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New Year, New Life, New Business?

by tacogirl 09/01/2018
written by tacogirl 09/01/2018
Dive Shop For Sale Ambergris Caye

It’s that time of year when everyone is making their resolutions. While many of us are listing things like eating healthier and exercising a little more, some people are making bigger resolutions. Major life changes and planning how to fulfill their desire to work and live a tropical island lifestyle now, instead of waiting till they are ready to retire to make their move.

Belize Business Opportunity

Dive Shop For Sale Ambergris Caye

Dive Shop For Sale Ambergris Caye

Kendall Beymer and his family have owned and operated Ecologic Divers for the past 6 years. Kendall moved from Denver, Colorado and a 26 miles workday commute to island life and a 26-yard walk to work. He traded in his windowless square box for an office with an amazing view.

Diver Shop For Sale

If you do not opt to live as close as the Beymers did (at their Phoenix Resort condo), you can picture yourself driving a golf cart to work smiling and waving at friends along the way. Imagine trading in your stale cubicle for a colorful view of the Caribbean sea as you work.

Think about the joy you will get by helping people learn to dive and giving experienced divers great vacation memories.

Now’s your chance, take it.

Dive Shop For Sale Ambergris CayeDiving Ambergris Caye BelizeHol Chan Marine Reserve Ambergris Caye

About Ecologic Divers and What You Could be Buying

This well-known dive shop has been in operation for over 10 years. Since taking over, the Beymer’s have built a great reputation for safety, service, and pride themselves on ecologically sound practices. Ecologic’s reputation has earned them un-solicited articles from Lonely Planet, Sport Diver, and a few other independent magazines.

Dive Shop For Sale Ambergris Caye

In addition to a viable business, you are also buying a community-minded one. Over the years Ecologic Divers has helped many organizations through the donation of raffle prizes. They are an annual supporter of Kids for Clean Water Camp and have collaborated with Oceana in helping with the Caribbean wide beach trash pickup day.

Online Presence

Over the years, Ecologic has worked hard to build their online presence. You have a solid base to easily personalize and keep growing the business from.

  • Current website: Ecologic Divers 
  • A sample of their Tripadvisor Reviews: “Awesome staff..Great diving..My 2nd time with these guys.” Of the 798 total reviews, 89% are 5 star. 
  • You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Location and What They Offer

Ecologic Divers is easily accessible, close to the heart of San Pedro town, about a 2-minute walk north of Central Park. It is located on the first pier just south of The Phoenix resort.

They offer snorkelling, fishing, diving, sailing, mainland tours, and nearly all other marine tours you can think of. Their focus is smaller groups and quality 5-star experiences for everyone that comes their way. (Note some of these options are referral based.)

Diving in BelizeAmbergris CayeAmbergris Caye

Amenities Included in Sale

  • Brand new pier
  • 5 boats
  • Brand new building
  • Various equipment for all activities
  • Dock permit
  • Trade license
  • Tour Guide Operator license
  • Connection with quality vendors of other tours

Specified lists available to interested and qualified parties. For more information please email Kendall Beymer: kendall@ecologicdivers.com

Ambergris Caye BelizeDiving Ambergris Caye BelizeDive Shop For Sale Ambergris Caye

Working in Belize versus the USA

Chances are if you are interested in this life-changing opportunity and have not worked abroad before and you are looking to know more about what it takes. I asked Kendall a few questions regarding his personal thoughts on working in Belize versus working in the USA to give interested people an idea of what the tropical work world is like.

What are some of your favorite parts about life here as compared to life in the States?
Proximity is huge! I love walking to everything, I can easily be at a bank, grocery store, hardware store, bar, restaurant, you name it with in a few blocks. It really simplifies life to not have to plan drive time and cars and such. Just walking over to the shop then the hit Cholo’s for some afternoon beers for the team…not a bad thing.

Do you work less being here than you did in the corporate world?
I’d say I work differently, but not necessarily harder. Since I came down to run the shop there has not been a day that goes by without me working in some fashion. Some days there’s a lot of running and doings of this and that; other days I check emails. I love my business and want it along with the families of our team to succeed, and that clearly means the owner is available 24 hours a day to handle issues; usually that’s just lining up sales on the net. So while I work I also have PLENTY of fun peppered in; I’ve been known to ‘office’ from Lola’s Pub on occasion, or take calls while floating at Secret Beach, updating the manifest from the Cayo jungle. I may work daily, but I don’t feel like I’ve worked since coming here! Kinda feel like I retired at 37.

