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consulting services in Colombia

Has anybody had any experience consulting, (independent contractor), in Colombia? I am curious if Colombian businesses outsource any business development services? I do a bit of business cost finding and capital planning and would love to parlay those experiences into a tidy living in Colombia. As crazy as it seems, I have developed a fondness for my wife's family, and would love to move south some day to live, (closer to retirement)

I am starting to learn a bit about the Colombian economy and the business culture...antedotically, it seems rather archaic. It seems like there would be some industries, in Colombia, where a strong professional culture and a desire to build a financially efficient reigns. I would love to hear anybody's experiences with this?

By (Deleted user) on Jul 30, 2008, 21:56 in Friendly Talkzone.

Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jul 30, 2008, 22:20:

I think the biggest challenge would be the culture of doing business in Colombia, it's different from the US. It's more focused around relationships, whereas in the US it's more focused around contracts. The businessworld is also very competitive - lots of people with good degrees and stuff.

Poor but snappy

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pilotguy says on Jul 31, 2008, 05:30:

I have a different opinion on politics helping in Colombia. I have mined political contacts and found them to be extremely important and helpful. I feel that here it is who you know and not much more else. That is a broad statement, I know, but it makes my point, I hope.

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GregYohn says on Jul 31, 2008, 09:33:

Hola!

My GF's sister and father think they can sell wind generators to politicians.

They know nothing about the industry! Yet, they feel like they can get money without knowing ANYTHING! They are so bad that they have not even attempted to read online about the subject.

They know nothing about wire sizes, towers, wind shear, alternative power sources, competition, ROI, or even required maintenance!

NADA! ZERO!

I just consider them scammers! They do not even understand the value of turning off TV's to save money or appreciate CFL lights! They use a pipe without a shower head and still will not use a shower head when told that they use double the liters per minute.

12VOIP.com gives free calls to Colombia.Greg

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Noelito40 says on Jul 31, 2008, 15:48:

From my brief time here, it has become patently obvious in almost every business opportunity we have looked into (and in some cases invested in) that business here is all about who you know and not what you know. Yes it is true that someone has a cousin...who has a brother..who has a half sister who...!!! The word I hear all the time is palanca, (same as pull in English).

Having said that, I'm not saying that if you invest because of who you know that it's a bad thing, it's just that the importance of the extended family/friends network here is far greater than what I am accustomed to.

Also, I doubt very much if this is a particularly Colombian thing. I would imagine in any country with a strong familiy ethic that if you need a particular service or skill you are more likely to recommend someone you know...

Noelito

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Timba says on Aug 1, 2008, 06:32:

As a friend of mine said, in North America signing a contract is the finality of negotiations. In South America, it is only the beginning.

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SandraBaldion says on Aug 11, 2008, 13:43:

actually, grat minds think alike so what's in yours? anyplace in Colombia is amazing, friendly people, nice working environment, pure natural resources.....

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