But a local business started by Ms Iris Deveney-Doughty has lessened the stress and made the move to Bermuda smoother for many executives and their families.

"Moving from one country to another can be stressful but part of life is adjusting,'' said Ms Deveney-Doughty, owner of Executive Relocation Bermuda.

The relocation company's clients are primarily insurance and investment companies looking for assistance in bringing new executives to the Island.

"For a family the biggest concern is school placement while housing is always challenging,'' she said.

There are usually only a handful of suitable -- depending on the circumstances of the party as each one differs from the other -- houses or apartments available, says Ms Deveney-Doughty, who operates the business from her home.

"They wish to rent, be single or married with children, or they may be looking to buy a house,'' Ms Deveney-Doughty added.

The business' first client was Kintore Investments Ltd. which brought in three employees in 1989.

Her second client was XL Insurance Company Ltd. with Sedgwick Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Mid Ocean Reinsurance Company Ltd., International Risk Management, Partner Reinsurance, Chubb Atlantic Indemnity Ltd., Tempest Re Ltd., General Re Underwriting Services Ltd., and Stockton Reinsurance Ltd.

among the list that followed.

Executive Relocation Bermuda helps ship personal effects, provides information on recreational activities, cars and bikes and assists with telephone, electric, and television cable hook up as well as a host of other logistical items that occur during a relocation.

"When the forwarder shows up with the family's possessions I'm right there rolling up my sleeves to help move them in.

"I help wives adjust to the new environment, and sometimes it is a `Mr. Mom' situation,'' said the entrepreneur who is a registered nurse.

The business, which includes an associate, Mrs. Bernice White, does not deal with Government matters.

And she accepts no finders fees.

"I am trying to negotiate the best price, the best deal I can get for the companies,'' she commented.

Ironically, the better the deal for the new executive, the less she makes on each individual move.

Fees are based on how much the company's new executive pays for one month's rent.

If the rent is over $10,000 the excess is discounted.

Her biggest client to date has yielded $15,000 but she's said she is currently working on one relocation expected to give an even bigger pay day. "I have saved one company over $100,000 with the moves of three executives they hired to come to Bermuda,'' she noted.

Last year she relocated 20 parties and currently she is relocating six people to Bermuda.

"It is important for people who come to Bermuda to look at it as an enriching experience, I feel positive about Bermuda, I always try to get the spouses to try something different -- something they have never done before -- be it golfing, playing tennis or scuba diving,'' she said.

She moved to New Zealand from Northern Ireland, then to Bermuda where she met her husband who was later transferred to work in Toronto then on to Montreal.

In 1989, she moved back to Bermuda and prior to the move, made a list offf everything she would need and the idea to start a relocation business was born.

"I know what it is like to move, having lived in different countries. My son, now 21 and attending university, went to six different schools in seven years and the experience has made him more accepting,'' she said.

She also helps with relocations of some offices to Bermuda and will assist companies with orientations during their interview processes.

When executives complete their work here, Executive Relocation Bermuda is sometimes called on to help arrange the departure.