The ultimate guide to moving your business to a new location
Business relocation most usually takes place when there is an incentive for advancement of any kind. That is to say, one is taking this step in order to ensure a more prosperous future in the field of work. With that in mind, losing business during the relocation process is one of the common and completely understandable concerns. However, with the ultimate guide to moving your business to a new location, you will have nothing to worry about. We will go through the whole process, helping you to get ready for the move, whilst ensuring there is no productivity loss.
The ultimate guide to moving your business
In order for this relocation to have a successful outcome, you need to be armed with thorough planning, meticulous organization, and efficient action. So, it is best that you start as early as possible. Develop a plan that will ensure minimal disruption to the operations that follow. Now, depending on the size of your business, you might not be able to address this step all on your own. If this is the case, we strongly advise that you form a team that will help you. It ought to be comprised of people who already have some experience with organizing. With them by your side, you should start making lists of all that there is to be sorted, coordinated and physically moved.
Every great guide to moving your business will start with advising a checklist / alt text: A businessman creating a checklist.
Decide what stays and what goes
When you came with the idea of moving your business to a new location, you probably thought to virtually transport your entire Florida office to another area. However, once you take a moment, and look at your inventory, you will be likely to change your mind on the matter. Moving is a great opportunity to declutter. Apart from saving you precious time, it will also save you some money (fewer items to move, lower moving costs). In addition, you can use this process to innovate or upgrade. For example, you can choose to replace those old, uncomfortable office chairs. Although it might seem like a great expenditure, it won't beat the price you would pay for transporting your old furniture.
The same goes for your office equipment. As you are probably familiar, older pieces often require more maintenance and are not so reliable. Your relocation can be an opportunity to replace obsolete items with some new models. Whether it is printers, computers or phones, it will do wonders not only with the productivity of your employees later on, but also boost their morale, so to speak.
Keep in mind that setting up the new equipment in advance in the new premises can make the moving day much less hectic. You can also consider donating the pieces you no longer need.
Make a list of the items you will move
Once you have decided which items will have their place in the new office, you can start making a list of everything you are to move. Mind you, a thorough list is paramount. It will help you organize for the move with great detail, and that will lead to great efficiency. You will be able to decide how many and what types of packing materials you ought to acquire. You will also know the appropriate size of the moving truck you should arrange for, as well as the time the move itself will occupy.
The comprehensive list you make will also help ensure that items are not lost or misplaced during the moving process.
Create a timeline as well as the moving schedule
These two ought to be correlated and address the following questions:
- How much time do you have before the moving day?
- How much of an overlap is there between the time you can access your new location and the time you need to leave your old one?
The tasks you need to address should have their own appointed time./ alt text: A calendar on a table
The first point will further help you plan for packing, sorting documents and notifying everyone important. It is also crucial that your employees are aware of the time they have to adjust to the change. The second point will aid in planning for that time you are out of a location to work in, if the situation arises, and organize accordingly so that your business does not take many losses.
Get the packing supplies
For the packing process, you are going to need:
- various sizes of moving boxes, as well as any special purpose boxes that may be necessary for fragile or heavy items.
- packing paper, packing peanuts, and air bubble sheets
- packing tape and dispensers
- moving blankets, furniture movers and sliders
- labels and sharpie pens
Pack with care and knowledge
Having that the majority of your office belongings will have to be packed on the last day (in order to ensure minimal downtime), you will have to be able to address this task with maximum care, concentration, and knowledge. Mind you, it is much more expensive to replace valuables than it is to pack them properly. Packing paper and packing peanuts are there to provide protection to your most valuable and fragile items. Heavy-duty boxes are best for breakables and heavy items, as they do no get crushed or tear open.
Use air bubble sheets to wrap your electronics such as computers, monitors, and TVs. Make sure they are placed in their special, designated boxes. Cover furniture with moving blankets, and stretch wrap in order to avoid dirt and debris. Use packing tape to seal the boxes, and do not forget to label them with the contents. Doing this means doing yourself a big favor when the unpacking process arrives.
If this part of the guide to moving your business seems too complicated, or time-consuming for you, do not restrain from hiring professionals to address it. Remember, it is crucial that your belongings reach the new destination in their impeccable state. That is if you want to continue with your work right away. So, having experts in the moving industry take care of this important part for you is by no means a bad idea.
Moving an office is not an easy process, and having professional movers help you out is a good decision. / alt text: A big office
Sort your network and communications systems
While people are mostly inclined to plan only for the move of physical equipment, one needs to be mindful of the switch-over of the communications and electronic systems. You need to plan for the time during which this transfer will happen, so as to minimize the downtime. Consider your computer serves, Internet connectivity, company network, as well as the phone system. Do not forget about the security systems, time clocks, and card entry systems, if those are the commodities you use.
Notify your customers, associates, and the public
The last part of this guide to moving your business includes notifying the important people of this change. It is important that you put up professional signage at your old location so that the customers will know when, and where to find you after the move. You should also send change-of-address e-mails to your suppliers, and associates. In addition, you should not forget to notify to post office and change any subscriptions you might have.
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