Relocating your business can often seem like a daunting task. However, having a plan in place and working with your broader team can present an opportunity for a fresh start. When looking to move office, the goal should be to plan a move that causes minimal disruption to the business. This includes day to day work, customer service and maintaining employee morale throughout the duration of the moving process. We share our top 10 planning tips on how to plan and execute a seamless office relocation.
1. Plan your business move in advanced
Start making lists months in advance. It is important at this stage to consider all aspects of your company that need to be moved. Think about items in meeting rooms, common spaces and IT equipment that will have to be handled. Also, consider services that you will need to continue to provide during your transition, and what that looks like for you, your company, your employees, and your customers. Having a plan to fall back on throughout the move will help ensure you remain on track at every stage.
2. Talk to your staff
Change can be unsettling, so keeping your staff looped in on every phase of your relocation is crucial. Send out weekly updates, and address concerns if the move presents difficulties for your employees. Consider offering incentives to avoid staff churn, such as allowing remote work throughout the week, or increasing salaries to help offset increased commuting costs and time.
3. Name a moving project manager
When relocating office, it is important to treat this process like a project and appoint a project manager. This person should either be experienced in office moves, or is confident in handling the administrative needs of the business throughout the moving process.
This person may need to create a small team for support to help manage the move smoothly. It is important to remember throughout this process not to overload your staff with too many responsibilities. This can demotivate and burn out team members quickly. Although all team members can help, no one should be forced to stay late or do tasks far outside their normal realm of duties.
Permitting your team to find a reliable business relocation provider can help keep things on track and assist with project management. This is especially important if you haven’t moved offices before, have had previous chaotic moves, or your company has grown significantly since your last office move.
4. Tell vendors about your move well in advance
Nothing is worse than having shipments or services show up at your old place of business while you’re awaiting them in your new office. Let vendors know at least two months in advance about the change, and remind them again when you are ready to move locations.
5. Keep your customers informed about your move
Keeping your customers in the loop about your business relocation is important in maintaining clear, transparent communication throughout the move process. Send out a courtesy email around two weeks before your move detailing how you will be handling sales flows and customer service during your transition. Make sure to update your website and email signatures, have new business cards printed, and program your letterhead, this way everyone will have your new contact details and address.
6. Clean out old items
If your move also entails new office furniture, you can sell or donate used items. Electronic office equipment can be sold or donated as well. If you have to dispose of broken electronic equipment, consider using an e-waste solution.
7. Test IT equipment
Waiting until the last day to move all of your electronics can spell disaster if there is a problem with configuration. Therefore, it’s important to move some computers over to the new office ahead of time, have services set up, and test everything to make sure there are no issues. If you are working with professional business relocators, it is important to be consistent in communication to ensure a smooth change over. They will be able to test systems ahead of time and prepare equipment for a fast hookup once the rest of the office arrives.
8. Obtain insurance for the new location
This can be something that is easy to overlook, but in addition to tenant or owner insurance at your new office building, you’ll need to ensure that your business insurance moves with you.
9. Set up an emergency command center
If something catastrophic happens at the last minute of your move, like a water main bursting which blocks your access to your new office, have a temporary HQ solution ready to go and enable employees who can work remotely to attend to core services.
10. Enquire with a professional business relocation company
By using a professional business relocations company, you can relieve yourself and your staff of moving worries so you can concentrate on keeping your business up and running throughout the transition. You’re an expert at your line of business, and they are experts in their line of business – which is moving companies like yours and hundreds of others each month to new locations.
Once you are all settled in your new space, everything will have been worth it. If you find yourself needing help with your move, contact a professional to get started. The Allied team is ready and awaiting your call!
Allied is New Zealand’s premier moving company for business relocation, business services and specialists relocations. Speak to one of our our experts today on 0800 255 433 for a quote.