Heading South – More entrepreneurs discover Latin America
Jon Morris, chief executive officer of Rise Interactive, a 15-person Internet advertising company in Chicago, shifted his outsourced design and Web development staff from India to Costa Rica in 2005. He still attracted highly skilled computer people for far lower salaries than he would pay in the U.S. And he no longer has to deal with the 11 1/2-hour time difference between India and the Chicago offices of his $2.5 million company. Now Morris is hiring full-time staff there, including senior account executives. “It’s been great on so many levels,” says Morris. “It’s the quality of work, the lack of a time zone difference, the proximity. I’m beyond ecstatic.” In my latest book I complained about the fact that Europe does not see Latin Americas (LATAM) as a good marketplace. I have and will build a business where LATAM is a major part of. No question about it!