By Amanda Barnes for the Mendoza Sun
Mendoza has a tendency to attract travellers for its laid back charm and easy going lifestyle, but the city is also becoming home to a growing number of international businesses for its cheaper outsourcing opportunities making start-ups more viable.
Simon Dean is one such expat who is discovering the benefits of working for international companies while using local talent and basing himself in the rather agreeable city of Mendoza. Originally he moved to Buenos Aires for a change of lifestyle from the non-stop work culture that dominates London’s city. However after a couple weeks in the Argentine capital, he found that it was just another big city, and moved to Mendoza instead.
“I think I have city fatigue actually,” says Simon as we meet for a coffee to talk about living and working in Mendoza. “Mendoza has something a bit special - it is like a overgrown village with some big city things, it has a ‘scene’. And catching the Andes out of your window every morning is very humbling!”
Simon started to work for a UK based company, Drip Couture, which has recently launched an innovative plastic marketing tool and drip catcher for wine bottles. “It’s quite an ingenious little thing,” says Simon. “The difference is that this has two purposes- in one hand it’s a messaging device and in the other it’s a drip catcher. This means a brand’s message stays on the bottle for longer, offering more visibility than standard old neck collars.” 
Outsourcing part of the work to Mendoza has created new opportunities and using local talent to make their website has been much more cost effective than it would have been in the UK – an important factor for a start-up.
“In England it would have cost lots of money, here it is really cheap comparatively – about a fifth of the price,” Simon says about designing the website. “I think it’s a winning combination, if you can use local people here it is much cheaper than London.” Costing is, of course, a vital aspect for most new companies.
“When I was working in London we had quite a few start-ups walking through the door, but it’s difficult because they don’t have much money. Normally start-ups have to go by hook or by crook to get their brand in order. Using more affordable local resourcing, which still looks good, we have been able to make all our marketing materials here quite quickly and affordably and that has given us a great head start.”
However the benefits of working in the Argentinean wine capital are not just financial. Naturally in a key wine producing area, a company like Drip Couture has more opportunities for expansion; and the links between an important wine producing and wine consuming country are mutually beneficial.
One local company to take a keen interest in the drip catcher is Wines of Argentina. “Wines of Argentina were the first business to adopt it and use it, for their World Malbec Day on 17 April,” Simon told me. The company, which represents Argentine wineries abroad, used it to promote Argentine malbecs across wine stores in London in April. “They have certainly been an enabler and pioneer, they have been a great supporter of Drip Couture.”
“In the US, Argentine wine is quite well known,” says Simon, “but in Europe it is very much up and coming. Argentina’s adoption of Drip Couture in the European market helps to present them as a forward thinking wine country, with innovation very much at heart. From a brand perspective, there’s definitely a good fit between Drip Couture and Argentina.”
“Working in Argentina has allowed us to create a brand image that we are very happy with and that has been invaluable,” adds Simon. In response to asking what might be the difficulties of outsourcing to a different country, Simon feels that actually the difficulties are relatively limited.
“In London, you live and die on your last job and standards have to be high all the time. Here, the market is simply not that evolved, and sometimes you really have to push for perfection,” he admits, but adds that with clear communication and objectives, the standards can be met. “Even though I have seen some dodgy translations here, I find that everyone speaks English. I think there’s lots of opportunity to outsource design and websites, I don’t see language as a barrier.”
Besides the benefits of working with a foreign company, and currency, where everything can stretch a little further here; Simon is finding that the quality of life in Mendoza is a big advantage.
“The uniting thing here is that I have found that people are very welcoming,” he says. “They are really keen to reach out and offer you stuff. For me, the biggest difference here is family and how much time everyone spends together. I enjoy the big family get-togethers and they always welcome you in too!”
But of course you cannot enjoy an eight hour Argentine asado unless you have the time… “The biggest thing for me is that I have more free time than ever before,” he says. “The pressure has actually been to take advantage to of this free time!” Simon enjoys practicing different sports such as capoeira, ju jitsu and yoga, visiting the mountains and working on his photography in his ample spare time. He compares the change of life style to enjoying your retirement throughout your life rather than just saving it all for the end of your life when you might be less physically able to enjoy it.
“I am getting out of the London mentality where it is good to work many hours, and starting to have more free time,” he added. “I just feel I am starting to say yes to more things – it’s good to have the time and the freedom to say yes!”
Simon Dean is Brand Director for Drip Couture, www.dripcouture.com and also works a freelance Creative Brand Strategist and Copywriter, www.simonjamesdean.com
Amanda Barnes is a freelance writer currently living in Mendoza.
For more information, visit www.amandabarnes.co.uk or click here to see her profile.
