Category: Expat Lifestyle

The house I just furnished on the coast of Ecuador.

“Hey Dom, do I need to bring sheets and towels to Ecuador?” My friend emailed.

“Child please, are you kidding me?” Was my answer.

Ecuador is undeveloped but it’s not that ghetto. You can find everything you’ll need to comfortably furnish your house. And websites like JustDIYDecor.com take care of the ideas that you’d be searching for, to decorate your house. SmartSheer also helps control fading of your interior furniture and carpets from harmful UV rays by filtering out unwanted harmful portions of the UV spectrum. Commercial carpet cleaning has its set of challenges, and this task calls for professional cleaners who are certified to offer thorough services. Hiring rogue technicians may lead to numerous mistakes which could damage your carpet fibers. Using the right equipment and cleaners goes a long way to ensure that your carpet is clean. There are several mistakes you should be on the lookout for, whether you are hiring a cleaner or doing it yourself. The Carpet Cleaning Orlando provide best commercial and residential carpet cleaning service.

Using Wrong Spotting Agents

Stains are different and you need to use the right cleaning agent to get rid of them. If you use the wrong spotter, stains could stick to the carpet fibers rather than come up. Stains are grouped into different categories as per the Voted Best Carpet Cleaning Service in Knoxville. Paint, gum, oil, nail polish and adhesive stains need to be removed using a solvent. Others like coffee and tea need acidic agents. It is wise to familiarize yourself with different stain removal agents. A reputable technician will be in a position to advice you on the best products and methods to clean different stains.

Failing To Pretest Carpet Material

Carpet materials are different and it is wise to first pretest by using the cleaning solution on a small inconspicuous area of the carpet. This will enable you to check test whether it has a negative effect on the carpet fiber. Failing to pretest may cause discoloration, and the carpet could become seriously damaged. Pretesting is a simple process that could save you a lot. If the carpet is damaged, you may be forced to dye the carpet or replace it, both of which are expensive.

Applying Too Much Force

Being too aggressive, especially when removing spots, will cause more harm than good. Cleaning spots requires patience not force. You could damage the carpet fiber, causing that part of the carpet to appear worn out. Start by using a mild abrasive on the spot and then you can add the cleaning agent as you monitor the progress.

Failing To Identify Problem Areas

You need to assess the carpet before any cleaning can begin. Foot traffic is not the same for every part of the carpet, there are certain areas that tend to retain more dirt than others. Before thoroughly cleaning the entire carpet, you need to take care of these problem areas. In addition, ensure that you vacuum the entire carpet before you begin any deep or thorough cleaning.

Commercial furniture for a restaurant, lobby, hotel or other public venue that is aesthetically pleasing and comfortable can make a business more appealing to customers. Making customers and clients feel comfortable and impressed with the overall look of the room can lead to repeat business and a loyal client database. Here is the good site for furniture for office. The commercial grade furniture that is chosen for the design of an interior office or restaurant is important because it sets the tone and atmosphere inside the facility. It is important for a designer to analyze his or her clientele before choosing a design scheme for a public lobby, hotel, restaurant or facility. Modern commercial furniture is a good choice for progressive companies that are dealing with a younger clientele. This contemporary commercial furniture can create a hip yet sophisticated atmosphere that is appreciated by a younger crowd. The lobbies of many newer businesses that cater to younger clients may have modern and simplistic furniture. This furniture can also allow an area to feel bigger because it offers a simplistic approach. The accents such as coffee tables and side tables that are added to commercial lobby furniture can also provide a simplistic and aesthetically pleasing design to the room. Before purchasing commercial grade furniture, a designer or business owner should analyze the people that will be exposed to the furniture and why they are there. A hotel lobby can use contemporary commercial furniture in order to add a fun and trendy vibe. A doctor’s office waiting room, however, may want to look into commercial furniture suppliers that offer more toned down and comfortable furniture for their guests. When opening a business such as a hotel, restaurant or medical office, one of the biggest expenses for a new owner can be the commercial furniture. Commercial grade furniture is needed for lobbies, waiting rooms and dining rooms for many businesses. Buying bulk or wholesale can save business owners money on this large purchase but the new owners may need to shop around to find the best deals. A business owner should also make sure he or she is satisfied with the look, quality and comfort of the commercial furniture before purchasing it. He or she can save a lot of money by choosing timeless pieces that can be used for years to come. Modern furniture that will never be considered outdated is important for commercial lobby furniture and commercial dining furniture so that it does not need to be replaced. Researching different commercial furniture suppliers can be a great first step for those business owners looking into buying furniture for their dining rooms, offices, lobbies and waiting rooms. Restaurant commercial furniture and restaurant dining furniture can be the most important purchase for a new restaurant owner. Since this furniture sets the atmosphere and theme of the restaurant, it is important for an owner to pay close attention to the type, colors and material of furniture that he or she chooses for the dining room. Comfort is also much more important and the owner should focus on the comfort of the restaurant patrons. Commercial dining furniture can be the most important purchase for a restaurant owner because its comfort and stability can allow for a pleasant and comfortable dining experience for customers. Customers who enjoy the atmosphere of the dining area and are comfortable with the seating and tables are more likely to become repeat customers to the establishment.