Do you need to be a Dive professional to succeed at owning a dive shop?
Hell no, I’m not a dive professional. I love to dive, and have a couple hundred dives but only have completed my Advanced – long way to go till I’m a dive pro and not certain I ever will be. You just need to have a passion for hospitality. The owner is the one that has the responsibility to craft the perfect vacation for his/her guests. We look at the desires of people and deploy our resources in such a fashion to make that happen (while paying our bills!). This application just happens to be marine tour focused.

Who is the ideal owner?
Someone that understands they need to put the effort in, and that the return will be in direct proportion to that effort. Most people seem to think if you own a business you sit on the beach, drink beer, and an aid delivers you a sack of cash. No…you have to work for that stack of cash. But there are still lots of perks like beers on the beach, and a killer view from your office.

Best advice for someone coming down to run a business?
You’re only as good as the way you treat people…I mean everyone! From your lead dive master to the person clearing your plate at dinner. If you inject kindness, fairness, and joy into the community then you will be the place that is on their mind when their friends, family, and groups come in. Ambergris Caye is tourism; everyone on this island is involved – there’s no way around it. To mistreat any of them is to cut off a line of potential revenue and therefore limit your potential for success. Treat all business dealings with respect and you will be treated the same.

The biggest difference between doing business in US vs Belize:
So much…to name a few – WhatsApp is not an official business platform in the US, but there are 2 government agencies and 3 vendors I deal with that won’t respond to any other form of communications. Being nice to people overcomes a multitude of paper work deficiency and speeds processes up dramatically. If you forget to pay the power bill and they cut you off, then you pay and they say they’ll be out tomorrow or the next day – tell the dispatcher there’s free beer if it’s done same day…they’ll be there in five minutes with power (you should already have iced the beers). Everyone knows everyone – if you need something ask the team, they know a guy…but sometimes thats not a good thing 😉

Why are you selling if you love it so much?
Well, I’m a sailing man. I’ll avoid the long story and just say we’ve been a sailing family for twice as long as we’ve been a diving family. As much as we enjoyed Belize (still visit and own a condo), Wanderlust set in and we felt it was time to take our catamarans to their next adventure. We’ve got some killer opportunities in Roatan and we’ve set sail to make our next dreams come true.

taco Tip #7

For buying real estate in Belize – Do your due diligence when buying a business questions and make sure you are buying one of quality. Several years back a couple I know were looking into purchasing a business. They were not ready to retire but really wanted to transition to a tropical lifestyle. They had researched well from afar, but when they came to do final checks and balances in person, things were not quite as glowing as they seemed in email. The pair were a touch sad but made the smart choice deciding it was s better to take a pass than to rush into the wrong thing just to make their dream happen sooner than later. Although they did not end up moving to Belize, the couple still vacations here regularly and though it may have changed slightly, they have not lost sight of their dream.

Featured aerial image of San Pedro courtesy of L. Kelly Jones. Most of the others are by Michael DeVaney for tacogirl.com with a couple of mine thrown in.

