Exciting. Essential. Stressful.
All of these words describe the process of office relocation. Sure, it’s exciting to see your business evolving and find a better office fit for your operations, but making the move is no easy task. From minimizing downtime to ensuring you don’t forget anything to keeping costs under control, the excitement of a new space can quickly turn to stress.
Ready to relocate but not sure how to get started? We’ve got you covered.
Making the Move: Seven Tips to Streamline the Process
Not all moves are created equal. For example, moving across the country isn’t the same as moving just down the block — the time, effort and logistical planning required are different.
There are, however, practical moving tips that apply no matter where you start and regardless of where you’re going. Here are seven to help you get started.
- Plan, plan, plan
Making the most of your move starts before a single item gets packed. The complexity of lifting and shifting people, technologies and data from one place to another — even in the same city — means an ad-hoc approach simply won’t work.
Instead, it’s worth creating a roadmap that includes general timelines, describes key milestones, and identifies a point person to lead the team and field critical questions.
- Create a move team
With a basic plan in place, it’s worth creating a move team that reports to your point person. Part of your team should focus on internal operations, such as collecting key documents and identifying possible friction points.
Your team should also include staff tasked with handling external efforts, such as finding and hiring disposal services, moving companies and ensuring that utilities such as internet and phone service are shifted to the new location.
- Don’t need it? Don’t take it
If you’ve spent years or decades at the same office, you’ve likely accumulated a significant amount of “stuff.” This may include out-of-date technology such as computers or mobile devices, along with old furniture and appliances.
Take the time to inventory what you have, and then decide what you’re going to bring. A simple rule can simplify this process: If you don’t need it, don’t take it.
- If you like it, put a label on it
Once you’ve identified what’s making the move, it’s time to start labeling. This doesn’t mean slapping a few stickers on boxes and hoping for the best — it means labeling everything you plan to move in as much detail as possible.
For example, if CEO Bob Business has a box of office items that are coming along, it’s not enough for the label to read “CEO’s Office.” Instead, it needs to specify the owner’s name (Bob Business), what’s inside (financial documents and quarterly reports) and where the box is going in the new space (3rd floor, office 325).
- Hire professional movers
Even if you’re just moving around the corner, it’s worth hiring professional movers. Reputable and reliable companies have experience handling everything from boxes to furniture to more fragile items and have the expertise to ensure that your items get where they’re going in good condition.
- Prioritize employee transitions
The most important thing when you get to your new space? Getting staff comfortable and getting them back to work. As a result, it’s important to prioritize what staff need to get started. This means making sure Internet connections are available, desks and chairs are ready to go and spaces like kitchens and break rooms are fully equipped.
- Do a post-move debrief
Before closing the chapter on your move, do a debrief. Evaluate what went well, what could have gone better, and what you learned from the process. Why? Because chances are you’ll do it again — it could be another office shift or the opening of a new location. The more you learn, the easier your next move.
Ready, Set, Move
All office moves come with challenges. Whether you’re hiring a national moving firm to take you cross-country, or a San Diego moving company to get you across the city, stress is part of the process.
Streamline the shift by taking the time to plan, prioritizing what you’ll take, and bringing in professional movers to help with the heavy lifting.
Author bio: Stan Caramalac is the founder and CEO of Move Central. He started the company because he truly believed that moving could be simple as long as it was done efficiently. He strives to help people make their moves smoother and less stressful. Caramalac and his team proudly serve San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
SOURCES
https://adsiunited.com/7-suggestions-stress-free-office-move/ https://www.junk-king.com/blog/article/office-relocation-tips-for-your-business