Every business changes as time goes by, and it is inevitable that your current office space will not always meet your needs.
Moving your office can be a great opportunity to reorganize, refurbish and re-imagine your business, but it is also an exercise in patience and planning. If you need to move your office, use these handy tips to ensure that the process goes smoothly. If done the right way, an office move need not be painful, and can actually reinvigorate your business.
1. Choose a new office that meets your current and future needs
Moving your office can rack up costs both from direct office moving expenses like moving company costs to indirect expenses like working time lost. Because of this, you don’t want to be moving your office every few years: you need to put down roots somewhere that your business has room to grow. With that in mind, choose an office that not only meets your current needs but that will also meet your business growth needs for a minimum of five years.
Keep your legal needs in mind too. If you are renting office space, always make sure that a legal professional has looked over your new tenancy agreement. If you are buying office space, you may have extra legal obligations due to commercial zoning, so ensure your building code is up to scratch.
You will also want to be mindful of office moving costs when drawing together your plans and ideas: moving does cost money, so draw up a budget. This kind of preparation can save you a lot of time and money. In the same vein, making an office moving plan is probably the best way to ensure that your move goes off without a hitch.
If you thoroughly plan your move with a budget and an office moving to do list, you are less likely to run into trouble on moving day itself.
2. Plan for business interruption
Even the best planned moves can go awry, so always plan for business interruption. Inform your most important clients of the move, and attempt to get as much done as possible in the days leading up to a move.
Many businesses move over a weekend or holiday to minimize the amount of workdays lost, but also beware that many utilities companies do not operate over weekends or holidays. If you move into your office on a Saturday and happen to find that the internet is not working, you may have to wait until Monday anyway to fix the problem.
3. Prepare to close down your current premises
Moving into a new office isn’t just about setting up your new office but closing down the old one. Ensure that you have completed all of the requirements placed upon you in your rental agreement and ensure that all utilities that currently serve your office (such as internet, gas and electric) are either transferred to your new address or have their accounts closed.
Taking your time with packing is also another top tip, as a well-packed office can be speedily unpacked at its new location. Don’t just throw everything in boxes and hope for the best: label everything, packing things with care, and ensure you have an orderly system that your chosen moving company can follow.
Don’t skimp on the packing materials and office moving supplies either! Choose quality packing boxes like officeworks moving boxes and use plenty of bubble wrap to ensure that your things travel safely and securely. If you are using a moving company, check with them and see if they supply the packing boxes and materials before you rush out to buy anything, as that could save you some money overall.
4. Take advantage of change and reorganize your business
Moving office may seem like a hassle, but in reality it is an opportunity to re-think how you do business. If you have been waiting for the right opportunity to create a new filing system or scan all of your paper documents, for example, now is exactly the right time to start. Moving also gives you a chance to rethink your office set-up to maximize creativity and efficiency, so perhaps think about changing over from an open-plan office to more private cubicles or vice-versa.
This same philosophy can be applied to your furniture and equipment: is it time, for example, for you to think about upgrading your computer system? An office move can provide you will the opportunity to upgrade your business, so seize the chance.
5. Prepare your new office space and utilities
You should know every square inch of your new office space and properly plan for how your current equipment and furniture will fit in. If you know that your new office will require new or different furniture and equipment, order it prior to the move and ensure it is already there before moving day so that you can immediately launch into arranging your new office.
The same attitude goes for utilities: it is worth paying a little extra to ensure your utilities like internet, gas and electricity are running prior to moving day, so that you can immediately get started upon arrival.
6. Hire moving professionals
Do not devalue the worth of your business by leaving its transfer in the hands of amateurs. Attempting to move all of your office furniture and supplies alone may save money, but it also runs the risk of costing your more in the long run if you damage any of your furniture and equipment.
Your time is value, so outsource the task to professionals who can ensure all of your office items can be transferred swiftly and easily, whilst also saving yourself time and effort.
7. Communicate with your staff
Moving your office is not just a problematic endeavor for you, but also your workers. Ease the transition by informing your staff ahead of time of any move, especially if your new office space is quite far from your original premises.
Helping your staff manage the transition by offering to move their personal office items, helping them re-plan their route to work, or even just proving reassurance can really endear you to your workers in a difficult transition period.
Overall, moving your office might seem like a monumentally difficult task, but with the right attitude and preparation, it can actually be a great opportunity for yourself and your business. If you need to move your office, make sure you do it the right way with Wrightway Moving.
