40 million people relocate every year in America. A lot of those people are moving to find new opportunities and start businesses. Moving as a business owner is less straight-forward and requires careful planning.
If you’re trying to move people and pieces from one office to another, the logistics can get complex really fast. You have to coordinate with employees, movers, and property managers to do it right. Juggling business responsibilities while making the move is stressful without a plan.
It’s not easy, but we’ll help guide you through a successful office move.
Address The Office Move Early
It’s best not to play any games when it comes to preparing for a big move. Your employees and clients should know about your intentions as soon as possible. Preferably, once you secure the site for your new location, start lining up meetings.
After everyone within the company knows about the details, make an announcement to employees. Don’t do this through an email or stationary. If you can’t get in front of your entire staff, have management hold meetings on your behalf.
Support the announcement with a detailed list of your plans as soon as possible. Include the ability for employee feedback leading up to the move. Query the wants and needs of your staff—what are the best office supplies to buy?
Does your workspace need better desks, electronics, and furniture? Should the layout change based on the feedback you’re given? What are some workplace preferences that you can incorporate, i.e. light and natural decor?
This is an opportunity to retain strong morale and commitment throughout the company. Nip any groans of dissatisfaction in the bud by polling employee wishlists.
Nail Down A Budget
Hold meetings with any investors and upper-level management to draw up a budget. The cost of your move will include more than the labor needed.
Divide your expenses up into three major categories:
- Office Renovating
- Moving Supplies & Services
- Employee Retention/Retraining
Next, start figuring out how will pay for the move. Think about how you’ll write off your expenses. Write up invoices and contracts for any services you’ll require. Prepare for the potential loss of employees along the way who can’t make the move if you’re going long-distance.
The key here is getting everything on paper, so you don’t go over budget or lose sight of your goals.
Inspect The New Office
Before you even sign that dotted line on your new office space, you’ll want to do a thorough walkthrough. Record everything, take plenty of pictures, and note possible challenges. Think about the logistics of the move when it takes place.
Are there any moving obstacles? Will you need to knock down any walls, old signage, or install new appliances?
When planning how to make use of your new office space, consider downsizing even if you have more room to work with. This can make your new space feel even grander than originally planned.
Use the time leading up to the move to throw away old supplies, go over inventory, and label everything. Do this self-audit in waves, so as to not interfere with daily operations. This will reduce the number of accidental purges or forced decisions for the sake of saving time.
The less junk you take with you, the easier it is to move into your new place.
Moving Services And Logistics
Trying to DIY everything is one of the biggest moving mistakes you can make as a business. Your chosen moving service will define your office move. Plan out what and what won’t be included in your moving order.
If you need them to come early or remain late, will they do it without expenses? Do they charge per job or every hour? What are previous clients saying?
Do they only move or do they also organize or help pack? Try to discover movers that incorporate everything—the trucks, boxes, and cleanup. In the event that you can’t discover an organization to consider every need, ask for help finding those who will.
Pace Yourself
It is significant that you permit the staff to take as much time as necessary for the move. Ensure that they have secured all their equipment and supplies, so the move happens as per plan. Giving your workers point by point guidelines for the move will enable them to get ready for the move better and require less micromanaging.
As an entrepreneur, you should share a lot of positive news about the move. Regardless of whether you’re moving into a bigger space or a new climate, delivery it with enthusiasm. This will go far to set the state of mind with your management.
When you show fervor, employees are bound to jump aboard and become invested, as well.
Interior Designing Stages
Getting everything into the new office in one piece is half the job. Unpacking, organizing, and moving things into place is the other half. Ideally, you want to have professional interior designers to help breathe life into your new space.
Try to arrange your unpacking in order of importance and footprint. Push all non-essentials against the wall and start forming your desired floorplan. Save all the decorating and thematic designs after you’re done.
Move As One Big Unit
When it comes to big, involved jobs with little room for error, you need a team who you can trust. Your office move should include coordinated directions and follow as close as possible to a scheduled timetable. Moving is going to come with stress, it’s how you handle it that matters.
Find a moving company that you can trust to come through and avoid costly mistakes. Jay Moves has experience with both residential and business transitions. We’ll help you with moving, furniture assembly and disassembly, disposal assistance, and moving insurance.
Our prices are fair and straight-forward. No hidden fees and no compromises with any of our services. Get a free quote from us today and start planning your big move with us.