Related

tacogirl

Laurie Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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Laurie was super helpful in providing places to eat, things to do and best yet had ongoing blogs that allowed us to... look back on other places that she pointed out. A fantastic resource for both first time and return visitors of Ambergris Caye!read more
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Fantastic service .I needed to find a place where I could buy a local sim card as my UK sim doesnt work in belize and... Tacogirl put me on the right path .Decided to walk across town and discovered so much more in beautiful San Pedro.Many thanks.BWread more
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We have been using TacoGirl for what feels like decades when planning our trips to Belize! It has only been a few... years but she is the first place we stop to see what is happening in our favorite vacation spot. She knows all the best spots to get away and do so many fun things - whether it is relaxing or exploring! We are planning our next trip with our twins and she was the first person I reached out to. Knowing we have a resource like her, makes trip planning a breeze!read more
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Found tacogirl while doing some research on an upcoming trip to Belize. This is the place for all the information you... need to plan your vacation. Incredibly helpful and responsive. I sent an email with lots of questions and received a very quick and detailed response that helped us finalize our plans.read more
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We have been following TacoGirl for years now and before booking any trip to San Pedro we check to see what is... currently happening. We love the emails to let us know when a new blog has been posted. Keep up the great work Laurie, we feel like we know you.read more
Pamela Nixon
Pamela Nixon
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I first got my Passport in 2012 and Taco Girl was my first connection back then Great then and Marvelous Now! She's... blossomed and developed into a wonderful contact for any and all information Belize. She goes above & beyond to respond with information that you need whether visiting Belize or relocating! I wasn't able to fund the move then but now that I have much more equity I am doing it.This time she was the 1st person I reached out to! Now I am selling and moving to Belize. She responds immediately! Like I do in my Pet Sitting Business! I was so impressed I followed her all this time. And was not disappointed!Pamela Nixonread more
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Wanted to give a shout-out to tacogirl belize for helping us! She is a plethora of knowledge and was super helpful and... responsive in helping us find longer term stay on the island. Thank you so much for your help!read more
Ty Willingham
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I've spent the last month exploring Belize. I'm retired & seriously considering moving down to Belize permanently from... the US. I contacted the local San Pedro expert "Taco Girl" to help me get started in finding an apartment to rent. With her help, I've located several places that meet my needs & budget requirements. Thank you Laurie!read more
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I am very glad I found you and asked you a question about a spice in Belize. You helped me figure out the name of it... and where i could buy it. You went above and beyond to help. Thanks again.read more
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I am so grateful for the time and energy Laurie has taken to share about her experiences traveling to and living in... Belize as well as provide thorough recommendations for planning a trip there. I was so thankful (and honestly surprised) that Laurie took the time to respond to several of my questions via email. I highly recommend reading Laurie's blogs and helping to support her business. Thank you Laurie!!read more
Greg R
Greg R
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tacogirl was very nice to share her knowledge with us and assisted with planning our trip to Belize; thank you for the... help and info, it was helpful and allowed us to plan utilize our time accordingly while both on the mainland and islands of this great country.read more
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As a Canadian—tired of long winters—I cannot wait to spend some time in Belize. I haven't set foot yet, but I am... yearning for lots of Caribbean adventure. Thanks so much to tacogirl for her endless enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. She is a constant stream of up-to-date information. Her knowledge and love of the area is priceless, and I will need her expertise for future endeavours!read more
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We started coming to Ambergis Caye in 2014 and stumble on to Tacogirls blog, so glad we did! We used her 15% discount... at The Premier Duty-Free shop in the airport! It worked great all we did was let them know we read it on her blog . She has great information awesome pictures, we have tried several places she has recommended, all were amazing. Highly recommend reading her blog. Kathleenread more
ksniegoc1
ksniegoc1
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It was my first time visiting Belize and San Pedro so naturally I had a ton of questions when it came time to planning... the travel. Taco Gril's blog was an invaluable source of information for all the travel questions in Ambergris Caye. I was able to learn a lot of basic information, as well as many tips and tricks. In addition when I reached out to Taco Girl for advice on finding a local photographer and a restaurant recommendation, she was very quick to respond and gave me many helpful suggestions. She also provided a lot more information from a local's point of view, which was much for valuable than than a typical guidebook. Thanks to her helpful suggestions we were able to celebrate my daughter's birthday at a nice restaurant, and had a great photo family session with a local photographer. I'm very thankful for all her resources and knowledge.read more
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Myra F
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I started coming to San Pedro Belize in 2007 and that is when I met the online presence of Taco Girl. Her blogs on the... island and area are very personable and informative. She gives out promo codes from time to time so watch out for those. You cannot go wrong with someone who was a tourist and now lives here for quality info. Thanks Taco Girl for helping make my trips memorable!read more
Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
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Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton!I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
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Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice... to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
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I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
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KellyDivePhotography
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I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local... information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
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I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
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Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do what... everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
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Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
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Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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Belize Blog Est. 2007

belize travel specialist

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation. If you have any questions or want Belize help planning and booking, please feel free to contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

A few childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age. Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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