Episode 6: How To Successfully Relocate Your Business and Begin Again

I am currently in the middle of a move so I understand how stressful and complicated things can get. Not only are you moving all your belongings but you’re leaving behind the community you’ve built, all the friends you’ve made and if you are a business owner, you’re faced with the task of relocating your business as well. Starting over in a new state is one thing, but Laura Lashmar moved to an entirely new country and decided to begin again as a business owner in a totally new place.

Relocating your business comes with its unique challenged, especially when you’re in a new country. Trying to figure out the new laws, making sure you get a handle on how you need to do your taxes, networking with people from a different culture-just to name a few. Feeling stressed out yet? Well Laura admits that the transition can sometimes be a bit bumpy but that there are definitely things you can do to help make the move go a little bit smoother.

In this episode, Laura and I chat all about defining professionalism for youself as a business owner, setting boundaries your yourself and your clients and acclimating your self to your new “normal” when you start working in a new place. Not only is Laura down to earth and lovely to talk to, she is a great example of how to roll with the punches and not take life too seriously.

How To Define Professionalism For Yourself:

When you become your own boss and make the transition out of the 9 to 5 world, the rules you’ve become used to on how to be a professional get a bit blurry. You can now make your own rules, set your own hours and decide how you want your days to be structured. That all sounds great but you still need to do business with other people and project credibility and professionalism for your company. Especially when moving your business to a new market, you want to make sure you put your best foot forward in a way that benefits your business and your image but is still true to yourself.

Laura agreed that making your own rules is great, but without some standards in place you can feel a bit like you’re just playing at being a business owner. Lara has found that networking with other professionals and business owners helped her find what standards of professionalism worked best for her. She says she doesn’t have to be in a suit everyday to feel like a professional, but she found a wardrobe that helps her feel legit without being too stuffy. She also mentioned that setting a routine for herself helped that transition from overly structured to total freedom a lot smoother.

Set Boundaries For Yourself & Your Clients:

Boundaries. We all need them but it can one of the hardest things to put in place. If you are going through a transition, taking on new clients, finding new ways to work with old clients or if you just can’t seem to say to to yourself or others…this is for you. We need systems in place that give us some kind of structure otherwise we will end up overworked, annoyed and burnt out.

Laura creates for herself a “good enough” list and an “excelling” list. If she gets through the “good enough” list then she knows she’s done a good day of work and she can be happy and satisfied stopping for the day. If she gets through the “excelling” list, then even better! This helps her feel satisfied with the work she’s done for the day and helps her not feel like she needs to be constantly working.

What helps Laura set boundries with clients is to set specific times for certain taks so that she’s in control of the situation. For example, one of Laura’s clients like to talk. a lot. She used to get stuck on the phone for way too long with him and so she finally started taking his calls while on the road where she knows she will have time to chat and have some free time to devote a little longer to the conversation.

Stop Saying Yes To Things You Don’t Really Want To Do:

Laura says that she saw this all the time with business that had been around for a few years. They started taking on projects just because they could, not because they really wanted to do them. Moving your business to a new location and a new market is a great time to reevaluate why you are taking on certain projects and if they are really what you want to be doing. In this transition you can really wipe the slate clean and realign yourself with your core values and the true purpose of your business. This way, you’ll stop saying yes to anything and everything and only take on projects that help your your business and move it forward.

Moving to a new place can be hard for anyone. The transition won’t always be perfect but implementing some of Laura’s suggestions can only help. The most important thing Laura said in this episode was that you have to give yourself a little grace when navigating this change. Give yourself some time to understand what the new “normal” is for you and your business. A good place to start is networking with those around and in your field so you so you can start to settle in and make your relocation a successful one.