Moving you (and your business) to another country?

[HC_Charlie]

With just a few weeks to go until the election in the United States, I've been wondering very seriously if potentially the "grass is greener" living in another country?! Maybe I'm too much of a pessimist or doomsday thinker, but I wonder what it would be like to live in a country that didn't have so much political drama. Maybe it would be better if I didn't absorb so much news and current events?,...

So I'm just wondering if anyone has experience moving themselves and their business to another country. I just started reading about some requirements, and it seems daunting to even begin to think about it, but I can't help worrying about how life in the U.S.A will evolve in the coming years because America seems so divided. I don't want to start any political debates here, just curious and wondering about any experiences other Square Sellers may have in starting life in another country.

[BrianaJo]

I've wondered this too, but usually in the context of moving the business to another state. If I could feel confident moving to or even opening a second location in a different state then I think moving to another country wouldn't be that much more difficult. Every place has it's own paperwork, laws, regulations, on Federal, State, County, and City levels. We did it once, to open the business we currently have, so I don't know why doing it again feels so daunting.

[tranguyen]

Hey @HC_Charlie! I think this is something that I've seen many folks express or share online, so you are definitely not alone in thinking about moving abroad ❤️

Hopefully other business owners will chime in to share their experience moving their businesses but I thought I'd offer my personal experience, as someone who has been moving around a lot since I was 12 and been living on my own in a different country since I was 17. There are going to be good and bad things regardless of where you are living — there is no perfect country! I think it's the question of whether the goods of the destination you have in mind outweigh the bad, and if those perceived goods are also materially and realistically better than the perks of where you are living.

I imagine it'll be doubly hard when you are moving your business as well, since you are not only needing to rebuild your personal support network, you also have to build your customer base from scratch again while getting used to a new way of doing businesses. Like @BrianaJo said, every place comes with its own set of regulations, paperwork, business registration, banking processes, etc. so it can take a while to set everything up again and require a lot of investment up front. Not to mention you also will need to navigate the housing market, finding new healthcare provider, setting up insurance, etc. for yourself too. 

I hope this was somewhat helpful, and that you'll land on the right decision that is best for you and your business ❤️

[DinaLRosenberg]

For now I'm pretty happy in New York State but I have never felt any other way about being in a place like I do about Paris....  It has the vibe/snobbery like NYC but you can actually stop and have a coffee and not rush your face off. It would also be a DREAM to not pay $1000 a month per employee for health insurance... 

Other than that- no other advice but- I feel ya totally.