Smart Move is a brand new website for people moving within the UK, into the UK from overseas, or relocating overseas on an international assignment. It contains all the information they might need when taking on a job in a new area here, or an assignment in another part of the world.
The new site is the brainchild of Fiona Murchie, managing editor of Re:locate, a niche publication for HR, global managers and relocation professionals responsible for managing and financing moves, both in the UK and worldwide. Says Fiona, “We wanted to create a truly useful online resource aimed specifically at the people actually making the move. HR and relocation professionals will be able to use it to share with their employees information that really does help prepare them for life in a totally new environment.”
Free to use, Smart Move will grow exactly as users want it to. At present, much of the content is UK focused, but Fiona has plans to expand it significantly over the summer months, ready for a full launch in the autumn.
“We need users’ input to help us shape this resource into the best it can be,” Fiona says. “For example, we are developing a series of country and city profiles, so let us know what countries or cities are of most interest to you.”
Smart Move is easily navigable, and information is presented in sections that Fiona believes are the key areas of concern for every relocating family. “We’re confident we know what the real issues are for people making a big move for work reasons. It can seem like a daunting challenge in terms of the amount that may need to be done, but our website will hand-hold relocatees and guide them through the relocation maze.”
“Re:locate magazine has been incredibly successful, and the family-friendly features are always very popular; we include education in every issue and run lots of partner support material. Smart Move grew from the need to have more of these articles that can be freely available to the end user – the relocatee. The Re:locate website has seen huge growth, with traffic doubling year on year, but the bit that was missing was help and advice for relocatees and their families. We want to reassure people that it is OK to be concerned about all sorts of things; they’re not the only ones feeling like this, and we can help.”Sections include everything from finding schools and a new home to the practicalities of uprooting oneself and making new friends. Free information on specific UK destinations is also provided. Whether relocatees are moving to, for example, Manchester, Bristol or Reading, Smart Move will provide information about the relocation destination to help them decide where to live, what the school choices are, and what the shopping and amenities are like. There are currently 20 online guides, and more will follow monthly.
Smart Move will continue to grow, over the summer and beyond, so keep checking for the latest news and articles. If you haven’t already done so, sign up now to receive your free monthly copy of Smart Move Plus.
