You might be relocating offices for a number of reasons but it is important that you take the right approach when planning to move. You might be moving to a larger office or relocating to a smaller office but whatever it might be, taking the right steps at every stage of the process will ensure that your office relocation goes smoothly. Moving an office is a significant task but making the right plan, working with a reliable removal company and keeping your employees informed will ensure that you can tick everything off your checklist and make the move as efficient as possible. So, what things do you need to consider when it comes to moving a business?

Things to Consider

Budget

Moving offices can prove costly which is why you should aim to identify your budget from the very beginning. Anything from delays to problems can cause your costs to exceed your budget so it pays to ensure that you cover everything. A successful office move involves a lot of planning but you should consider the costs of putting your existing office back to its original state. You should also consider any leased equipment that requires specialist handling while there might be access issues or time constraints that could increase the cost of your office move.

Office Design

Moving into a new office is a new beginning for your business which means that you should consider the design. It might not require a lot of changes but your office move will involve you needing to put your own stamp on the office. Will it need a complete fit-out or will you need a company that can take care of it for you? It might be worth putting someone in charge of this as they can deal with the management of the office design. However, you will want to make sure that the space feels like an office and offers the space that you need. The important thing to consider is that you create a comfortable and productive workspace for your employees.

Communication

As a business, it is not just a case of leaving your existing office and moving into another one. Therefore, a communication guide can be a big help because it is important that everyone knows that you are moving. This can range from customers to landlords and even suppliers. To do this, you might want to think about sending out an email to inform everyone and then you can place a message on your website and across all of your social media channels.

You will also need to update your Google listing as well as any office stationery. All in, this is a long process but one that you will need to get right as you don’t want people visiting your old office. Furthermore, think about communicating with your employees. The move might not please them all but you need to keep them onside. So, ask them to discuss any concerns that they have and do all you can to alleviate them.

Office Furniture

When moving office, you have to think about your furniture. Relocating to a new office might mean that you have to take your furniture with you or you might choose to purchase new furniture. Either way, you will need to think about the costs of this and what your new office needs. If it is a smaller office, then you won’t need all of your furniture, so what can you do with it? Should you sell it, offer it to employees or give it to charity? Whatever you choose, it is crucial that you consider every part of your office furniture.

IT, Data, Computers and Connections

Your IT equipment, data and connection are critical to your business which means that you have to think about how you plan to move. Are you going to take all of your equipment with you or will you upgrade? There are a number of things that you will need to think of. Consider your computers and the configurations of desks and screens. You will need to carry out an audit before you move to determine what equipment you will keep and what you won’t keep. Once your equipment has moved offices, it will then need to be set up, ensuring your network remains configured correctly.

You will need to consider your servers and all other peripherals and what you do with them after moving offices. Your It equipment is something that you rely on as a business, so you should ensure you take care of it when you move offices.

Office Relocation Plan

You need your office relocation to be as smooth and seamless as possible. Therefore, you need to ensure that office moving is carried out correctly by following a moving plan. There are many tips to follow but your office move has to be perfect. Any problems will have a knock-on effect on your business and that is why you should include everything in your plan, including packing and unpacking as well as dismantling equipment and cleaning before and after you move.

You also need to make sure that your employees are taken care of during the move. You will need to clearly identify where they will be positioned and ensure that their work equipment and other items are placed in their new position.

Moving Company

Working closely with your moving company will ensure that everything goes to plan. Of course, you would have checked out many companies but the one you have chosen needs to have a clear idea of your project. Therefore, you should look to liaise with them in the months and weeks leading up to your move, keeping them informed of how you plan to execute your move and what you need from them.

Office Moving Process

Planning

12- 6 Months before the move:

  • Organise all moving documents and notes, making sure they are all easily accessible and easy to find. Creating a shared folder with those involved in the move can make it easier to work together.
  • Get all of your important documentation together which can include contracts, agreements and insurance documents.
  • Now it’s time to inform your employees and everyone else that you are moving. Your announcement can be done in a number of ways such as an email, newsletter or even a town hall presentation. Make sure you provide all information about when you will move, where you are moving, why you are moving and even the reasons.
  • Once you have made the announcement, speak with employees and discuss the move and their needs. Explain where they will be sitting, go through floor plans and make sure that you include them in as much as possible.
  • Now is the ideal time to go through the equipment you can dispose of, the equipment you will be taking with you and what you need to purchase.
  • It is vital that you begin planning work processes and how you can continue to offer your services during the move. At this point, you’ll need to speak with managers to put the right strategies in place.
  • Ask for volunteers to help with the move. Create a moving team and give them tasks that they need to carry out.

Packing and Preparation

6-3 Months Before the Move:

  • Now it is time to think about what you need in terms of your moving company and the additional services. This is an integral part of planning but will enable you to determine what moving services you need, how many days it will take and what cleaning needs to take place.
  • Bring in a moving company that can assist with the move and ask them all the questions you need to ask. This might include their flexibility, fees, their reliability and their services.
  • At this point, you should also consider your moving materials. You might only need boxes but you might also need stackable crates and other equipment.
  • If cleaning is not part of the moving arrangements, you’ll need a company to clean up your old offices after you have left. Furthermore, you might also need them for your new office, so make a point of finding out what you need exactly, then you can begin to speak with commercial cleaning companies.
  • Where possible, this is the ideal time to get rid of equipment and items that you don’t need. Have a clean through and give yourself the chance to start afresh in your new offices but also reduce the amount you need to move with you.
  • It is also time to begin packing. It might seem soon but this is a slow process because you still need to maintain the setup and equipment that enables you to continue operating.
  • Continue talking with your employees and keep your communications open and honest.

Moving, Organising and Unpacking

3-0 Months Before the Move:

  • It is now the time to begin labelling your boxes. This will enable you to understand exactly where everything needs to go when you move. This can be any kind of system that works for you but it is one of the most important things that you can do. So create a checklist, label up your boxes and get everything in place.
  • You’ll need to communicate with employees again. The reason for this is to ensure they all know what is happening and what is expected of them. Tell them where they need to be and what they need to do.
  • You’ll need to make sure that all utilities are connected in your new building while you will also need to disconnect all utilities in your existing building.
  • Unpacking is an important part of the process so make sure your checklist includes how this will work. Plan to unpack those things that you definitely need. Then move on to those items that you can manage without for a short period of time. Then you can consider planning for those items that you can put out of sight for a period of time. Finally, you can look at what needs to be improved in terms of the decor. With everything in place and with your employees able to work, you can now begin the process of looking at what change you can make.
  • Before you move to your new location, you should continue checking that everything is as it should be. Around two weeks before you move, visit the office and have a walkthrough to check if everything is as it should be.

Make Your Office Move Easy with Goldline Removals

If you have chosen to relocate offices, then it pays to use a company that can take care of your move. When it comes to office removals, Goldline Removals knows what it takes to deliver a successful move. We have covered many office moves which is why we are the right choice for you.

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