Archive for the ‘Global Relocation’ Category

Three Questions to Ask When You Shop For Company Relocation Services

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

When you select a company to manage your relocation process, consider these important questions:

1. Will the relocation process be fully integrated and aligned with your company’s strategic approach?

2. Will that process also be customizable to meet transferees’ unique needs and situations and therefore ensure satisfaction at every level?

3. Is your company relocation services firm keeping your best interests—not just profit motives—in mind?

Some Hidden Costs of Global Relocation

Friday, June 10th, 2011

How exactly do we define a “hidden cost” of relocation? It’s not a non-disclosed cost buried in the supply chain—although those can be hidden and lead to surprise last-minute expenses if you don’t have a relocation services company looking out for your company’s best interests.

But the real hidden costs of global relocation lie in stressed-out transferees, lost productivity and even transferred employees who leave the company shortly after a relocation.

If you eliminate loss-on-sale benefits for transferred employees who own their own homes, how much stress are you creating for your employees? If you don’t offer spousal support, what will that do for the morale of your transferred employee? Stress leads to sick days, personal days and dissatisfied employees—all resulting in lost productivity and lost dollars for your company.

When you limit or eliminate moving expenses as part of a relocation package, how many more days will your employees need to line up moving companies, find the best prices or move themselves? How many days of productivity will this cost your organization?

Studies show a direct correlation between poor retention and changes in corporate global relocation policies. It costs much more (in real dollars, employee time and productivity) to hire and train a new employee than it does to retain a quality worker.

In today’s workplace, we know that every dollar counts. But before cutting costs by reducing benefits on employee relocation packages, make sure to measure the hidden costs of relocation.

Relocation Trends

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

One of the most recent trends in the contemporary world is the increase in the relocation records of people moving from one state to another. In the previous years until the present, more and more people are taking this imminent option. Hence, in order to understand why this pattern is inevitably a growing reality, it is imperative to explore the different reasons behind the move.

Job change is by far the top factor that influences decisions of moving overseas and relocating. In the midst of an ailing economy and the massive drop of industries which lead to unemployment and retrenchment from work, it would be a rare opportunity if you receive career promotions or advancement. Hence, no matter how hard moving from one place to another is, it is just a relatively small price to pay in comparison to getting a higher position or more incentives at work.

Most companies give compensation to employees who are willing to relocate to other branches or offices in different locations or state. There are also cases when you are given an entirely new and higher position such as a branch manager which inevitably requires you to relocate to be able to lead the new office or new staffs assigned to you. New job positions with increased pay is just one of the irresistible reasons why relocating makes sense both in financial and professional sense.

School enrollment is another factor which contributes in the decision of an individual or family to leave his old home or neighborhood and move to a totally different and foreign place or state. Sometimes college students are the only ones who temporarily move out of the house in order to pursue their tertiary or higher education. However, in some cases, the entire family opted to move overseas in order to cater to this pressing need. It may also be of great benefit if one or two of the parents find better job opportunities in the same place where they are sending their children to school.

Why Hire a Relocation Service?

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Moving internationally takes a great deal of planning; especially if this is your first time moving overseas. They say that in the course of a person’s life, he or she will move 11 times. Whether your reason is work-related or not, moving to another country to start a new life can be overwhelming.

When you move to another place, you usually bring your belongings with you. They make you feel good and make any new place feel like home. Some of those belongings are sentimental; some are necessities and some you are not sure why you even have anymore. Nevertheless, they are yours and now you have to figure out what to do with them. The best way to help you make sense of this task is to talk to and hire a professional international mover.

A professional international mover is someone who only does international shipments. They know what to do, how and when to do it. This professional international mover will be able to assist you in determining your volume, will take care of all the details behind the scenes, and will take good care of your belongings. The journey begins in your home in the US by packing your items (all of them, some of them or none of them), transporting your belongings, advising you about customs and delivering your belongings into your new home in your new country.

