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Business opportunities are plentiful and not just for profit, but also in areas such as education, ecology, and tourism.   There are many foundations throughout the world who are willing to donate funds for projects such as libraries, schools, agricultural education, farming, hospitals, roads, communication equipment, even airplanes for rural access; Carbon Credit emissions, etc.   In the business area, there are opportunities like nowhere else.  It is just a matter of focusing on one or two at a time. You could keep it simple and run a small farm or you could start a modern complex production facility. There is room for many new businesses. 

We advocate ecological or green business enterprises.  What is important is to do these businesses in a way that not only causes minimal ecological impact, but that actually improves the ecology.  There are great opportunities in farming, agriculture, waste disposal, mining, wood furniture making, eco-tourism, even for a new brick factory.  Get your foot in the door of a mining opportunity and you  will be rich in a few years. You can choose to donate a percentage of your profits to any of the local ecological foundations that operate in Loja.

Shopping and Cost of Living

Shopping malls and shopping in general? Well let us tell you there are bigger, more modern, better stock, with lower prices, than in most cities in the USA. We know, we have visited many of them.  Buying a car or buying electronics is about the same as in the USA, but in some cases the prices are even lower. Anything that can’t be gotten locally, are on the Internet.

We pay $14 per month for a simple studio apartment. Apartments go for $30-50, and a real nice house for $200-300. Maids are $50-70 per month. An average worker gets paid $25 per week and skilled worker $50 to $60. Prices are going up and will continue to go up. We have no idea how much and by when, but the fact is that the country now uses the US Dollar, which should control price increases to some degree.

What We do not Like

In the rural areas, it is difficult to make phone calls. There are few phones. Fax service is nearly impossible to find. There is no cellular phone service, but this may all be history within the next two to three years. In September, 2000, a new law was passed that prohibits monopoly of communication businesses and opens free market competition in the communication sector. We are subscribing to satellite communication service, which is now available.  We have Internet service via satellite in our home.

Roads are in bad condition, but steadily improving. Some are as good as they can get, but these are few and mostly in or near the big cities. 

Other things we wish were available are helicopter ambulance service, well equipped hospitals, and a good potable water system in rural areas.  There are expensive air-ambulance services available and good services overall, but in the main cities.

Armed robberies are restricted to the large cities, such as Quito and Guayaquil, and that is good.  We and other Ecuadorians dislike US government involvement in and promotion of  foreign policy in relation to Plan Colombia which has made the border between these two countries a dangerous place to be, as well as the Amazon area to our east. Plan Colombia is also using sprays to eradicate certain kinds of sought after herbs. These sprays are dangerous to humans, and the story goes they are outlawed for use in the USA.

Alcohol addiction is present and higher in the indigenous communities. Petty theft is a cultural habit, but give or take a few examples it is about the same anywhere else in the world.   Keep also in mind that going to coastal tourist areas is not the same as living in a rural area, in the coastal area there are many crime related problems.   Where we are everyone knows each other and it is very safe.

The big cities have many of the same problems as any other big city in the world; we are at least a six -hour drive from any big metropolitan city. 

Another thing we do not like is that people have abused nature due to lack of education, ecological consciousness, and economical problems. They cut down forests due to old and outdated government policy and continue to do so. This is changing and continuing to improve, but the fact remains that there is visible damage as you drive though the country. Reforestation is a must-do project and it is being done, but very slowly.   We are the founders of Fundación Condorhuana. The foundation’s goals are to correct and improve some of these issues.

Poverty is abundant. There are many poor people, but most are happy with what they have.  In the agricultural areas, people they plant and eat of their own crops and do not go hungry as in the big cities. 

Good paying jobs are not widely available. On the other hand, business opportunities abound.   More than ten percent of Ecuadorians have left the country in search of good paying jobs elsewhere. This is an unfortunate situation, being a country that has so many natural resources and opportunities.

Ecuadorians do Welcome Foreigners 

This country loves foreigners, their culture, their language, their clothing, etc. All they ask for is that you be polite and respect their country by not taking more than what you leave. If you come here, start a business that employs local people. Teach them to respect their environment. Enforce rules to protect it and re-invest your profits locally. You will find people will work hard and be loyal to you. 

Singles

Many of you single foreign men have asked us about the ladies; we can assure you that if you are in search of female companionship and or a long term relationship, this is a good country to be in.  Most women seek financial security. Older, educated, and/or professional men are sought after. The Ecuadorian woman for the most part is a very loyal companion, old fashion, conservative and eager to please. She’ll be there for you at all times. For the men interested in a younger woman, this is the place to be. Most women do not mind men older than them.   If you look at the statistics they say one thing, but we can tell you from my experience there must be eight women per man.

If marriage is what you are looking for, that can happened very quickly here. The Ecuadorian women are eagerly interested in marriage, but this is changing. Everyday, more woman are less interested in marriage and looking more for a stable quality relationship. 

As for the ladies searching for relationship, we can introduce you to a few good men. 
 

How do we plan to support ourselves in the long run?  We have started by organic farming and animal rearing. We grow things that the average Ecuadorian grower does not: apples, apricot, peanuts, a variety of vegetables, medicinal and ornamental plants, etc. We also are in the process of starting a small custom furniture manufacturing plant and hopefully with the aid of the Internet, sell the furniture to other countries that can pay a premium for it. We are also involved in the ecologically safe harvesting of marble and silica via our company Yambala, S.A.

Businesses We are Involved in and/or Considering:

• Silica sand (SiO2) -  Yambala, S.A.
• Black Fossilized Marble- Yambala, S.A.
• Export of custom furniture and manufacturing.
• Stillroom Products The owner is considering relocating here and joining forces with us
• Waste processing plant using Vermiculture (earthworms)
• Selling Internet & phone service via satellite.
• Make our facility available for small group seminars and conferences.
• Agricultural project with the local technical university on our land, basically very-high-tech ecological agriculture, done by students.
• Large-scale wine making, the soil and climate are ideal and we already have the perfect storage building for it.
• Scientific Station Facility and Botanical Gardens for Students, Graduates, Thesis makers, Bird Watchers, Ornithologists, etc.

Fundacion Ecologica Condorhuana Management of the Podocarpus National Park, Management of funds for the Shuar indigenous people, management of the water basin from Ecuador to Peru and infrastructure projects mostly for the province of Loja area of Vilcabamba and Malacatos.

AVETUR is an independent association of tourism related concerns dedicated to protecting the ecological, cultural and historical heritage of Vilcabamba. 

Conclusion

The world is constantly changing. Hopefully it is all getting better as time goes on, but at times some places take a step back and some take a few steps forward. It is hard to predict the future, but for now we believe Ecuador provides a special opportunity for the foreigner. 

To Contact Us:

• Email: uevn-private@uevn.org 
• Telephone: 593-7-580-392
• USA Fax: 413-653-3819
• Mailing address: Apartado Postal 533, Loja, Ecuador