Moving your business premises can be incredibly exciting, but the added stress of moving abroad can quickly up the ante. Whether it is for tax reasons, reduced set-up costs or otherwise, you will probably require some guidance when moving your base overseas. With so much to think about and consider, from export business licences to new tax laws, any tips that can make the move easier will be appreciated.
To help any company that is currently in the early stages of moving their office abroad, Blackthorne has put together some pointers for making sure your business move goes as smoothly as possible.
Organising the physical move
It may seem obvious but, one of your first priorities when planning to move a business abroad should be organising the physical move itself. Of course, depending on how far away you are moving, different modes of transport will be required.
Think about the things you have to take and what you can purchase new abroad to prevent the need for transportation. For example, office staples such as desks and chairs are much easier to purchase abroad whereas your IT equipment, such as your hard drives, is essential to come with you. Work with an equipment importer to make this process much simpler.
When you leave your old office you also need to make sure that you clear it in an environmentally friendly way. Many businesses are unaware that in some cases, you can actually be fined for leaving things behind and if your office clearance fails to fulfil your duty of care.
Working with experts
You are probably aware that importing and exporting requires your company to have a type of legal entity in the country of import/export to act as the government-required responsible party in conducting the export or import transactions.
One of the most simple ways you can make the whole move much easier is to work with an experienced Importer of Record (IOR). Shipping IT equipment abroad can be an extremely complex process with hardware being highly regulated, which is why you need to use an experienced IOR.
Simply put, the IOR is responsible for maintaining a paper trail and ensuring that all customs declarations are made, that goods are properly classified and that all duties, fees and levies are paid. They will handle all of your import/export compliance for you.
Understand your new market
If you are taking the plunge and making a move abroad you want to give your business the best chance of success. Don’t wait until you are in your new office to start reading about local business trends and getting to know your competition, start this before you even agree to the move.
Taking the time to understand the market you will be entering into is incredibly important. You should carry out extensive market research to help you ensure that your business will perform as well or better in your new office as it does now. Knowing what you are heading into will definitely make the move less stressful.
No matter what industry you are in, grasping a country’s layout, culture, and sensibility is essential if you want your business move to be successful. Bear these in mind while you move and you will have a very good chance.
How Blackthorne can help
Blackthorne can make your office move incredibly easy for you. We are a specialist one-stop overseas representation and logistics company with fanatical attention to detail on all matters of compliance. Not only can we provide you with Importer of Record and Exporter of Record services but we also handle export licensing and are legal entity and compliance specialists.
You can trust that wherever in the world you are moving to, our experienced team are conversant with all of the latest legislation and definitions making your move much less stressful. Working with a team like ours is a guaranteed way to make some of the most important aspects of your move as easy as possible.
