An office relocation will always be disruptive and stressful for everyone involved with the business. It can also be an exciting time and the start of a new chapter, particularly if you are upgrading to a bigger and better office space. All kinds of tasks and processes need to be completed, but you will also want to try to keep the business running as smoothly as possible during the move. It will always be challenging, but a few pieces of advice will help you get organized and overcome a few of the key challenges. Read on to find out more.
1. Establish A Budget
With many costs involved in moving to a new office, you want to set a budget ahead of time. This should prevent you from overspending and help you feel in control of the move. You can control spending by comparing costs for each expense – just remember that the cheapest is not always the best!
2. Create A Timeline
A timeline can help you establish a schedule and ensure that no job is left until the last minute. You can find checklists and timelines online that will help you plan your office relocation and should help you execute a smooth, stress-free move.
3. Assign Roles
Office relocation is a major process, and there are many jobs that need to be done. This is why creating a designated relocation team and assigning roles to each person is intelligent. This will lighten the load and help your team to feel valued. It can also free up time and energy for you to focus on other tasks and the big-picture side of things. In addition to a relocation team, you will need other staff to keep the business operation up and running during the process.
4. Use Container Transport
Moving office equipment, furniture, and other items to the new office is a huge task. Even a small business is likely to have a lot of items that need to be moved, which is why container transport is ideal for office relocations. You can load everything to be moved into one container, which can then easily be moved from A to B for unpacking. You can compare container shipping quotes online so that you can save money and find the best option for your needs.
5. Keep An Accurate Inventory
When moving a lot of important and valuable equipment, you need to ensure that everything arrives safe and sound in the new office. This is why you need to keep an accurate inventory when packing up. You could create your own spreadsheet or use a moving app to help with this. By logging what is in each box, you can also make the unpacking process much easier.
6. Let All Stakeholders Know
Even if everything goes smoothly and according to plan, there will be disruption to your business. This is why you need to let all stakeholders know about the move and thank them for their patience in advance. Additionally, make sure that you update all of your contact information and address once you are in the new space.
7. Plan New Layout Ahead Of Time
It is wise to plan your new office layout ahead of time so that you can move everything immediately into position. It is helpful to use floor plan software so that you can experiment with a few different layouts.
8. Support Staff & Celebrate New Office
Finally, you need to understand that moving office space can be hugely stressful and challenging for staff. Therefore, it is important that you offer support to your employees at all stages of the move and make it easy for them to come forward with any questions or concerns that they have. Additionally, celebrating the move once you are in is worth thanking your employees for their work and patience. This will make the move positive and help the team create positive memories in the new office space.
An office relocation starts a new chapter for your business, but the move itself can be stressful and difficult to plan. These tips should simplify the process and help you hit the ground running in your new space.
