Why are Small-Scale Companies Moving Out of Chicago?

There’s no doubt that Chicago is one of the most vibrant and lively cities in the entire country, and boasts fantastic entertainment, sports, nightlife, and food, and is a wonderful place to live for so many who call this great city home – us included! However, unfortunately, smaller companies are moving out of the city for a variety of reasons.

Small company relocations have been happening more and more as small businesses try to move farther away from neighborhoods or areas in the cities with steadily increasing crime rates. Chicago as a whole has experienced skyrocketing crime rates in recent months, from businesses themselves being robbed, to employees getting robbed on the way to work every day.

This statistic is extremely sad for our communities, but for small businesses, this goes beyond just being a sad reality – it can mean the difference between their business thriving and closing down completely. Many businesses as a result have been forced to leave Chicago recently as a result, as they’re concerned about employee safety and about losing money in their everyday operations.

Why are Businesses Moving from Chicago?

Small businesses moving from Chicago have become more and more of a trend due to crime by itself, and also the increasing costs of insurance, security, and more. The risk of crime plus increasing costs like this can end up really adding up for small-scale companies and large business owners alike, which forces them to look into business relocation.

As a local Chicago business ourselves, we hate it as much as anyone that businesses are leaving the area, but it’s a sad necessity for some. High crime makes costs higher, puts employees and businesses at risk, and makes it hard to hire people as well.

Just as smaller businesses leave the city, larger corporations have found themselves relocating out of the area, with employee safety cited as the main reason. Citadel is leaving the city, as it states that employees have been robbed with increasing frequency on their way to work, and are heading to Miami as a result. Companies like Boeing and Caterpillar are also planning respective moves to Arlington, VA, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area on top of this. Citadel notes that employees have increased their requests for transfers out of Chicago and that it has been harder to find people willing to work in the city due to the rise in crime.

Though Boeing has stated that its move isn’t related to the increasing crime rates in the city, its strategic move to Arlington, VA is a welcome change for the company is heading to a more centralized area with lower crime. Illinois higher than average tax rates has also caused issues for business owners, as Caterpillar states the reason for their move to Texas as being primarily in the interest of lower costs of operation and lower taxes.

Predictably, many of these larger companies are bringing their employees with them when making these big moves, which has caused ripple effects in many areas. Though more people from outside Chicago have been moving in individually, the large exit of employees working for these corporations has created less demand for outlets like Aldi and Whole Foods in certain areas, which has led to the closing as well.

When discussing small businesses leaving Chicago in addition to larger ones, many smaller businesses have cited crime, in addition to looking for high profits and lower tax rates outside the city (and Illinois as a whole).

That being said, not all businesses are leaving the Chicago area, so don’t be too down just yet. Companies like Kellogg and others have doubled down on their support for the city and have committed to providing more jobs and increasing their operations locally.

How to Plan a Chicago Business Relocation

If like many others, you’re planning to move your business from Chicago, it’s best to have a plan of action when it comes to a big move like this – especially if you’re heading out of the state entirely. Business moving involves many different moving parts and needs meticulous attention to detail to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible.

With the right Chicago business relocation services on your side, however, you’ll be able to take on a transition like this with ease.

As we mentioned before, planning a business move is all in the planning. Make sure to communicate with your employees well ahead of time that you’re considering a move, and see how they feel about the prospect of coming with your business, or if they’d rather stay where they are. If you’re moving your business and funding your employees’ relocation on top of that, you’ll want to work even harder to have the right plan in place to tackle a move like this.

If you’re moving an office, make sure to coordinate your move with an experienced moving company that has experience in moving large amounts of office furniture, electronics, and other supplies, and coordinate with your IT team to determine how the best way to transport your office’s tech is.

If you’re moving a retail business, having experienced movers on your side will also make your move that much easier. In both cases, determine what you want to bring with you and what you’d like to leave behind in the interest of starting fresh. After all, these items may not even work in your new space anyway!

Create a moving timeline and use professional packers to help you in your relocation as well. Remember, commercial and office moving alike is no easy feat, so try not to put it all on your individual shoulders.

Once you have your vision in place, make sure you also have the right small business moving services on your side to ensure that you can move out of the city with ease. The best way to do this is through Hollander Storage and Moving Co., which will provide you with the best and most complete services for the best prices.