After finding the right place for your business, you will also have to move everyone and everything to the new location. Relocating office space may be a challenge but with good planning – moving can be efficient and stress-free. The following tips should help you to move your business as smoothly as possible.
Take Time to Plan
The first step to an efficient move is to create a bulletproof plan. Try to plan your move at least 6 months ahead. You will have to organize much more than a few boxes and to do it productively you will need time. Your planning should include as much information as possible, from the most general, such as the moving budget, to the more specific, such as the layout of the new offices. It would also be beneficial if you could predict likely problems and think of a few solutions. A good way to remain organized is with space planning software. Space planning can help you optimize your space.
Organize Staff Into Teams
Though you will coordinate the move, it might be efficient to organize your staff into teams. The most natural way may be coordinating them according to their departments. Also, you may want to use senior staff as leaders of specific teams. They can communicate more easily between movers and team members. Each team should be responsible for labeling objects that will or will not be moved but also they may express their own needs and requirements for the new space in a more efficient way.
Check the Dates
The essential part of the moving plan is sticking to the scheduled dates, which might include one of the following:
- the date until you have to leave the present location,
- the date when you will be able to enter the new location,
- the date or dates when you move and
- the date when you (re)start working.
The rest of the dates, such as clearing out the office, may not be as specific but should be completed until set dates.
The list of dates should be provided to all employees and on time.
Let the Professionals do the Moving
Hiring a moving company may seem a luxury but it is actually a necessity. Using professional help will lower the possibility of injury and raise the level of productivity. Keep in mind – the sooner the move is over, the sooner you can proceed with work.
It is useful to start searching for the movers a few months before the move so as to find the best price. In that way you can also find the ones that provide for additional services that you may want such as moving insurance. From personal experience I know it can really get expensive. I was lucky enough to work with the good guys from Supercheap Storage New Zealand – very affordable and efficient service.
Create a Layout
Try to organize a layout for the new office. This will be beneficial both for you and your staff but also it will help the movers. If manageable, let your employees organize their own working space.
As the new office will have a different layout, make sure you mark the equipment and furniture that can be relocated and dispose of the items that cannot be moved. In addition to reducing stress on the moving day this will also lower the cost of your move. It is advisable to create a list of the items, for the sake of organization but also for insurance reasons.
Let Everyone Know
Notify everyone on the change of location. This would include not only your clients or customers but employees and suppliers alike. In addition to changing your address on your website, you should also change it in all other databases as well as on office supplies, business cards, etc.
Arrange Your Work Around the Move
It is advisable to move during a period when work is slower. However if this is not a possibility, and you also cannot pause your work during the move, it is important to arrange your work around it. Postpone all work that can be postponed on time and finish all the deadlines. This will guarantee the least amount of inconvenience for the clients or customers and less stress for the employees.
Hard Work Will Pay off
Moving a whole company is no fun, but with a solid plan and a set of clear objectives, a dedicated team and enough time, the move can be almost seamless and effortless. Remember though, you cannot do it alone, it is too stressful, so get some help and smoothly move to another location and you will be up and running just like before the move. Good luck!
Guest Author – Tony is a writer and the senior editor at MediaGurus with several years of experience in writing content for the web. Tony does research and writes articles across various industries, such as business, technology, marketing, lifestyle, etc.