Knowing the Ropes

While all these factors make a strong case for setting up shop in Costa Rica, Mario acknowledges that having a partner in country facilitates the process. "Even with all of the advantages provided by the Costa Rican government, setting up a business would be difficult without someone local who knows the ropes," he said. As an example, he points out that the government still owns most of the utilities, and working through the bureaucracy to get your phone - wired or wireless - can take some time. "Unlike here in the States, you don't call the phone company and get set up," he said.

Workstyles are somewhat different, too. "It's not as common for folks to work out of their homes," Mario said. "Furthermore, broadband is not available in most homes, so even if we wanted someone to telework, it would be difficult."

In this regard, Morales points out that the Costa Rican government has undertaken major improvement projects in the telecom infrastructure so that companies can expect to get the services they need to conduct business.

In terms of recruitment, while there is lots of available talent, the recruiting business is still in its formative stage. Hiring is mostly done through recruitment ads - so you need someone locally who can manage the process.

To maintain communication and continuity with the development team, Mario spends time every other month in the Costa Rican office. Avantica also has several local clients and he spends time with them to help further the company's position as one of the country's leading software companies.

Avantica clients like to visit as well, either when a project is starting or at some point midway. The beauty and abundance of the country's outdoor activities are not lost on Avantica clients. "One client actually called to inquire if he could store his surfboard at the office so he would have it when he came down for meetings," Mario said. Today the surfboard is still there which just goes to show that Avantica clients like what they find in Costa Rica in more ways than one.

Avantica is on its way to building a strong presence in Silicon Valley for its software development capability with the resources of its highly skilled Costa Rican operation. While the Chaves brothers may not have set out to help boost Costa Rica's export trade, they certainly have done much to put the country on the global software map.

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