Entrepreneurship On The Rise In Santa Marta Colombia
Around every corner you turn, it’s evident that entrepreneurship is on the rise in Santa Marta, Colombia. From street vendors selling handicrafts to expats owning over a dozen hotels and Airbnb locations for travelers.
As you explore Santa Marta, Colombia you’ll discover innovation that has turned this founding settlement into a thriving mecca for travelers & tourists alike.
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Creating Your Own Path
I was raised with the mindset that I had to get a piece of paper so I could get a better job. What’s crazy is that as I went from one job to the next, chasing the paycheck that was a little more than the previous, I felt like I was different.
Being the best employee, receiving awards for it and being recognized for outstanding performance was the norm for my employment.
Why?
Because I want to BE the best at everything I do. This causes me to work hard, study harder and become indispensable.
All this changed one day when I learned that it is actually possible to create your own path.
The allure of travel…
Creating my own path…
Not being tied down by what someone else thinks I should be doing…
As I write this, Erin is sitting next to me editing an upcoming video in our three-story villa with a private rooftop jacuzzi. We’re in Santa Marta, Colombia, which is our 13th country traveling full-time together. Read more about How It All Began »
Just a few years ago, I never would have thought this could be possible, until one day I saw the possibility unfold right before my eyes.
This IDEA was gifted to me that it should be possible to create a website with a blog that would help people in some way.
At the time, I didn’t know what the website was going to be about…
But I did have a burning DESIRE in my mind to make it happen.
Little did I know that this IDEA was going to shift my reality, along with the lives of countless other people forever.
Earning An Independent Living
In 2015, at about 5:00pm CST an emergency call came in that was particularly unsettling. I’ll spare you the details because what I experienced on that call was one of the straws that broke the camel’s back.
I had been in the Fire Department for about 7 years at the time. When I joined, I was under the assumption that I’d be going to fires & car collisions. Turns out, 95% of the calls were medical-related.
The IDEA had been in my mind for just a few months before I started taking action on it.
Now was the time that I was going to put the pen to paper and figure out what I needed to do to earn an independent living.
Being somewhat of a responsible sort of dude, I knew that if I could start earning an independent living with a website, that I’d be able to put my boots on the shelf one day in the future.
Here’s what I did to start earning an independent living (while I still had a job & what you could do too):
- Have an IDEA for a business online
- Do research to see if there’s anyone else already offering products & services in that niche (This means there’s money in that IDEA… Use Google to figure this out)
- Create a brand & build the website
- Launch your online business
What’s cool is that most people already have all the technology required to start a business online.
This is the technology you need to start a business online & earn an independent living:
- Laptop (Both Erin & I use MacBook Pro because they are user friendly)
- Smartphone (Now this isn’t required, per se… But it’s a great start for capturing pictures & videos for your online business)
Earning an independent living is within the grasp of anyone wanting to experience location independence (which is just a fancy word for not being anchored down to a job, which gives you the flexibility to BE where you want, when you want)
Definition: Location Independent
lo·ca·tion ● in·de·pen·dent
1) Not being tied to a particular location for any reason
2) Creating independence by earning an independent living with an online business
3) Having the freedom to GO, BE, DO & HAVE whatever you want because you’re not controlled by others or have any limits
As soon as you are gifted with an IDEA to earn an independent living, only you can take the steps necessary to create the business online. This could allow you to build something that provides the freedom to live wherever you want, go to wherever you want, be with whoever you want and have a life that most won’t work towards.
But you know you want to because you’re reading this.
As we walk through the streets of Santa Marta’s cultural center, vendors are all over the place. Some you can tell are travelers who have talents in creating jewelry, leather goods or even bags made from Venezuelan money. While others are locals who have carts with hot local coffee, lemonade and ice cream.
Being that these vendors are all out in the streets, even on a weekday, means that there’s a market for what they are offering (or they probably wouldn’t be out there every day). This goes to show that if you have a talent or a vision to live life by your own rules you can create a business that could give you the freedom that you want.
Entrepreneurship On The Rise
Upon arriving to Santa Marta, Colombia, we were greeted by our Airbnb host, Sandra. During our conversation, we learned that Sandra was from Barcelona, Spain and used to work for a large telecommunications company.
Years ago, she and her husband had an idea to start traveling. That didn’t last too long when they fell in love with the coastal city of Santa Marta, which so happens to be the oldest settlement in Colombia.
Seeing the opportunity to get into the hotel business, Sandra & her husband now own 15 properties. Two of which are hotels and the other 13 are boutique Airbnb condos, casas & villas.
Entrepreneurship is on the rise in Santa Marta and there is a ton of opportunity in the city’s cultural center of available buildings. People from all over the globe are opening co-working spaces, restaurants, hostels and shops. All of which are serving the local community by providing jobs and bringing more tourism to the city, which is Santa Marta’s main economic means of growth.
Even though Sandra & her husband have a “physical” style business, they rely highly on the internet to manage their listings, communicate with future & current guests, as well as create a social presence to bring awareness to the area.
We learned that the citizens of Santa Marta are extremely happy with foreigners coming to open up businesses because it gives the locals, most of which cannot afford to open a bigger business, the opportunity to get a job in hospitality, reception, maintenance, housekeeping, culinary and management. This helps drive prosperity to the local economy.
In Conclusion…
Entrepreneurship is on the rise in Santa Marta, Colombia as well as all over the globe. Through our travels, we’ve met some amazing people all tired of living in the rat race who decided that earning an independent living doing what they have a passion for is more fulfilling.
What about you? Are you doing what you love right now? Or is there an IDEA in your mind & DESIRE in your heart to earn an independent living, doing what you want so that you can BE where you want, when you want?
Let us know in the comments!
And if you are like most people who have an IDEA and are not sure how to bring it to reality with a simple business online, the Exclusive Tribe For Entrepreneurs is for you. Get the simple method to build your business online.
Until Next Time!
Adventure On... Adventure On!
- Brian Garcia
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Brian Garcia + Erin Nicole Bick are full-time location independent, online business owners. Brian’s background is in firefighting, digital + photographic imaging, and web development. Erin’s background is in professional hairstyling, social intuition, personal development, creative writing, and brand identity development. Together, they create eCourses, high-end online business development coaching, and social media marketing strategies. They go by… BE Adventure Partners!
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