Panama: On Holidays and Hope - Gail Geerling, Success in Central America

On Holidays and Hope

All over Panama, on any given day, the message of hope repeats itself on the lips of foreign expats: “I hope the contract gets here in time to complete it before I leave”… “I hope the attorney gets me those papers in time”… “Oh, I really hope it doesn’t take all afternoon at the bank this time”…

For first time visitors the hope is slightly varied, though equally improbable: “I hope we can fit in everything on our list of appointments in three days”… “I hope we can set up our business over this weekend before we leave"…and so on.

I realize that avid followers of the Law of Attraction are going to tell me I’m all wet, and that by simply having the firm conviction that these things are possible the pieces will fall into place and all will be a giant success. However, I’ve watched for many years as Central America has defeated a long string of even the most avid of positive thinkers.

The reality is that most foreign visitors intending to invest in property or set up a business here encounter a lifestyle and mindset so diametrically opposed to their own that it takes their first three days in the region just to begin to understand. Appointments in the first world are set, both parties show up, and business is transacted. It’s quite simple and straightforward. If one or the other is even a few minutes late, apologies are made and the meeting is quickly and effectively accomplished. Follow up is almost certain, from both parties. Not so, however, in Central America…

Business challenges

I currently live in Panama, where, during the months of November, December, and the first portion of January one runs into so many national holidays that getting any form of business accomplished becomes like moving the mountain to Mohammed- one small pebble at a time. In Nicaragua, where I still have a home, the same applies to the month of September. Sometimes it seems as if there are more holidays than actual working days!

Take a Type AAA personality and throw her into a region where work is simply what you do in order to get to the next holiday, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. So I’ve learned a few things along the way, which I pass on to each of my clients:

1) If you are visiting a Central American country, find out if your visit falls on a holiday, or in a holiday week. Often three days of holiday will be scheduled in the middle of a week, thus ensuring that nothing gets done Monday or Friday and the country is, for all intents and purposes, shut down for the week. For Panama, it’s sometimes helpful to check the following website (http://www.qppstudio.net/publicholidays2009/panama.htm); however, understand that dates can be added or changed at the last minute.

2) Wherever possible, do not schedule a visit for handling business or for purchasing real estate in Panama during a holiday week. Not only will you find most offices such as attorneys, banks, and government registries closed, you will find it difficult to receive the follow up you need after returning home. Business is begun and completed face to face, and if you miss the initial face to face meeting you will not likely get what you need.

3) Understand that a tight schedule chock full of appointments is not likely to work in Central America. Appointments are rarely kept on time, and sometimes forgotten. If something perceived to be more pressing comes up at the moment, your appointment may be shifted and you may not be told until you arrive… or, indeed, until you have been sitting in a waiting area for thirty minutes.

4) Confirm by phone before setting out to your appointments. I often purchase a small cell phone and a number of minutes’ use for my clients, for around $20. It’s worth the expense many times over, in time saved.

5) Work with reliable professionals on the ground, who understand that your time is valuable, and who can follow up for you when you leave.

6) Be prepared by asking what paperwork might be needed before you arrive, and bring it with you.

Don’t live in hope or frustration. Be patient, and do the best you can to prepare ahead of time by following the tips above. These tips aren’t foolproof, but they’ll make your life a bit easier and increase your chances of success.

Oh, and one more thing…

Bring a book to read while you’re waiting.

Gail Geerling

Gail has lived nearly fifteen years in Central America, managing and consulting for real estate development projects in Belize, the Bay Islands of Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Her ‘Success in Central America’ program teaches some of the most valuable insights gleaned during her time in the region, giving her clients the ability to choose a clear direction forward and follow through to their own success.