Have you moved your business? at DVinfo.net

James Stevens · January 19th, 2015, 02:23 PM

One of my aims is to quit the day job once I have enough weddings coming in, but a vague long term goal may be to relocate to an entirely different county, and I wondered what the process would be of moving your business. I would have thought it would be largely a matter of updating your website saying you are based in that new area, doing a lot of bridal shows or advertising in the intended new area, trying to get a few weddings booked there, and slowly scaling back your more local weddings, but I would imagine that it would take quite a long time to get a foothold in an entirely new area? How did you make ends meet during the transition time?

Robert Benda · January 19th, 2015, 02:41 PM

I am in the same boat. I have less than three years to get ready. Along with a webiste, vendor contacts and referrals are a life blood so I'm considering taking a few bookings where we want to move to. It can be a sort of working vacation, give us a chance to get a better sense if we really want to move there, and meet some new vendors, build a small referral base.

Hopefully.

Roger Gunkel · January 20th, 2015, 05:20 AM

We moved our business about 50 miles north of where we were, last July, from Cambridgeshire to Lincolnshire. It was in the middle of our busiest year ever and during the busiest week. Logistically it was a nightmare, but we pre warned clients that their wedding would take longer to edit than usual. Nobody had a problem with that, and the next job was changing all promotion material, numbers, address etc.

We also exhibited at as many wedding shows as possible in the new area, which has meant that much of the new work for this year and next is around the new area. We still have work which was booked a while ago from around the old area, some of it now 100 miles away. That will involve extra travelling time and fuel costs for those weddings, but only for a while. Interestingly, some of the weddings previously booked which were the furthest away, are actually nearer our new area.

Moving to a new county for you, could be a lot further than we moved, but you could always book a Travelodge for the night or even sleep in the car if necessary. I find that weddings don't tend to be booked more than about a year ahead and many at much shorter notice, so the disruption will be fairly short lived.

Roger

George Kilroy · January 20th, 2015, 11:14 AM

I've removed my post as I hadn't read James' question properly and mine was an irrelevant answer.

Roger Gunkel · January 20th, 2015, 01:55 PM

Hi George, I think he said County not Country :-)

Roger

George Kilroy · January 20th, 2015, 02:08 PM

Thanks Roger, missed that. I thought that was a big move for someone at a start up stage. I must be loosing my English language quicker than I realised.

January 19th, 2015, 02:23 PM	#1
James Stevens Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Dudley, West Midlands Posts: 25	Have you moved your business? One of my aims is to quit the day job once I have enough weddings coming in, but a vague long term goal may be to relocate to an entirely different county, and I wondered what the process would be of moving your business. I would have thought it would be largely a matter of updating your website saying you are based in that new area, doing a lot of bridal shows or advertising in the intended new area, trying to get a few weddings booked there, and slowly scaling back your more local weddings, but I would imagine that it would take quite a long time to get a foothold in an entirely new area? How did you make ends meet during the transition time?

January 19th, 2015, 02:41 PM	#2
Robert Benda Trustee Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Crookston, MN Posts: 1,353	Re: Have you moved your business? I am in the same boat. I have less than three years to get ready. Along with a webiste, vendor contacts and referrals are a life blood so I'm considering taking a few bookings where we want to move to. It can be a sort of working vacation, give us a chance to get a better sense if we really want to move there, and meet some new vendors, build a small referral base. Hopefully.

January 20th, 2015, 05:20 AM	#3
Roger Gunkel Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: LIncolnshire, UK Posts: 2,213	Re: Have you moved your business? We moved our business about 50 miles north of where we were, last July, from Cambridgeshire to Lincolnshire. It was in the middle of our busiest year ever and during the busiest week. Logistically it was a nightmare, but we pre warned clients that their wedding would take longer to edit than usual. Nobody had a problem with that, and the next job was changing all promotion material, numbers, address etc. We also exhibited at as many wedding shows as possible in the new area, which has meant that much of the new work for this year and next is around the new area. We still have work which was booked a while ago from around the old area, some of it now 100 miles away. That will involve extra travelling time and fuel costs for those weddings, but only for a while. Interestingly, some of the weddings previously booked which were the furthest away, are actually nearer our new area. Moving to a new county for you, could be a lot further than we moved, but you could always book a Travelodge for the night or even sleep in the car if necessary. I find that weddings don't tend to be booked more than about a year ahead and many at much shorter notice, so the disruption will be fairly short lived. Roger

January 20th, 2015, 11:14 AM	#4
George Kilroy Major Player Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Midlands UK Posts: 699	Re: Have you moved your business? I've removed my post as I hadn't read James' question properly and mine was an irrelevant answer. Last edited by George Kilroy; January 20th, 2015 at 02:10 PM. Reason: Not paying attention to the question.

January 20th, 2015, 01:55 PM	#5
Roger Gunkel Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: LIncolnshire, UK Posts: 2,213	Re: Have you moved your business? Hi George, I think he said County not Country :-) Roger

January 20th, 2015, 02:08 PM	#6
George Kilroy Major Player Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Midlands UK Posts: 699	Re: Have you moved your business? Thanks Roger, missed that. I thought that was a big move for someone at a start up stage. I must be loosing my English language quicker than I realised.