The mid-size company moving its operation to ease employee commute times, the textile business dealing with worker retention issues or the engineering firm's problems navigating commodity costs.
All these businesses are bound by concerns related to dwindling industrial and commercial space in Metro Vancouver, inflationary pressures and cost-of-living concerns.
Another thing they all have in common? Getting sound, trusted advice from the financial experts at Baker Tilly WM LLP Canada about moving the business to Squamish, where space is easier to find at more attractive price points.
Harnessing the power of the pivot
A leading, independent audit, tax and advisory firm based in Vancouver and Toronto, Baker Tilly WM LLP is uniquely positioned to address clients' needs successfully.
In the case of Baker Tilly partner Wilson Telford, he helps companies in the manufacturing sector with both long-and short-term planning. Once a move out of Metro Vancouver is determined to be the right fit, Telford helps companies navigate labour shortage concerns, employee retention and everything else needed to get your ducks in a row in a timely fashion.
“Generally, we will try to put some ballpark numbers on paper and then fine-tune it if the client gets serious about the move,” Telford explains. “It is important to give our clients the best data we can in order to make their decision.”
It’s no secret that Metro Vancouver’s available industrial land base is shrinking. Add to that the pressures of triple net leases, high property taxes and a labour force that lives outside of the city, and it becomes clear that moving the operation could be in the cards.
The short-term considerations of a move are many. Telford walks clients through what’s needed to keep the operation afloat or advises clients on methods to ramp up work or product supply before the move to bridge that gap.
Setting up for success in Squamish
Then there are the everyday, practical considerations: how does the new location look, does it need upgrades or what the mortgage may look like?
“Squamish has seen a lot of development in the last five years, so many of these buildings are brand new,” Telford says. “A lot of these opportunities get you in the door before the build if you’re planning ahead. Many of these considerations can be addressed right from the beginning as opposed to trying to fix them later.”
For forever and a day, access to Squamish was limited to one road in and out, but that’s no longer the case: there’s now a major port, a rail line and regional airport, and future float plane access.
And then there’s the work-life balance that only life outside of the city offers.
“I can be on a mountain bike trail in less than two minutes, I can be in Whistler in 30 minutes, and I can be on any number of lakes in less than 15 minutes,” Telford says.
For more information on how Wilson Telford, and the rest of the team at Baker Tilly can help your business transition and succeed in Sea to Sky country, visit bakertilly.ca.
