Whether it’s time to expand, downsize, consolidate, or simply change your location, moving to a new office can be an exciting time for your business. However, planning to relocate can often be a time-consuming and stressful process, particularly if you have employees and lots of equipment to factor into your move. We have some useful tips to share to help you make your office move as stress-free and as successful as it can be.
Plan ahead
Moving offices, particularly if it is a big relocation, is inevitably going to cause some sort of disruption to business as usual. Poorly organised and disruptive relocation process can result in ongoing problems which might persist for long after the official move has taken place. To avoid excessive disruption to your business and ensure the move is a smooth, successful one, careful planning and organisation is essential.
When first considering relocation, setting out a time-frame and drawing up a schedule within which to complete the move is an essential first step. Make sure these time scales are explicitly communicated to all of those involved to ensure the move stays on track. However, allowing for some flexibility can go a long way, particularly as the relocation is likely to affect different areas of your business in different ways. It might be necessary to appoint a project lead, or even set up a relocation team amongst your employees to help with easing the load of the moving process and ensuring it is a success.
Communicate with your team
Change is not always welcome, which is why good communication is instrumental to the success of any office move. It can be the difference between your employees feeling positive and motivated to offer their support to make the process as seamless as it can be, to actively working against the move and causing unnecessary delays.
Keeping your employees informed of your relocation plans as early as possible is essential to ensure any of their concerns can be addressed in the initial stages. Whether they’re concerned about the changes to their usual commute and travel time,
parking space availability or who they may now be sharing an office with, it is important to set aside some time to address any of their concerns before the move gets underway. After all, they may highlight some things you haven’t yet considered which you can now factor into your preparation and planning stages of the move.
Consider moving in stages
Depending on your current circumstances, and whether your lease allows, it might be worth considering your office move in stages. If this is not possible, begin by packing up the items and equipment that you need to keep but don’t use that often.
To keep business disruption to an absolute minimum, essential IT equipment and files that are in daily use can be packed up at the very last minute on the actual day you’re leaving your current premises. If you require a little extra support with the handling of your IT equipment, there are professionals who can help to transfer your electronic systems swiftly and safely using carefully organised safety bundles, so you don’t have to worry about the risk of damage during the move.
Update addresses ahead of time
It will benefit you to start updating documents, both physical (i.e. business cards) and digital (i.e. letterheads/emails) in advance. If you need to order in any of the physical business stationary, get this done as early as possible to ensure these are on hand from the minute you step foot into your new office space as you never know who you might bump into!
Don’t forget to keep your clients and other business associates informed of your office relocation before you move. Listing as an announcement on your website and sending out an email are great ways to keep those who need to know informed, and will prevent any risk of confusion later down the line.
Although there are many things to consider when it comes to moving offices, it doesn’t have to be a stressful, disruptive process provided the appropriate planning and preparation goes into it. Once you have settled into your new digs, don’t forget to thank your employees for their cooperation. Have you considered a ‘moving-in’ party or lunch to celebrate?