To save money I recommend shopping for your household goods in the big cities of Ecuador like Quito or Guayaquil, prices tend to be cheaper and products easier to find compared to the smaller towns of Ecuador.

In fact, this week I was furnishing my place on the coast, shopping almost exclusively at the big-box stores of “Mi Comisariato” and “Supermaxi” here in Guayaquil. I did enquire about shops selling table saws in town, which wasn’t hard to find, but to narrow down to the best and reasonable ones in the lot was quite difficult.

This is what I paid this week so you can compare prices to your home country:

Pillows: $4.68
Small trash bin for bathroom: $8.33
Bed sheet set: $20
Bathroom rug: $8.05
Acrillic plates: $1.37 each
Full sized towel for bathroom: $11.16
Hand towel for bathroom: $3.39
Manual style juicer: $1.42
Family sized plastic pitcher: $3.03
Dish soap: $.80
Hangers: $.75 each
Toilet brush cleaner: $2.13
Glass cups: $.38 each
Sponge to clean bathrrom: $.34
5 person kitchen utensil set: $10.70
Kitchen knife: $2.40
Wooden Soup spoon: $1.78
Bathroom shower curtains: $8.03 each
Hand held mini umbrella: $3.56
Fan: $19.63
Gas Stove (with no gas cylinder): $33.92
Plastic dinner table for 4: $44.63
Plastic chairs for dinner table: $9.80 each
Gas cylinder: $50 (refills $2.50)
Queen size wood bed base: $40
New brand name Chaide y Chaide queen size bed cushion: $80

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I hear it all the time.

“Dom, I’d love to move to Ecuador, but how would I make a living?”

I often greet this question with a laugh, because there’s so many opportunities down here, the hard part isn’t finding one, it’s choosing which you’d like to run with.

I’d argue there’s even MORE opportunity for foreigners in Ecuador than Ecuadorians in Ecuador.

Why?

You’ve heard the saying “No one is a prophet in their own land?”

Well, it’s true, I’ve confirmed it in Ecuador, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, The Philippines and a few other countries over the last few years.

Hell, I’m not even “employed” in my own land, much less a prophet.

Down here, I’ve got two current gigs in the marketing department of Ecuador businesses.

And no, you don’t have to sell hot dogs, unless you want to.

You can find a job in what you do, as long as you’re willing to accept a little less than you’re used to Stateside… but it’s cheaper to live in Ecuador so for most it can even out. Money ain’t everything.

But for some, you’ll find you can make even more doing what you do in Ecuador than in your home country. Depends on the job.

So how would I find a job in Ecuador?

1. First, I’d get settled in by dedicating three months to just learning Spanish in one of the cheap language schools in Quito, Cuenca, or Guayaquil. I learned at the Galapagos School on Amazonas in Quito. It will add more value to your resume. Always add extra activities to your resume. To make you superior for a job. Prefer to create an effective resume to have more impact on the interviewer. You can also take support from build my resume for an attractive and creative resume.

You won’t get far in Ecuador without at least a conversational level of Spanish, luckily, Ecuador is one of the cheapest and easiest places to learn with classes starting around $6 an hour.

2. Then, identify what you want to do, and specifically with whom you’d like to work for, maybe with the aid of a local friend and a phone book (or Google).

3. Then, what’s worked for me in Ecuador, is to write and call the company directly via their website asking for the email or contact phone of the manager (or owner). You’d be VERY surprised how easily the “gatekeepers” in Ecuador will fork over their info. If nothing else, get their FULL NAME.

4. If all you get is the full name, then search the manager or owner on Facebook, almost everyone in Ecuador is on it, private message them directly with a brief note detailing who you are, what you’re looking for and why they should hire you (all in one paragraph).

The key here is to try to get in front of the main man of the business, you’ll be surprised how easy that is in Ecuador.

You could also try offering a free service to the target business, which will naturally make them curious about what they could pay you to do (don’t laugh, this has worked for me).

5. A more traditional route, and still effective one, would be to try one of the three main job search sites in Ecuador, loaded with new offers for employment daily, along with checking the Nashville legal recruiters updates, of course.
– Computrabajo.com.ec
– Porfinempleo.com
– Multitrabajos.com

All in all, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the demand to employ foreigners in Ecuador by companies who’d like to expand to new markets and how easy it is for foreigners to get past the “gatekeepers” of businesses in Ecuador.

It is what it is.

For instance, yesterday, I was talking to the owner of an upscale, 17 room hotel near Cotopaxi who is looking for a foreigner who can be his hotel administator, opening available immediately, offering $750 fixed salary monthly plus 4% commission of all sales. Not bad for Ecuador and a good way to get your foot in the door. Apply here.

As for a work visa… I’d get a job you like first… then worry about that, often your new employer can help.

Now, if all else fails you could just sell hot dogs, which I’ve seen to be a VERY interesting opportunity in a few parts of Ecuador.

Or, you could stop by my B&B in Guayaquil, I could help you orient your job search in Ecuador if I’m around.

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