Setup · Development · Operations

Start, buy, or sell a business in Costa Rica.

One bilingual team handles the setup, permits, paperwork and day-to-day operations, so you deal with one point of contact instead of five vendors. Whether you're opening something new, buying a business that already runs, or getting ready to sell.

Costa Rica doesn't run like the US. Cash-basis books, different labor law, a civil-code legal system. None of it is a dealbreaker when someone who's been through it shows you the way.

StartBuySellSetupOperations

Small business? You're in the right place. SMALL BIZ

Not every client is a corporation. We've worked with family shops, couples, and small family operations moving down to open their own place. Some come to slow down and enjoy retirement with a business of their own. Same straight answers and the same care, sized to your budget.

Text the team

We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential.

Startcompany, permits and paperwork, set up right

Buy / Selldiligence, valuation, negotiation and transfer

EN / ESfully bilingual, on site and on paper

1 contactfor the lawyers, CPAs, lenders and crews

Case study · Puravida Self Storage

From bare land to open doors.

We built Puravida Self Storage from bare land to open doors. We handled the admin setup, ran the marketing, and still run it day to day.

We can do it for your business too.

Aerial view of Puravida Self Storage in Costa Rica

Who we help

Start it. Buy it. Sell it. Run it.

Most of our work is for people setting up a business in Costa Rica: starting from scratch, buying one that already runs, or selling the one they built.

Start

Starting a business

Entity, registrations, permits, payroll and someone on the ground who picks up the phone. We set up the company and keep the back office compliant.

Restaurants & retailTourismService businessesUS companies opening here

Buy

Buying a business

Buying a hotel, café, tour operator or rental portfolio? We check the books, leases and permits before you wire anything, then handle the transfer.

Due diligenceNegotiationTransferFinancing

Owners ready to sell

Valuation, buyer marketing, negotiation and transfer, run by someone who knows what a buyer will check.

Already here and stuck

Messy books, missing registrations or a stalled project. We find the gaps and fix them.

Construction & build-outs

When your business needs a build-out or new space, we plan, budget and oversee it as part of the setup.

Text the team

We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential.

Four phases

Evaluate. Set up. Operate. Exit.

One team for the whole life of the business. Start at any phase. Each one gets a written, fixed-fee scope before work begins.

PHASE 01

Evaluate

Feasibility study: market, costs, permits, staffing, break-even
Buy-side review of a target business
Pro forma and investor package
Site selection and due diligence

PHASE 02

Set up

Company formation and structure
Hacienda, CCSS, patente and permits
Financing placement with private lenders
Import of equipment and materials
Construction & build-outs, when needed

PHASE 03

Operate

Bookkeeping and monthly tax filings
CCSS, Hacienda and corporate compliance
Government reporting
Monthly owner report in plain English

PHASE 04

Exit

Valuation of the business or asset
Sell-side listing and buyer marketing
Negotiation and closing
Transfer of the company

Every deal is priced individually.Government fees and third-party costs billed at cost.Every commission disclosed in writing.

Text the team

We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential.

One point of contact

You call one person. We manage everyone else.

The right specialist for each piece, one schedule, one plan, one invoice. You deal with us; we deal with everyone else.

Attorneyentities, contracts, diligence

Youowner or investor

CPA firmspremium or local tier

Lendersprivate financing

Our teamone bilingual point of contact

Importfreight and customs

HR advisorslabor law, payroll

Constructioncrews our team oversees

AgenciesHacienda, CCSS, municipality

How it runs

Free consultation call30 minutes with our team. Your goal, your budget, your timeline.
Written scope and fixed feeDeliverables, schedule and exclusions in writing, usually within 48 hours.
We assign the workOur team plus the right subcontractor tier for your budget.
We manage the subsOne schedule, one point of contact, one invoice. You never chase five vendors.
Handoff to the next phaseFeasibility to build, build to monthly back office, and eventually to exit.

Text the team

We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential.

Why us

Operators, not a brochure.

We set up, run and sell businesses here ourselves. We do the numbers, deal with the agencies and write the reports you'll actually read.

25+years

Construction and development

Commercial and development work in the US and Costa Rica.

2states

Unlimited commercial GC licenses

Florida and Arkansas. US-standard scheduling, cost control and documentation.

EN/ ES

Fully bilingual

Contracts, government notices, crews and suppliers. Nothing lost in translation.

Crews

Large Costa Rican crews managed

Our team has run big local crews on the job site, not from a desk in the States.

In-house

Pro formas and feasibility

Our team builds the pro formas, feasibility studies and investor packages in-house.

