starting a new business

cherrish

coming to bali to further explore our interest in starting a new business. is there a place where expats meet where I we can chat and make some contacts and ask some questions happy to shout a cuppa or bintang

ronb

Welcome Cherrish. Maybe tell us more. Expats are all over the place meeting in all sorts of sports bars, other bars, book clubs, other places. How many of you are there? What ages? Where will you be? What business is in your mind? Etc., etc.

cherrish

ronb wroteWelcome Cherrish. Maybe tell us more. Expats are all over the place meeting in all sorts of sports bars, other bars, book clubs, other places. How many of you are there? What ages? Where will you be? What business is in your mind? Etc., etc.

thanks, my wife and I are looking at opening a clothing shop in seminyak are there associations we join to meet people and ask questions

ronb

There are several Rotary Clubs in Bali, including Seminyak - https://www.facebook.com/Rotary-Club-of-Bali-Seminyak-689461921070872/ That would certainly be one way to meet people.

Markit

Every second shop sells cloths in Seminyak so why would you want to join them? Wouldn't it make more sense to do something that isn't so prevalent. Unless you or your wife are Indonesian you will have serious difficulties with the business form as Indonesia is not very business friendly and most definitely not foreign business owner friendly. But good luck, you'll need it.

sakumabali

well begonia I have to agree with Markit - Indonesia is most definitely not foreign business owner friendly. That's a fact! Even if you follow the rules (and laws) you will be 100 % disadvantaged

ronb

Begonia has a point - if you think of successful businesses that are serving tourists and/or expats, there is frequently and expat who has developed the concept and maybe funded it. And then, of course, for each successful expat business person you can identify, there is some number of others who have failed. Expats are good at understanding what services foreigners want, they are good at using the Internet, and sometimes these skills are what are needed.

calma

Markit wroteEvery second shop sells cloths in Seminyak so why would you want to join them? Wouldn't it make more sense to do something that isn't so prevalent. Unless you or your wife are Indonesian you will have serious difficulties with the business form as [B]Indonesia is not very business friendly and most definitely not foreign business owner friendly. [/B] But good luck, you'll need it.

I am very very surprise you said this Markit, because in my modest opinion there is more and more business taking over by foreigners, villas, hotels, bars, restaurants, homestays, shops...............I am not sure how much Indonesia is not foreign business owner friendly, when you look around and see so many foreigners taking over of business in Bali!!! Maybe in Candi Dasa there is not too many foreigners running business but in Ubud, Kuta, Sanur and Uluwatu is increasing every weeks

Markit

begonia wroteI am very very surprise you said this Markit, because in my modest opinion there is more and more business taking over by foreigners, villas, hotels, bars, restaurants, homestays, shops...............I am not sure how much Indonesia is not foreign business owner friendly, when you look around and see so many foreigners taking over of business in Bali!!! Maybe in Candi Dasa there is not too many foreigners running business but in Ubud, Kuta, Sanur and Uluwatu is increasing every weeks

As with most things "important" the Germans have a wonderful saying "[FONT=arial][SIZE=2]Mehr Schein als Sein" which roughly translates as [I]more pretend than real[/I], and that about sums up the extent of Ubud/Kuta/etc foreign ownership. Sure there's some foreigner poncing around pretending to own the business and he may have had the concept and the money but in the end the Indonesian state does not really accept foreigners as stand-alone business people and I promise you that business is in the name of some Ketut/Wayan/Made or Putu. Fact is also that if it was being run by [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=arial][SIZE=2]Ketut/Wayan/Made or Putu it would have rung down the curtain ages ago. Most of the locals just have not got clue one how to appeal to customers, particularly foreign customers. [/SIZE][/FONT]

Markit

begonia wroteMake me terrible sad but I have to agree with you, sometimes foreigners knows better how to run a business and specially knows how to marketing a business.

It shouldn't, remember all those businesses have hired lots of locals that are also learning by doing. Here in Candi Dasa we have the La Rouge restaurant that was originally started by Fred and his partner from Vincents. They sold it to one of their long time Balinese employees who is making a good go of it and who has now opened a new warung in Amlapura (totally different concept but he's grasped the necessary lessons and hired his sister to help run it....!). So trickle-down does work here too and the women are also getting a chance to get involved and learn.

geedee

Markit wroteIt shouldn't, remember all those businesses have hired lots of locals that are also learning by doing. Here in Candi Dasa we have the La Rouge restaurant that was originally started by Fred and his partner from Vincents. They sold it to one of their long time Balinese employees who is making a good go of it and who has now opened a new warung in Amlapura (totally different concept but he's grasped the necessary lessons and hired his sister to help run it....!). So trickle-down does work here too and the women are also getting a chance to get involved and learn.

