Moving Your Small Business to a Different State

One of the perks of being a small business owner is relocating your business to another state if you choose. The steps to successfully moving the company depend upon the organizational structure.

Moving a Sole Proprietorship

Moving a sole proprietorship to another state is generally straightforward:

1. You’ll register your new business as DBA (doing business as) in your new location.

2. Depending on the site, you’ll register with the local county clerk or the state.

3. Once you’ve registered in your new area, you’ll cancel your registration in your old state.

Moving an LLC

When moving an LLC, you’ll have several options. The first is to continue your registration in your old state but register as a foreign LLC in your old state. Registration as a foreign company may make sense if you plan to move back to your old state in the future. However, you’ll likely have to file annual reports and name a representative in both states. Your taxes also may become more complicated.

The second option is to dissolve your LLC in the old state and start fresh in your new state. You can do this by liquidating the old one, merging the two, or having members of the old LLC contribute their membership interests to the new one.  The last option generally requires an attorney to accomplish correctly.

A third option is to transfer an LLC from one state to another. The process is called redomestication. While this is a relatively easy way to handle a permanent move, not all states allow this. If you can do this, you’ll generally need a certificate of good standing from your old state and articles of domestication.

Moving a Corporation

Moving a corporation is similar to moving an LLC, and, in general, talking with an attorney can help you understand the tax consequences of each type of move. In general, you have an option to continue as a foreign corporation in your new state, transfer the corporation, or dissolve it.

Post-Move Steps

Regardless of whether you’re moving a sole proprietorship, LLC, or corporation, you’ll have some post-move tasks to complete. First, you must apply for all the necessary professional and business licenses and permits in your state. You may also have to file a sales tax registration. The permit, licensing, and registration requirements will differ in each state.

Secondly, check the local zoning laws that may apply to your business. Thirdly, take care of any tax obligations. If you’re closing out your business in your previous state, you may need to file a “Final Return.”  Talking with a tax adviser is essential because you might deduct or capitalize relocation expenses such as moving costs, trips to find a new site, or travel and meeting costs. 

Finally, you may need to find a new bank and other professional service providers, such as CPAs or attorneys, in your new location. You can find these providers through referrals, reading ads in local publications, or through professional associations.

Business On the Move

If your business is relocating, let us help — as a full-service moving company, we can assist with your company’s move. Contact us today to get things started.

5 Reasons To Have Grounds Landscaped Before You Move into a New Home

The standard timeline for moving into a new home involves negotiating a sale, setting a closing date, and often hurriedly packing and relocating. Unfortunately, the prospect of enjoying your new home usually offsets the laundry list of things homeowners plan to change after getting settled.

Upwards of 56 percent of home buyers already plan to renovate before moving into their new space, including 65 percent of those under 43 years old. Seventy-seven percent want to focus on their backyards in terms of outdoor upgrades. Although few set time aside before relocating, there are significant benefits to working with professionals and completing your landscape vision before your professional movers even arrive.

1: Peaceful Enjoyment of Your Property

Planting perennials to inject color into established flower beds can be something of a peaceful pastime. But significant renovations tend to create short-term disruption. Landscaping equipment buzzing throughout the day and machinery grinding can go on for weeks. Moving into a new living space can be a more seamless experience if the work gets done in advance.

2: Pre-Move Landscaping Improves Planning

It’s not uncommon for people to address landscaping desires in a piecemeal fashion. Weekends evolve into a series of relatively small outdoor projects such as digging new flower beds, building brick walkways, planting hedgerows, and other items. But making incremental changes tends to result in a mishmash of landscaping elements.

Consider reviewing the wealth of landscaping ideas online and selecting the designs that fit your taste. Then, by working with an experienced landscaping company, homeowners can develop a cohesive plan that brings everything together. Not only will you move into a beautifully manicured property, but the market value will also likely increase before turning the key.

3: Minimize Reactions to Dust and Pollen

If you or a family member have allergic reactions or conditions such as asthma, landscaping projects can trigger symptoms. In addition, a significant grounds overhaul will likely kick up a great deal of dust and pollen. Health and wellness rank among the best reasons to upgrade the property and let the dust settle before living in the home.

4: Match Landscape with Your Vision

Older homes come with the footprint of just about every previous owner. Each family that lived on the property probably planted trees, shrubs, perennials and built hardscapes that suited their way of living. Unfortunately, these might not be precisely the right surroundings to match your vision of the home.

Given that most homeowners plan to make changes, you may intend to repaint, update porches and patios, or make other enhancements. The point is that the existing landscape probably doesn’t mesh with your long-term plan.

5: Unclutter the Grounds

Not every buyer is ready to settle on a comprehensive landscaping plan before moving into their new home. It’s not uncommon for shrubs to obscure property lines or outgrow their aesthetic value in front of the house. One fallback idea involves having an advanced crew remove excessive and unchecked growth. This strategy opens up the property and makes it feel roomier. It also gives property owners a clear perspective.

Moving Made Easy

If you plan to purchase a new home, conducting advanced work and coordinating your efforts with an experienced moving company is essential. Contact us for a free quote. Let us help you enjoy your new home and yard stress-free.