Real estate

Guanacaste market know-how

Previously owned the Coldwell Banker office in Guanacaste, so we know the local property and commercial real estate market from the inside.

SECReg A

Taking companies public

Our team has taken companies public through the SEC under Regulation A and alternative financing, so we know investor-ready reporting firsthand.

Bench

Attorney and CPA partners

Licensed legal and accounting firms, managed by us, handle and sign the regulated work.

Truth before money.

If the numbers don't work, we'll tell you not to do the deal. A feasibility study that says "don't" costs a lot less than a business that never breaks even.

Text the team

We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential.

What it takes to open here

The paperwork between you and opening day.

A typical setup checklist. Most people try to do it themselves and lose months. We run every line and tell you who signs what.

Form the company

Sociedad (S.R.L. or S.A.) registered with the Registro Nacional.

Attorney

Register with Hacienda

Tax registration, VAT and monthly filings.

CPA

Employer registration with the CCSS

The "Caja": social security for every employee.

HR · CPA

Workers' comp policy with INS

Required before anyone starts work.

Health operating permit

Ministerio de Salud, for food, lodging and most operations.

Attorney

Municipal patente

The local business license from your municipality.

Attorney

Construction permits

Approved plans and a municipal building permit for any build-out or new construction.

CONSTRUCTION · OUR TEAM

Contracts and leases

Leases, supplier and employment contracts in Spanish, explained in English.

Attorney

Import and customs

Equipment, inventory and materials shipped and cleared.

Import partner

Requirements depend on the project and change often.

We confirm the current rules for your project with our attorney and CPA partners before you spend a dollar.

Text the team

We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential.

Pricing

Clear prices. Quoted before we start.

Every engagement gets a written, fixed-price scope. Prices in US dollars.

Every deal is different, so every deal is priced individually. Book a free call for a quote.

Monthly back office · Operate phase

Essentials

Bookkeeping and monthly tax filings
CCSS and Hacienda compliance
Quarterly owner call

Local CPA firm

Project and one-time services Priced per project

Strategy session90 minutes on your project or a deal you're looking at. Credited toward any engagement.

Feasibility studyMarket, site, costs, permits, staffing, pro forma and break-even, in a written report.

Business setupCompany, registrations, permits and contracts. Government fees at cost.

Financing placementPlacement with private lenders. Commission disclosed in writing.

Buyer representationSearch, due diligence and negotiation for a business purchase.

Selling your businessValuation, listing, buyer marketing and closing.

Construction & build-outsWhen your business needs them: planning, budgeting, contractor selection and oversight.

Government fees and third-party costs are billed at cost. Subcontracted work is shown as one price. Any financing or brokerage commission is disclosed to you in writing before you sign.

Text the team

We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential.

FAQ

Straight answers.

Don't see your question? Text the team. You'll get a real answer from a real person.

30 minutes by video or phone with our team. We talk through your goal, budget and timeline, and you leave knowing whether the idea makes sense and what the next step is. Usually that's a paid strategy session or a feasibility study. No charge, no pressure.

Generally, yes. Foreigners can own 100% of a Costa Rican sociedad. The right structure (S.R.L. or S.A., and whether a US entity sits above it) depends on your situation, and our attorney partner makes that recommendation.

No. We are not a law firm or accounting firm. Legal and tax work is done by licensed attorney and CPA firms that we manage, so you get one plan and one point of contact without giving up professional sign-off.

No. Many clients run their project from the US. First calls happen over video before anyone flies down, and our monthly back office keeps filings, books and compliance current while you're away.

We work with private lenders and can place loans for qualified buyers and owners. Approval is up to the lender; we don't guarantee it. Any commission we earn is disclosed in writing.

Yes. We have relationships with banks in Costa Rica and abroad, including options in low- and no-tax countries, and can introduce you to the right ones for holding and moving your money internationally. Account approval is up to each bank, and how it affects your taxes depends on your situation, so the licensed CPA and attorney we work with review it with you before you open anything.

No. You run your team and your customers. Our monthly service covers the back office: accounting, tax filings, legal and corporate compliance, government reporting and a plain-English owner report.

We don't give immigration advice. We refer you to an immigration attorney and coordinate with them so your business and residency plans line up.

Yes. We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential. Your details are used only to prepare for and follow up on your call.

Text the team

We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential.

Free · 30 minutes · No pressure

Tell us what you're planning. Get a straight answer.

Answer a few quick questions (about a minute) and our team comes to the call already knowing your plans.

Text the team

We never sell or share your information. Every conversation is confidential.

Prefer to text? +1 479-653-3452