Moving a business to Bermuda might sound like a dream for some international companies, but for many, the real challenge is not in the paperwork. It is getting people and families settled on the island.

Helen Souza, founder of Exordium, knows this better than most. Her boutique consultancy, which celebrated its first anniversary last month, helps companies not just set up shop in Bermuda, but actually make the move. And that is where things get tricky.

“I think it is the cost of living, cost of talent, immigration processes being a bit slow and the housing situation, all of which everybody’s sort of banging the drum about,” said Ms Souza. While the companies are attracted to Bermuda for its beautiful beaches and business-friendly reputation, finding a place to live can be a real headache, she said.

“The set-ups are a lot different from the Ace and XL days. You know, where you drop 400 people on the ground in an entire building. They’re much leaner operations now. Cost of business, not only in Bermuda, but everywhere, is pretty high.”

Ms Souza says that while her clients are eager to come to Bermuda, none have actually made the move yet. “They want to. There is strong consideration to setting up some sort of presence here, and going through the Innovation Hub or the [insurance regulatory] sandbox, or even just going straight to incorporation and setting up here.”

To help, Exordium partners with local relocation experts and preferred partners who know the ins-and-outs of Bermuda’s housing and immigration systems. Sylvia Jones of Corporate Concierge, for example, is very specialised at relocation of executives. “So she’s somebody that we would work with,” Ms Souza said.

Ms Souza’s journey into entrepreneurship was unexpected. With a background in banking and years spent working with the Bermuda Business Development Agency, she found herself in demand for her local expertise. “I kind of fell into this,” she says. “I named the company Exordium, which is Latin for new beginnings.”

What began as a favour for one client quickly snowballed. “We are just about the ten mark,” Ms Souza noted, referring to her current client count.

Speaking of the growth, she said: “What surprised me, and it was a good surprise, was the fact that there is a need for what we’re doing.”

Most new clients come through referrals, she said. “Primarily, at the moment, my clients are technology service providers to the broader insurance, reinsurance and financial services market. They want to come here, they want to set up in Bermuda and they want to provide their services here on island to those folks in those industries.”

Ms Souza said that despite the challenges of relocating, “there’s a lot of activity on the island, a lot of business activity, and it’s really creating a kind of fomo [fear-of-missing-out] for those who are not yet set up here.”