Off the subject but would you recommend la rouge. Please advise other recommendations in Candi Dasa and close by.

geedee

Markit wroteOh, and avoid like the plague Padang restos unless you know the owner - that **** has grown legs of it's own.

Thanks for the advice I agree a large menu sets off alarms bells to me. Just back from Tasmania and wife wanted to try Indonesian rest she spotted. Menu was huge no customers but she insisted. It was crap so I insisted she pay. The Padang bit went over my head???

geedee

Do you own it?

Markit

[ATTACH]2605.vB[/ATTACH] Some of that stuff has been there long enough to evolve. Own what?

geedee

Padang- But you have answered that. So much not under refrigeration. This is the sort of stuff my wife loves and doesn't have a problem with till I start nagging loudly and as you know Indonesian hate a scene so she just gives up immediately gives her apologies and leaves.I am only saving her from food poisoning

Fred2

If you are thinking of starting a business in Bali. You will need a LOT of money, a local business will cost $1 to run, your business will cost $10 to run. You will need the tourist dollar to make your business work locals will not pay tourist price, Tourist are hard to keep happy unless you had a bar in snoozeville were they only worry about how cold the beer is(if next door has cooler beer you lose). I have a local friend that has a cloths & acc shop in Seminyak makes good money, she sources everything from Java, rent is paid 10 years in advance(main street), employs relatives etc. A chef I know build his business up to 5 resto's, after the problems 2002 he pick up some cheap resto's. Now he is back down to 3 resto's but his wife has tried the fashion trade in Seminyak and all 4 have gone down the tube and they put serious money into them, only time I ever drank bubbly in Bali. Anyway have a least 3 years of out goings in hand & keep smiling :icon_e_biggrin:

calma

sakumabali wrotewell begonia I have to agree with Markit - Indonesia is most definitely not foreign business owner friendly. That's a fact! Even if you follow the rules (and laws) you will be 100 % disadvantaged

sakumabali, I am not discussing about if Indonesia is or not foreign business owner friendly, I am saying everywhere in bali there is more and more business and shops taking over by foreigners and that is a fact as well, would be interested to know how much per cent of business are running by foreigners, somebody told me that in Kuta and Seminyak is already very high and in Ubud has been increasing day by day. Anyway, after all I don't think there is a big deal to rent a shop o a restaurant, find a place, agree about the price, make a contract and run it, right? maybe to open a villa or a hotel is more complicated but to rent a shop or a restaurant, where is the big deal? if it would be difficult would be not that many shops and restaurants running by foreigners. Make me terrible sad but I have to agree with you, sometimes foreigners knows better how to run a business and specially knows how to marketing a business.

Markit

geedee wroteOff the subject but would you recommend la rouge. Please advise other recommendations in Candi Dasa and close by.

La Rouge is a good western style restaurant as are Vincents and several others. BUT I generally do not recommend western restos in Indonesia. Not out of any reverse chauvinism but out of the simple reasoning that when ever any of my visitors have had stomach problems it's because they went to a western resto. Not so hard to understand when you look at it: western restos all have this huge menu - 200/300 items and food here in the tropics just doesn't keep (if I stuff something in the west in the fridge and pull it out 1 week or 10 days later it's mostly still good, stuff the same thing in the fridge here and it's poisonous after 3 days) and to keep that huge menu supplied they have to have lots of stock. They will almost never say "out" if you order something. Go for good Indonesian food in a good Indonesian resto there's lots of them about. Just watch to see if they have lots of customers to insure that the food isn't hanging around. Oh, and avoid like the plague Padang restos unless you know the owner - that **** has grown legs of it's own.

sakumabali

begonia wrote Anyway, after all I don't think there is a big deal to rent a shop o a restaurant, find a place, agree about the price, make a contract and run it, right?

No that's indeed VERY easy but to be LEGAL ist the problem. This is the foggy part. Local People left and right are operating without. You can't (if you are successful) There are many reasons for it...

Apocalypse69

But Paul. You're a ripped 6ft giant. Why embarrassed to lose your shirt?