There comes a time in any business when companies need to make a few changes—whether it’s changes in personnel, equipment, or even a new system. They’re all for the benefit of the company. Sometimes those changes are a little more drastic than others, such as investing in a brand-new office space. When that time comes, look over these dos and don’ts of relocating your business.
Do Plan Ahead
No one should ever wait until the last minute to handle a move—especially an office relocation. There are too many people and things to consider to only give yourself a few days for the move. The wheels need to be in motion several months in advance. The sooner you start the moving process, the greater chance you have of achieving the best outcome.
Time needs to be your friend when relocating your business. It’s never a good idea to be enemies because too many things slip through the cracks when time works against you. You’ll be too focused on meeting the deadline and miss all the details that require your attention. Start the process anywhere between 9 to 18 months in advance to get everything properly organized.
Don’t Ignore the Fine Print
Yes, you should start planning ahead, but not without reading that fine print first. Don’t start planning your office move in any great detail until you check the exit clause of your current office lease. You need to know what has to happen for you to leave your current office in accordance with the terms of your lease.
The method and timing need to be on your radar because violating the terms of the lease agreement can result in legal action. Dealing with a lawsuit on your way out the door is not ideal for your business. Speak with the leasing office when you start considering a change in scenery. Read through the original lease and highlight any areas you need to explain in finer detail. Afterward, you can start organizing your move around the end date of the lease.
Do Survey the Space
Start surveying the space early. Hopefully, you took photos of the area when you first moved in. If you didn’t, that’s
ok. Start taking photos now to note everything in the office. You don’t want to be responsible for any preexisting damages when it comes time to move.
Run a survey check of every area every other week. A month or two before the move, perform a check every week. The space needs to meet current operational needs. Survey your new workspace too. It needs to meet the current operational needs and future growth plans. You have nine months to plan the move, so be extremely selective during the process because you want to find a good fit.
Don’t Run Over Budget
Relocating your business is pricey. The end result is brilliant for your company and worth the investment, but the process is taxing. It’s very easy to spend more than you ever intended. You’ll need to exercise a lot of discipline in this area and refrain from going over budget.
Create a realistic office moving budget. Use these suggestions as a template:
- Determine how much your office move will cost.
- Don’t let unforeseen costs hurt you.
- Execute your office move on time.
- Keep your office relocation team on target.
- Produce an up-to-date cashflow forecast for your office move.
- Compare and analyze quotes and estimates for the move.
Always remember to consider associated expenses such as utilities, maintenance, insurance, and renovations. Those play a major role in your business relocation.
Do Include Your Staff
Never leave your team out. They need to have first-hand knowledge of everything that’s going on. Keep the lines of communication open because they might have information for you too. The staff is a key asset and should know the reason behind the move. They’ll help keep you up-to-date throughout the moving process.
You can’t be everywhere at once, and delegating some tasks to your team will help keep things steady and organized. Plus, you will want to involve the IT team in everything. They’ll start the process of saving and securing all documentation for your business. They’ll likely instruct others to save their documents to a personal and shared drive. If they’re a new system you plan to use after completing the move, the IT team will get everyone else on board.
Don’t Rush the Process
Whoa, where’s the fire? There’s no reason to rush the process. You want to move in a timely manner and not delay the inevitable. You need to consider what your clients and your business need to flow smoothly without much interruption. Therefore, you need to equally distribute the tasks.
If you try to move everything in one day, it could end badly. Remember, you gave yourself nine months. Start placing some things in storage during those months. Get the utilities set up for the new building. Stay on a steady timeline. Try and plan the actual move over the course of a few days. You need to worry about packing, transporting, unloading, and unpacking. This takes some time and an extra set of hands.
Do Hire the Pros
Speaking of an extra set of hands, you need to hire professionals for a job this size. Business relocation is not a task for you and your team to handle alone. Licensed movers are trained for jobs of this magnitude. They know what’s at stake, and they have the equipment to ensure the process is speedy, efficient, and accurate.
When it comes time for unloading and unpacking, you’ll need their assistance with the equipment and furniture. At Capitol North American, our movers specialize in modular furniture installation. We can reassemble cubicles, desks, chairs, and any other pieces of furniture you need to operate your business successfully. Our experts can advise you on the most effective and cost-efficient way to move your business from A to B. You’ll waste less time, make fewer mistakes, and save more money throughout the relocation.
Never attempt a business relocation without following these dos and don’ts or without calling us to help. For more information, visit our website.
