Cyprus-Forum.com

[purdey]

Yes I just have !

[Svetlana]

I have yet to meet any British person, whom does not have a Cypriot relative, learn Greek. Many try, many start but they eventually give up.

[Tim Drayton]

From what I can gather the younger business people are the one's that are failing. The older one's (not many left) tend to be a bit more business savvy and have tried to fit into Cypriot business practices and have learnt the language.

Can any locals back this up?

I had a self-employed British carpenter round to do some work earlier this year. He was well past retirement age. The bloke spoke English with a thick Black Country accent. I was amazed when he took out his mobile to order some materials from a local supplier and switched into equally thick Cypriot dialect.

[Z4]

Yes I just have !

From Cumbria!

[purdey]

In Cumbria. With Cypriot Gt Grandparents, a father who had and has businesses in Cyprus for 60 years. Not forgetting my little stakeholds in Limassol and Nicosia that have been ticking over nicely for 23 years.
So maybe not sitting in the sun drinking Keo, but I have a fair idea what's happening. Plus I speak Greek !

[Z4]

In Cumbria. With Cypriot Gt Grandparents, a father who had and has businesses in Cyprus for 60 years. Not forgetting my little stakeholds in Limassol and Nicosia that have been ticking over nicely for 23 years.
So maybe not sitting in the sun drinking Keo, but I have a fair idea what's happening. Plus I speak Greek !

Fair enough

[Z4]

I have yet to meet any British person, whom does not have a Cypriot relative, learn Greek. Many try, many start but they eventually give up.

Hi Lana

Please tell which kind of businesses they fail in.

[sniper]

We're not from Uk, but from Zimbabwe. We had never learnt Greek before we came and found it really difficult here, so we all started Greek Lessons, not that our Greek is of an intellectual level now . My dad opened a mobile phone shop in Paphos and he is doing quite well and we did not have any contacts or friends to help with the verbal advertising. But i must say the main difficulties beside the language is information. A lot of information needed for business, or living is not readily available and easy to find.

[Me Ed]

You can also apply the "holiday head" theory to the charlies (British born cypriots) who can speak the language and have strong family connections in Cyprus, who go to Cyprus to make a go of it.

Usually it's females and some males that volunteer to do their 6 months army (or even GCs that left Cyprus years ago to go back with their families).

I'm not sure what the exact statistics are but I would say most do return to the UK, probably for the same reasons.

[Milo]

There are many British run business,s here in the East, many that have been going for years, one I know for over ten another for eight, both run by younger expats with families, another newly successful business is the 'red open top bus tours' with a Cypriot partner. Two who I know of that are running successful franchises both British both late fifties with plenty of money to start up. One new british franchise just opened this week with a start up cost of £100k, not young owners but expats with business 'savvy' This is operating in Paphos as well. A fairly new discounted chain of food items looking for more premises to keep up with demand. Another who has shares in a boat company now in its fifth year, I could keep going, these of course are one,s I know of.

Those who fail probably have never run a business before or did,nt take into account that to establish ones business in Cyprus would take some time, unlike UK. They would have failed no doubt in any country. Another killer has been the recession, again that could have happened wherever you chose to start a business.

My OH is self taught Greek and fluent in Farsi and a UK business owner of 30 years and who would never sunbathe finds being in business in Cyprus 'a walk in the park' compared to the UK. Now at the end of our third year, successfully. But of course we are only 'Brits' so what can you expect.

Being in a business other than your birth country is of course an everyday occurence, many do it and do it well. Our first shot lasted nearly 30 years I don,t expect this one to last that long not because of Cyprus though because in 30 years we will be over 80

The big boys of Europe now seeping into Cypriot society like Ikea and soon Lidl are also in a much bigger way proving successful and brought in by forward thinking Cypriot businessmen.

You still get the slower pace of life here though thats just the way it is although I know many want to challenge the laws on opening hours. In these days of air/con premises many newer business,s don,t want the long break at lunch anymore and still stay open till 7 or 8pm.