Jobs & Money Detail
Business start up in Nova Scotia
Mike and Orla Wilson moved to Canada and set up a business. Here, they describe the experience and offer their insights to others
Our emigration journey lasted three years. We applied for a Skilled Worker visa in March 2003 and received it in August 2004. We moved to just outside Halifax, Nova Scotia in May 2005, and there were plenty of ups and downs along the way.
Our plans were to set up a settlement agency that did not depend on real estate, and would directly assist UK residents who were moving to NS. We felt we had the experience as we had built our own home and had made fantastic contacts within the Halifax business community. Settlement in a province is an arduous process and any help, especially when there is a gap in the market for settlement services, is of great value. Nova Scotia is experiencing growing numbers from the UK and has received a better press and awareness in the emigration marketplace, so we feel the need for such a service is clear.
Vision
Throughout our process we encountered many obstacles. Real time, accurate information was exceedingly difficult to source. Advice and support on building our new life in Nova Scotia was virtually non existent. It was obvious there was a huge market gap for new UK immigrants. The birth of our new company vision began in 2003! We set about formulating our vision for a settlement company that would appeal to clients from the UK. Studying the marketplace, we wanted to treat settlement services as its own entity: A service to fill the gap. In order to provide a personal service, it was vital to comprehend clients' different needs.
Start up
Once the 'shock' of relocating had subsided we registered our company name and became incorporated which was straightforward. We then approached our bank to finance our anticipated start up costs. With a business plan to hand and enthusiasm aplenty we put our vision to the bank's business manager. No problem! Everything was working out.
Brand
We approached several designers to create our brand. We soon realised design quality varies greatly and had to start again as initial results were very poor. Fortunately we chose well second time around and Move2 NovaScotia started taking form.
Content
We approached various types of companies that emigrants would use during their process; shipping, car hire, car purchase, insurance etc. Negotiating discounts or dedicated processes proved difficult at first; however we started to see results and eventually formulated a package that really worked. Most people who move to Nova Scotia wish to purchase a new home. We wanted to be confident that the realtor we used was the finest in the marketplace. With 900 realtors in Halifax alone, the choice is staggering. Using our contacts within the Chamber of Commerce, we explored the top-selling realtors within the Province. One realtor stood out from the crowd; we met and secured his services. At last we were up and running.
Hurdles
Although welcomed by most businesses we obviously had competition. Establishing a unique service with first hand experience and a dedicated service for the UK was our goal. In Nova Scotia things get done on a face-to-face basis. We discovered that treating companies with respect and professionalism has always been reciprocated 100 per cent.
Finishing touches
The last piece of the jigsaw was partnering with one of the big banks. HSBC are the only UK high street bank with branches in Halifax and we knew that the appeal of this would be crucial. We went right to the top and put a proposal for a dedicated service for Nova Scotia. The response was fantastic. In no time we had the contacts and processes ironed out to make it work.
Sandown
We had now been living in Nova Scotia for six months; now came the big test; Emigrate 2005 at Sandown. What a show! We met some fantastic people, had a great time and now Move2NovaScotia can embrace the future with confidence as a free settlement service provider for Nova Scotia.
General reflections thus far
There has been an appreciation on the part of the business community, government and the general populace of the need for new blood in the province and generally we have had a very warm and encouraging welcome. Business especially has been very encouraging; everything seems to be done on a face-to-face basis with a good amount of flexibility. There are definite skill shortages and hunting down the expertise for certain ventures has been hard. Of course, we have encountered vested interests and come across brick walls. Our biggest disappointment has been the antagonism within a minority of the expat community and from vested interests within the government. There is definitely a feeling that anything and everything is possible.
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