How to Plan a Hassle-Free Office Move
While some aspects of a business can be taken care of successfully by winging it, moving your office is not one of them. There are many people involved and everyone needs to know their part to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Not making a thorough plan can cause issues with productivity and deadlines which is something any reputable business wants to avoid. With that in mind, here are a few elements to create an efficient office move plan.
Predict business growth
You might be initiating a move because you wish to find a more attractive location or because your team has outgrown your current office. However, one of the essential things to take into consideration is your potential growth. Naturally, you cannot predict such things precisely because there are many factors that influence the growth of a business but you can make estimates.
If you disregard the potential growth of your business, you might find yourself looking for new and larger space to accommodate your expanding employee force sooner than you think. But if you consider this element on time, you can, for instance, choose a place which is a bit larger than you need or one that has adjacent office space which is empty so that you can spread when the time comes.
Create a detailed inventory list
To avoid the misplacement of crucial items, printed documents or even your favorite stress ball, you need to be aware of all things that will be relocated to the new space. Perhaps it is best to start with larger items, such as the number of chairs, tables, and closets, and perhaps then to move to important working tools such as monitors, keyboards, laptops, and all the gadgets.
Even stationary should find its place on the inventory list or if you are throwing away most of it, then you need to note that fact too so as to remember to buy new on time. Imagine what a disastrous first day at work it would be if your employees couldn’t find everything they need to start working. If you make a detailed list, you will be able to tick everything that goes out of the old and into the new office space.
Organize the transportation
One of the most crucial elements is to take care of transportation on time, especially if you are moving to another city. In countries which are not that densely populated, such as New Zealand, changing cities is taken seriously and prepared thoroughly and any last-minute cancellation can result in a serious delay which could affect your productivity and your reputation.
This is why you need to opt for the most reliable option so that when you make a reservation at, let’s say, a reputable truck rental in Auckland, you know that they would act professional and that those trucks would get your belonging to another city without an issue. A hassle-free move would mean that there are no misunderstandings and complex procedures about picking up a vehicle or returning it and that the vehicle you rented fits your needs perfectly.
Involve your employees
Your employees shouldn’t carry furniture and equipment around but they should be responsible for any personal belongings that they have on their desks or in the drawers. They can either carry them themselves to the new office or place them in a box and add them to your list of inventory to be moved. Regardless of the method, what’s vital is that nothing gets lost.
Another reason why they need to be informed about everything is so they can prepare for the move as well. This would entail making copies of the essential work they have been working on so that they can continue their work undisrupted. Also, they would perhaps have to make other arrangements when it comes to the manner in which they come to work and some might decide to move closer to the new location.
Inform customers and clients
There is another group of people, apart from your employees, that need to be notified of any changes in your business operations due to the move – your customers, clients, and suppliers if you have any. It would look unprofessional if you know that you would be late with some projects because of the move and you don’t inform them on time.
Also, they would need to be reminded of the location to which you moved to because they might forget and go to the previous address. To be time-efficient, send notifications once you decide to move and a new batch once you move, to make sure everyone saw them. They could be in the form of an email, social media posts or whichever communication channels you use with your customers. And if you are moving a brick-and-mortar shop, the need for people to find you grows so you better market the new location in advance.
If you incorporate these elements into the plan, you will ensure that your business operations continue optimally uninterrupted by the office move.