink coffee—grown on a farm five minutes from our home—on the deck while we watch the birds get their breakfast. Our monthly expenses have been cut in half from what they were in the States, and we’re making plans to build a modest home here to cut that budget even more. And our life has become much quieter in the sense that there is less to worry about.

Less Stress, More Freedom: A Start-Up Goes on the Road

By Koren Helbig |

March 1, 2015

Mat Lewis treasures the freedom to work whenever he wants, free from the drudgery of waking up to an alarm clock each morning. It was in 2013 that Mat set up an online business for booking luxury home vacation rentals with his partner, Stoewie van den Bulk, and discovered two things. One was that they could take the business on the road in Southeast Asia; the other was that it actually made financial sense to do so. “Traveling in Southeast Asia has really taken the pressure off by reducing our personal expenditure,” Mat says. Low costs have meant the pair can live “an amazing life at a cost that’s kind to the wallet,” yet keep investing in their business.

Make Cash on eBay and Live Anywhere in the World

By Annette Emelity |

March 1, 2015

I started my first eBay bridal business in Spokane, Washington in 1998 after discovering eight stunning and remarkably cheap wedding gowns for sale in a Goodwill thrift store...and sold it six years later for a healthy six figures. Back then, I had quit my full-time job to stay home with my infant son and—as a Goodwill lover and part-time eBay entrepreneur—I was buying clothing, shoes, fabric, sporting goods, and collectibles to sell on eBay. I got the wedding gowns for $20 each. I listed them on auction on eBay for seven days, with a starting bid of $99 each. They flew out the door. Some of them ended up at $325 to $475 each!

Restoring a Vintage Boat — Fun Now, Retirement Income Later

By Keith Hockton |

February 1, 2015

Paul Blanford has created a lifestyle income for his retirement. It’s already making money…and occasionally he gets to enjoy it himself. But when he’s ready to retire—which may be sooner rather than later—his new life is ready for him. Paul, a native of New Zealand, works as a pilot in Hong Kong but has always loved boats and sailing. So he decided to buy a junk—a type of traditional Chinese sailboat— and turn it into a business. Second-hand junks are cheap and plentiful in Hong Kong, and Paul had his eye on the tourist charter business along the west coast of peninsular Malaysia in the Straits of Malacca.

Discover Bolivia’s Best Places For Income Opportunity

By David Hammond |

February 1, 2015

If you’re the pioneering type, a small business in Bolivia might offer just the kind of lifestyle you’re looking for. You can live well in Bolivia for less money than just about anywhere, and you don’t need bags of cash to start an enterprise here. Historically, Bolivia ranks alongside the poorest countries in the region, but things are changing. Today it is among the most hopeful economies in the hemisphere…its economy is growing steadily at around 5% a year… inflation (5.19% in 2014) and debt (32% of GDP in 2013) are under control. Bolivia’s oil and gas industry helps keep energy costs low.

A Blossoming Business in Tamarindo Fills a Niche

By Erica Mills |

January 1, 2015

Colette Holmes and her husband, Nick, weren’t initially planning to move from Los Angeles to the Pacific beach town of Tamarindo, Costa Rica. “We came because Nick was a baseball coach,” Colette explains. “It was just a seasonal job. But after spending a little time here, we decided that we wanted to make a life in Costa Rica. We wanted a different life—a bit slower, a bit simpler.” Today, life is a lot different than the stress of the restaurant trade Colette used to work in. Instead of being assaulted by noise and rushing servers, she spends her days in more serene surroundings among Costa Rica’s exotic, colorful flowers.