Moving offices in the next year or so? Have you started preparing? If not, it is time to get on it! Even if you have experience in moving homes, changing offices is a different kind of animal. There are new challenges, procedures, and things that you need to worry about. On one hand, you already have a pool of people to help with the move; you don’t need to bribe anyone because your employees are already paid to be there. On the other hand, you want to move as quickly as possible without too much disruption to your business. Here are a few things to consider if you will be moving offices in the near future:
Plan Ahead
Start making plans as soon as you find out about the move. Don’t put it off. The earlier the move is organized, the easier it will be to change things if needed. Remember to be flexible; nothing ever goes as planned. Budget the cost of the entire move so you know what you will be paying. Make sure to leave room for unforeseen expenses.
Involve Your Employees
Tell your employees as soon as you know about the move; don’t keep them in the dark. Changing offices will mean a different commute time for them and they will need to adjust their schedules. As well, you will need them involved in the actual moving process. Don’t try to do everything yourself; assign employees different tasks leading up to the day and during the actual move itself. You don’t want a lot of people standing around on moving day unsure of what to do. If everyone has a role and a task, the entire move will go much smoother and more organized. On the day of the actual move, consider treating your employees to a pizza dinner or something.
Make a New Office Layout
While moving offices, people often don’t consider the new layout ahead of time. If this happens, you will waste a lot of time of time arguing and trying to figure out where to put the furniture on the big day. With a few employees, go to the new office before the move and sketch out where everything is going to go. Know exactly how you want the new office to look before moving. This will make it easier for the movers and you can focus your attention elsewhere. Make a complete inventory of everything that will be moved so you know where it will go.
Office Ready
Visit the new office to make sure it is ready for work. Check all the utilities and bathrooms; make sure that the computers and the internet will be ready to go as soon as you arrive. If there are issues, contact the right people before you move in. Don’t forget to inform both buildings of the moving date. Office buildings usually have specific rules, regulations, and timings of when moves can happen.
Business as Usual?
Are you going to shut down business during the move? Or will you keep going with a skeleton crew? Maybe you will even keep business as usual and let professionals handle the entire move. This should be decided early. No matter what you do, your business will be affected in some way. Make sure that all your customer and vendors are aware of this in case there are complications.
Purge!
Moving is a fantastic way to purge the office of any old furniture or files you no longer need. Unless legally or contractually obliged, do you really need to keep the physical copies of those purchase orders from 1998?
Finally, make sure you let your customers and vendors know your new address. Update business cards, advertisements, letterheads, and any other company literature. About to undertake an office move and need some help? Call First Choice Movers. For over 20 years, we have been offering residential and commercial moving services in Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughn, and the entire Greater Toronto Area. Fully bonded, insured, and licensed, First Choice Movers is a moving company that takes its commitment to its customers very seriously. We have extensive experience moving offices, schools, retails spaces, and other professional places. We understand the need to not disrupt business during a move. To meet this need, we offer after-hour moving services to ensure your office is set up for the next day. Contact us today for a free quote.