With advances in technology, telecommunications, and transportation, the business world has gotten a whole lot smaller. Companies, once compelled to expand in geographic proximity to their corporate headquarters (because greater distance would strain management and communications), can now do business on a global scale. The global marketplace has become more reachable. For example, in 1936, DELAG Airline — the world’s first airline to use an aircraft in revenue service — offered passenger flights from Friedrichshafen, Germany to Lakehurst, NJ (4,000 miles) that took 53 to 78 hours westbound, and 43 to 61 hours eastbound. That made managing a far-away business challenging, especially without Internet, fluid phone service, or computers. Today, 80 years later, a direct flight from New York to Hong Kong (8,047 miles) takes only about 16 hours. Aviation, cell phones, Skype, computers, and the Cloud have all but erased many of the hindrances of doing business internationally… making the world a whole lot smaller. But, it could also be said that the business world has also gotten bigger. Global markets have multiplied business opportunities exponentially, and not just for mega multinational corporations. Opportunities to grow abound for even the smallest startups. In that sense, the business world has gotten exponentially bigger.
These changes have spurred companies to pursue opportunities wherever they may be. But, to expand globally, companies often must relocate at least some of its staff to their new locations to establish operations. For example, a mid-sized real estate developer based in New York might relocate two key managers to thriving Austin, Texas to start a team developing apartment complexes. Or a small nursing home operator in Chicago might relocate several of its staff to open facilities in Arizona, retirement capital of the U.S. Or a multinational restaurant chain based in Atlanta might relocate an entire team of managers to the Caribbean to expand its fast food dynasty to new markets. Whether across the country or across the world, relocation for work is not without its challenges. What are the main considerations for employer and employee alike? Continue reading →