Episode 38

Moving Matters with Rachel Houghton of Business Moves Group

00:00:00
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00:37:29

January 27th, 2022

37 mins 29 secs

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About this Episode

In this episode Rachel Houghton, Managing Director of Business Moves Group discusses how she began her career in the industry joining BMG in 1998 as the telesales girl in the Birmingham branch.

Business Moves Group (BMG) not only move businesses they also do the technical distribution, consisting of; installing and decommissioning ATM machines, installing medical equipment into hospitals and gaming machines into bookmakers. BMG employ approximately 200, run a fleet of 63 commercial vehicles (with another couple on order), and currently operate 6 branches covering the whole of the UK.

Rachel states that the commercial relocation world is evolving with different needs, such as space planning and change management, but the last 2 years has been challenging for all, and not just due to Covid.

Apart from the banking crisis, Brexit and Covid, Rachel hasn’t faced that many challenges, but being a young woman in the male industry was different, which we discuss in more detail.

Due to Rachel being very young in a senior role the one thing she would change from her moving past is to have more maturity in dealing with people, something she has learned from experience and hard work.

Rachel has many highpoints of being in the industry, her phenomenal career progression within the initial 5 years and restructuring the business (twice), but her biggest highpoint is mentoring team members and helping to develop their careers.

Rachel would like the perception of the moving industry to change as the industry itself is one we should all be really proud to be a part of.

Rachel’s advice to just starting out in the industry again is to get some comfy shoes! But on a more serious note, don’t just learn the moving industry, learn your client’s industry, and understand their changes and trends.

Rachel believes that in the next 5 years moving will continue to get physically smaller, and the industry needs to do more to be sustainable and environmentally friendly and move more towards a workspace culture. And Rachel very much sees herself still at BMG, bringing the next generation up through the ranks.

To recruit new talent BMG work with local schools, offering work experience within a removal organisation, offer holiday jobs for college students, but they mostly attract new staff by word of mouth. Rachel believes that today people no longer want a job for life, they want a career for life.

Rachel is very proud to have recently won (October 2021) Transport & Logistics Businesswoman of the year at the Great British Businesswoman awards, and that BMG won the Partners in Relocation award for its work with Aviva at the PFM Awards 2020.

Outside of the industry Rachel loves to be down by the sea on coastal walks, cycling, and a glass of wine! Rachel’s main relaxation is being outdoors getting some fresh air.

And as always we end Moving Matters with a funny moving story, regarding Rachel's start in the industry pre BMG, and another on BMG regularly being accosted by the Police while out on site.

Enjoy!

Links to Business Moves Group: