Moving your office to a new location can be a big business decision. Whether you’re expanding, downsizing or seeking a fresh scenery, you want the move to go as smoothly as possible. Office moves that aren’t properly planed can end up doing more harm than good, if not done tactfully. Poorly organized office moves puts stress on everyone involved thus, adequate preparation is essential.
Smooth office moves can be an exciting and positive time for the business. New locations can signal potential growth and represent a new era for the firm. But it’s important to remember that this period of change can be a big one – one that requires the utmost care. Here’s a few vital tips to ensure your office move goes to plan:
1. Budget in Advance
Budget is a big part of a successful office move. Be realistic when determining your budget and delegate an emergency amount for unpredictable costs. This will help avoid any financial shortfalls and assists in making the move easier. Creating a practical budget should be one of the first steps before an office move. You need to ensure your business can afford to commit to it too. If you need to update marketing and promotional materials to reflect the new address, it’s wise to put these costs into your budget too. That way, you’ll be prepared for all the expenses that come with the change to better manage the move.
2. Hire an Expert Office Removalist
Your business is your investment so you want to make sure it’s looked after. Leaving the office move to expert office removals won’t just take a whole heap of stress off you, but it’ll allow the professionals to handle things properly. Moving furniture can be a strenuous task that can put your business in a downtime zone. Delegate the job to an experienced moving team and book it in as soon as you can. Make sure you choose a company that specializes in office moves too. Some moving companies only handle residential homes and when your valuable business possessions are at stake, you want a team dedicated to commercial clients with a high standard of professionalism.
3. Brief Your Staff and Give Them Adequate Notice
Whilst the moving company will handle the actual move, brief your staff and get all hands-on board. Each staff member should have an action plan which includes tasks they need to complete as individuals or in a team. Depending on the scale of your business, staff members may be responsible for packing up their belongings from their own desks whilst the office company handles the bigger moving tasks. Give staff as much notice as possible so the move doesn’t disrupt the productivity of the business too much. You want their workstations to be ready and easy to move come the big day!
4. Keep a Schedule of Completed and Outstanding Tasks
All employees should have an office moving guide to help them prepare for the move and a clear indication of what you expect from them during it. Use this guide to keep track of completed and outstanding tasks during and after the move. A checklist and moving guide will keep all staff on the same page for the move and assist in nominating key departments and staff to coordinate the move. Add in the moving guide a detailed inventory of all office supplies, furniture and equipment so you can make sure everything is set up in the new space properly.
5. Don’t Forget about the Smaller Details
It’s easy to get caught up in the move and forget to keep tabs on the finer details. Security and alarm codes will need to be finalized at the old and new location. Encourage staff to back up all their files on computers to be safe. Don’t forget about the IT component of the move too. Make sure employee’s work flow isn’t disrupted by setting up Wi-Fi access at the new office prior to the move. You may want to get your IT department on board with the move a few months prior to cater for all the technical aspects. Keep your clients in the loop about the new location too. Updates to your website, social media channels and a E-newsletter sent out is ideal.
6. Use the Move as a Spring Clean Opportunity
Office relocations are the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. New location and new office space – so try and get rid of as much junk as you can! You don’t want to be moving furniture that’s old and tired or falling apart at the seams. Arrange a skip bin on the office site and encourage staff to clean out as much of their own stuff they don’t need. If there are old paper documents that have been converted to digital files, shred them. Use the move as a spring clean and be ruthless. It can be a smart idea to let staff know in advance what should be thrown out and saved too.
Author: This article is written by Jayde Ferguson, who writes for Adlam Transport – Perth Office Removals and Storage specialists operating WA-wide since 1996. Adlam aim to carefully strategise the move for you and have an experienced team of office removalists on board. You can catch her on Google+.
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