Jobs & Money Detail
There’s no place like Holmes
Mark Thornhill moved with his family to Celebration, Florida, two years ago. Was it the best thing he ever did? His answer to that question is: elementary my dear Watson!
We moved to the United States of America in early March of 2004 to assume ownership and management of Sherlock's of Celebration, a local tea and coffee house offering wine, beer and high end European pastries. We had watched numerous television programmes, drawing inspiration from others who had made the transition from the United Kingdom to America. It was our dream! We were members of the American Society in London, and we had close American friends and relationships.
I had commenced a University degree to be able to become part of the 'brain drain' to come to the USA to teach. It was then that I saw Sherlock's of Celebration, which had appeared in the BBC television show 'Escape to the Sun' with Nicky Chapman, for sale via a website.
I share ownership of our Celebration store and M&J Thornhill Enterprises Inc with my parents, John and Margaret Thornhill, my wife Penny and our two children aged 15 and 4.
My wife and I are the people that will normally greet you in the store, whilst my parents mainly care for the administration side of the business. However, the admin side is beginning to expand as our idea is to open other stores throughout Florida and the USA with the offer of licence stores or franchises. Originally my Parents were house managers for a private homes development in Kent. Penny was a leisure centre manager and I was a Police Officer serving in central London.
Emigration experiences
To qualify for a store in Disney's town of Celebration, Florida, we had to be financially vetted by Disney – The Celebration Corporation. We had to produce bank statements and financials for both families and had to attend an interview. This was a pivotal part of the purchase, if their where any 'skeletons in our cupboard' so to speak, then we would not have been able to move forward.
We then had to attend the interview at the embassy in London. Our advice is dress like an investor! Suit, briefcase, be punctual and polite. There is no guarantee that you will be granted a visa at any step. The waiting for the letter and interview can be incredibly stressful – ours took 20 weeks from start to finish, but be patient, as it is definitely worth the wait.
The move to America can be an easy one as long as you have 'all your ducks in a row.' Carefully select a visa agent who is attached to an attorney and proceed. I contacted mine on a daily or weekly basis and they where quick to respond. Once our visa was granted, it was time for the move. I would advise you to bring everything in a container, even electrical items; lamps can be rewired and items such as music systems and toasters can be powered by converters that you can purchase online. We had too many personal effects to be able to leave them behind, too many memories attached to most.
It was easier to book a 40-foot container (in our case as we had two homes to move) and have it delivered straight to the door both sides of the pond. You can only move this container in the USA on production of your given visa. What happens if you don't have a visa? The container gets turned around at your cost. I thought I had every box ticked. I was methodical and precise. But like most we have had our hiccups along the way. We all agreed from the beginning this was not going to be easy – economically and emotionally. Always ask when purchasing any business for the tax returns. Ask for the books by all means, but see if they can back it up with tax returns. Then show these to an American agent and or an accountant in the UK or, if you can, do both. If they are not prepared to show you the tax returns then my advice would be 'buyers beware!' Get yourself a good accountant – these people are priceless. They should help you through your daily workings, your sales tax, income taxes and end of year figures. Local word of mouth from other business owners was our method, we have a fantastic accountant and are incredibly thankful for her services. Moving to another country is akin to being dropped on another planet. It is a huge learning curve. You have to learn everything from scratch. Where do I go for a driving licence, health care, tax ID number, Social Security Number, work permits; all of which is second nature in your home country. Many people will offer you the advice; befriend them and be prepared to listen. I listen to all advice but don't necessarily action it.
One of our most trying times was getting the children to school. In Florida there is a blue form that has to be completed. It will show all your medical history and vaccinations. This has to be signed off by your new doctor or the local medical center to prove that the kids have had their shots. No shots – no school. So make sure you have brought your complete medical and dental history with you in that large container! We approached our doctor and he printed off and signed (ask for a signature to verify that the history is true and correct) all our families medical history, then do the same for your dentist.
Personally speaking
In our line of work, local residents expect you to be in the store when they arrive. They want to see you and socialise with you and trying to remember names can be fun. It's a personal touch that speaks volumes. It is amazing how much the takings can differ. I think that part of our success is down to the fact that we meet and greet and show the red carpet treatment to each and every visitor. We believe that Sherlock's has grown from strength to strength with our attention to detail and customer care. We now consider ourselves an integral part of the community. We live, work, play and educate our children here in Celebration and commit seven days of the week to Sherlock's.We introduced live music on the weekends – all supported through a network of local artists. The music varies from classical to smooth jazz which accompanies our large selection of over 80 different wines from all over the world and top quality beers from Europe (predominantly strong and flavourful Belgium and German ales). We now employ over 17 local community members within our payroll.
Do we have any regrets? None other than missing family members, but as we grow this side we are getting stronger, But thanks to the telephone and Internet we are always in touch. Not forgetting that you are securing them the best holidays which are an added bonus for them and us!
We would never have achieved our new standard of living within our chosen career paths in the UK. We were financially at our peak which was reflective in the housing and areas we chose to live in. You have to roll the dice and go with it. We live in a gorgeous house in a beautiful location – the sun shines on us daily. I would highly recommend the move. I would have hated to have been retired in the UK and wondered 'what if we had emigrated?' I am confident that for my family, this was best for us at our given time. People are friendlier, happier (the weather is a huge player in this equation) and more welcoming. It may not be right for some, but for us, I say – God Bless America!
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