Anyone who has moved houses before knows how stressful it can be. Moving into a new office space isn’t any less stressful. Your business isn’t going to wait for you to move and settle in, and you must continue working during the move. If you have the luxury of extra time to move house, you won’t have it when moving to a new office because you want it done yesterday.
Relocating to a new office is a lot of work regardless of if you own a small or large business. Computers, laptops, furniture, equipment, tools, office supplies, and more, all have to be accounted for, packed, and moved.
It’s a tall order, but, like with most other things, some proper planning will ease the pain.
Planning: Your planning should answer to 4 W questions: who, what, where, and when. But don’t forget the how as well. At the early stage of planning, you might only know the ‘where’ part. Concerning ‘who’ will do the moving, you want to research and compare different moving companies. Read reviews, compare prices, and get quotes. Be alert and wary of prices that are too low and, always check if the company is insured in case any damage is done to your items during the move.
The ‘what’ part needs your full focus. Maybe not everything in your old office is going to be needed in a new place. You might also be on the lookout for new office furniture to suit the new place which is why it’s good to research your furniture options before moving to know what will work and what won’t. You simply might not have the time or the mind to look at new furniture, so there are companies to help you and actually do all the work for you in choosing what is appropriate, making use of the space you have. Such companies deliver the new office furniture in a timely manner and fit it professionally.
Always keeping in mind that your office represents your business, it’s time you get the office that attracts clients and customers, as well as being comfortable and functional.
To make sure the move is timely, reserve a moving company well in advance, covering the ‘when’ factor.
Change of address: Business cards, letterheads, and the likes will need the new address to be put on them. This is something you can do at the beginning once you know where the new location is. All clients have to be notified of any changes that affect how they contact you.
Assign your employees: You need to assign employees to take care of their own desk space. A moving company should only be handling the heavy lifting, items that belong to everyone in the office, like a copy machine. Private possessions and paperwork of each employee should be handled and packed by employees. Get your employees to start as early as they can, so give them a heads-up and enough time so they’re not scrambling right before the move.
Backup: One of the biggest issues you’ll come across is making sure all your data and information is backed up, as you’ll be disconnecting all computers and other devices. This isn’t an issue that is handled by movers. It needs you and your employees, and potentially IT staff, to get involved and oversee the process carefully.
Internet and other utilities: Once you know when you’re planning to move, start contacting those responsible for utilities. You’ll want to make sure your internet plan is transferred to the new place and is up and running, the electric wires have been checked to handle all the devices that most offices use now, and of course that the plumbing system is functioning. If the space is located in an old building or neighborhood, this becomes even more important as you can expect some utility problems in older places.
Label boxes: It’s critical that all boxes are labeled. Very important and urgent items have to be quickly and easily accessed from their boxes. It might be tempting to just chuck things into boxes, but you’ll be promising yourself a grand headache if you do that, so stay organized.
As they say, “the show must go on.” You can’t postpone work because you’re moving. Your relocation and your business will have to work in parallel for a little while. Your organizational skills as a business owner will come in handy during this time to lessen the stress and make the move as smooth as possible. As it gets stressful, just remember the move is a positive thing for both you and your company.