Relocating to the Capital City made easier with seven simple steps
Guest post by Sara Bryant
Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, moving to London can provide you with a huge range of new opportunities. There are many things that you need to consider before you make the decision. So here’s a guide for how to relocate your business to London.
#1 | Be careful with the costs
One thing that you need to understand about moving to London is that it cannot be something that comes at any cost. Relocating your business anywhere is an expensive venture, but London is one of the priciest cities in the world, so you need to be very careful with the money involved. Carry out thorough checks to work out exactly what you are going to need to pay to get everything done. If it turns out that it’s going to be too expensive to do it, you shouldn’t try to continue with the plan – there may well be better used for the money.
Pic by pixabay.com
#2 | Pick the right part of London
Many businesses would love to move to London to take advantage of the prestige that comes with the address as well as access to a huge market and the best talent in the world. But while opening up in ‘London’ might be the objective, you need to think smaller. Whereabouts in London are you going to move to? North and west of the centre are undoubtedly the most renowned and esteemed, but this is also the most expensive area.
You’ll also need to consider aspects such as transport links – how easy will it be for your staff to get in to work and for clients to visit your office? In many parts of the capital parking comes at a real premium, so it’s often best to get an office that’s close to a tube station.
Pic by pixabay.com
#3 | Understand which members of staff that can come with you
Relocating your business might be great for customers and may help you attract new clients, but it can also give you the problem that you’ll lose some of your staff. Not every member of your team will be able to work in London – and even some of those who are willing to commute may find that they don’t enjoy it and leave later. That’s why you need to have long and frank discussions with your whole team to understand which skills you will be losing and who you will need to replace with recruitment. This is another expense that you’ll need to factor into your moving costs.
#4 | Work with freelancers
To plug that gap in your skills it can be a good idea to work with freelancers when you first make the move to London. This means that your business can still operate properly but also gives you more time to recruit a member of staff that you need.
#5 | Prepare for a smaller office space
As we have mentioned before: London is expensive. That means that space comes at a premium, so you may need to prepare to work from a smaller office space than what you could afford elsewhere. That means that you will need to get creative with seating arrangements as well as issues such as storage. Consider any possible ways that you can save space. Take the example of a server. It might be the case that you have always had your own server, but can you make use of the cloud and have your server off site.
#6 | Work with a moving company experienced in London
When it comes to the actual move of the office, you need to work with a moving company that has experience in performing deliveries in London. Having the knowledge and expertise to navigate the city will make a big difference and should ensure that your day runs as smoothly as possible. Don’t use the cheapest option as this will inevitably be a false economy, and you may end up paying a lot more money if the job overruns. There are plenty of high quality moving businesses available, so do a little research and you will be fine.
#7 | Make use of your new surroundings
London is a truly bustling and vibrant city, and it is undoubtedly the business capital of the UK. So if you’re moving here you need to take advantage of this as soon as possible. Get your name and your branding out there by attending trade fairs and other seminars.
A bit about Sara
Sara Bryant is a city girl with a keen interest in business matters, and over a decade of experience in writing about them. Special thanks to Wellden Turnbull Chartered Accountants the info in this post.