If this is your first time to live abroad, there are many questions you probably have regarding your belongings. What is the best way of transporting your possessions? How long does it take to get my belongings once they have been picked up? How far in advance should I place my order for pick up? Is packing included? Can I pack myself? What does packing cost? Do I need insurance? How much does insurance cost? What does insurance cover? Are there any items that are not allowed in my new destination country? Will I have to pay duties or taxes on the items I bring into the country? All of these questions can be answered by your international moving company.

The administration skill of the international mover you hire to manage your move from pick up to delivery will make your move successful. Understanding the structure of an International move will help you decide on the right international mover. There are many steps in the process to get your belongings from your home in the US to your new home in your new country.

Relocation 101: Signapore

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Moving to a new country is thrilling, but also challenging. Of course, it’s exciting to relocate to another place because of the unique society, landscapes, and community. It is fascinating to observe the many new things and take in the many new experiences you find in a new place.  Because every country is unique, there are always challenges when moving. Also, you get to experience the stress with moving away from your own country and becoming accustomed to a new place. Regardless of where you relocate, if it’s any area other than your own country, there are lots of things to do and remember before you make your move.

Even though Singapore only has about 4.4 million residents, the country has a huge tourism industry that is growing every year. Nearly one million people visit the country every year and some of those people decide that they would love to live there. People are impressed to move to Singapore because of the standard of living, climate and employment potential.

Singapore has very strong ties to the United Kingdom because it was originally a British colony. Singapore had one of the highest standards of living in 2009, as reported by Wikipedia. This is mainly because the country is now the fifth wealthiest country in the world due to its modern economy. The official languages of the country are English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. The Singapore dollar is their currency. The main religions of the country are Buddhism and Christianity.

Most of the economic activity in Singapore happens on the main island, but there are actually 62 islands that make up the whole country. The country used to depend on fishing for its economical welfare, but things have changed much in recent years due to technology. However, the country is still largely influenced by the many cultures it has been involved with – from the ancient Malays and Chinese to the British nation that they were a part of for many years.

If it’s your first time moving overseas, it is recommended that you make sure that you are going to like another country. It’s always a good idea to visit first and spend a few days in any new country to see if it meets your approval. If you are moving because of an employment move or opportunity, there should be a relocation advisor assigned to help you through the transition of moving. You will find alot of information from this expert.

Handling Your Pets When Moving Overseas

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

When you own a pet, you make a commitment to always take care of it. You make its health and well-being your responsibility. Some people may not take this responsibility seriously enough. Because of this, many pets become abandoned when circumstances intervene. One such circumstance is moving overseas. Many people just do not want the additional responsibility of moving pets overseas.

What you need to know is that your commitment to take care of your pet does not end because of your need to move overseas. If you aren’t prepared to take the extra trouble of moving your pet overseas, then you should not have gotten a pet in the first place.  However, you also need to know that moving pets overseas is not really a very complicated task. All you need is the will to go the extra mile and some tips to guide you:

1) See a veterinarian – before moving pets overseas, you need to make sure that they have no health problems. You should make an appointment with your veterinarian to have your pet examined for any diseases. This will help you make sure that your pet can really handle the stress of traveling.

More importantly, a visit to the vet will help you obtain the necessary documentation to bring pets into a foreign country. Do not, however, rely on the usual tests for the documentation. Some veterinarians may skip certain tests if they think those tests are unnecessary. What you need to do is to go to the USDA in order to get a list of the required certifications and tests to move your pets overseas.

2) Learn about the country – learn as much as you can about your pet’s destination. You need to learn about the policies of a country regarding pets. It is often the case that some countries will require your pets to be quarantined for about six moths. However, some countries are willing to forgo the quarantine period if you present the proper documentation.

By learning more about the policies of the country, you can make sure that the process of moving your pets overseas will be much smoother.

3) Hire a service – if handling the paperwork and taking care of all the details involved in moving pets overseas isn’t for you, then you should consider getting help. A good pet relocation service will help you take care of all the necessary stuff connected to moving your pets overseas. This includes the check-ups, the airport requirement, and others. A pet relocation service will also keep an eye on your pets and make sure that they are safe during travel. They can also give you a lot of help and advice on how to keep your pets comfortable when moving overseas.