Most of us have been through a house move and know just how stressful that can be. Spare a thought then for those moving office: not only do you have all the normal stresses of moving, but you also have to keep your business running as smoothly as possible at the same time!
There’s a whole host of things to consider, but if you take care of some of the most crucial things listed here,you’ll be well on your way to a successful move.
Plan, plan, plan
With the added pressure of keeping a business running (or at least out of action for as little time as possible), you’ll need to have everything planned a long while before actually making the move.
Although not always possible, you should look for as close to six months’ planning time to allow you to have everything suitably in order.
Think ahead to how your business runs on a day-to-day basis. Do you need specialist equipment re-installing? Did you have to have IT support in to set up your computers the first time around? Make sure you’re not caught on the hop, by organising these services long before you need them.
Leave it to the professionals
Ah yes, the removal man – Office removal can be a fair bit more difficult than moving house. If you’ve got multiple desks, chairs and filing cabinets to shift, you’ll soon find that a professional removal firm can make the job 100x quicker, easier and safer than trying to squeeze the reception desk into John from Accounts’ Range Rover.
As there’s some slight differences between moving homes and moving offices, make sure that you hire a removal firm that specialises in commercial removals. Companies like The Man Van, cover both, so can accommodate just about any type of office move you can throw at them.
Declutter
I’ve personally left house moves till the last minute and instantly regretted it. As you’d expect, the stress it causes is insane, but you also end up transporting piles and piles of junk that you’ve not had a chance to sort out.
Moving to a new premises is a great opportunity for a fresh start, so make sure that you’ve purged your office of any unneeded bulk before moving. Do you really need those old files that have been in the back since the 90s?
If you haven’t already digitised the majority of your paper files, you might find this an apt time to do so too.
Update any business stationery
Make sure you’ve got your new address and contact details listed on business cards, compliment slips, and even on your email signatures. The last thing you need is for important correspondence to go to the wrong address.
Sometimes, no matter how much notice you give people, you’ll still get post to your old address though. A mail redirect is an absolute necessity for the first six months at the very least.
Keep staff updated
It can be easy to underestimate the impact a change of office can have on some staff members. It can make a real difference in how they plan to travel to work, and in some cases, whether or not they actually can.
With this in mind, it’s only fair to keep them in the loop with any moving information you have. Try to pay attention to some of the things they would like in their new office. Even small things like seating arrangements can help to avoid any conflict if handled in the right way.