You own a successful and growing business, and it’s about time you changed premises. But how do you do a business relocation?
At the Strong Move Company, we know that such a venture is an exciting step for any business, but it’s also challenging and overwhelming. As a result, many companies postpone moving to avoid all the stress and choose to stay in inefficient, inconvenient, and costly facilities.
But there’s another way!
We’re here to help you go through more than planning an office move, the checklist to moving an office and the 5 golden rules, but the entire business relocation process as smoothly as possible and minimise the negative impact on your business and profitability.
Business relocation is necessary:
- If you need to expand;
- If the new location provides many new opportunities for progress;
- For proximity to important clients;
- To reach a new customers market;
- If the alternative location lowers the costs of running your business;
- To build a better work environment for employees, etc.
No matter the reason, a successful business move requires careful and detailed planning.
An adequate plan, regular communication, prepared staff and starting the endeavour early are key steps to consider. All this guarantees little-to-no chaos, business disruption, and loss of income and productivity.
Change is never easy, and that’s why here we offer you a thorough guide on how to relocate your business.
How to Pick the New Premises
The perfect new premises for your business are a cost-effective place that satisfies your current needs, offers space and possibilities for advancements not available in your present facility, and is suitable for any future developments.
Of course, ensure that the place meets your demands and complies with your reasons to move. Remember to investigate transport links around the new location, which is essential to make the moving process more endurable for employees.
Another factor to consider is the local job market if you intend to hire additional staff in the future.
Evaluate Your Business
Invest time to analyse all areas and gear in your office space. This helps decide on what items, devices, furniture, and paperwork to move or dispose of, the order in which to move them, how to arrange them in the new place, etc.
For example, to avoid interruption of the work, move items like computers, phones, and similar equipment last, since they are crucial to daily work activities.
Create a Strategy That Follows a Timeline
Once you complete the detailed walk-through and evaluation of the current workspace, you are ready to prepare a plan of how exactly to execute each task. This strategy minimises the oversights of important things during the transition. It’s best to make up your checklist of to-dos based on a timeline. Plan what to accomplish in a month, in two weeks, on moving day, etc. Set the timeline following employees’ opinions.
Part of creating a strategy for a successful move is to assign someone in charge of different stages of the relocation. This helps maintain the entire process well organised.
Help From Professionals for the Business Relocation
If the entire relocating organisation seems too much to handle, there are professional services to help you. They provide the knowledge, expertise, and resources you need to quickly carry the move out to high standards. Qualified companies offer also:
- Support before, during, and after the moving;
- Packing and unpacking;
- Safe transportation of inventory to the new location;
- Furniture dismantling and reassembly;
- Cleaning the new area, etc.
A professional team of movers execute your business move the proper way.
Have Effective Communication
Who to inform about your business moving?
Give Notice to Employees
It’s mandatory to announce your plans to move to staff.
Normally, this raises feelings of anxiety amongst employees, so manage the situation sensitively. What’s the right approach?
Offer incentives to key workers you intend to take to the new premises. For instance, help with moving expenses.
And fulfil your legal obligation to pay redundancy to employees who refuse to move to another city or you can’t take them along.
Inform Clients, Landlords and Others About the Business Relocation
Make sure they are aware of the change because this is a major factor for the success of the business move.
To achieve that:
- Send emails or create a postal campaign;
- Upload a notification on your company’s website and your social media;
- Distribute information with the new address;
- Update the address on Google listing and other online platforms etc.
It’s essential to ensure an on-time notice about the transition since it prevents a negative impact on the workflow.
Calculate Moving Costs
You must determine and stick to a flexible budget that reflects all potential and hidden costs. The amount of money you can afford is a defining factor for your available options. Always include extra costs for unexpected omissions, delays, insurance, maintenance, renovations, etc.
It’s a good idea to contact a commercial relocating company, so they shed light on the full expenses of your business move.
Get the Right Packing Supplies for the Business Relocation
With the actual moving process, efficient packing is key.
The following supplies ensure you do the job properly:
- Bubble wrap;
- Packing paper;
- Labels;
- Different-sized boxes;
- Packing tape;
- Moving blankets;
- Furniture movers and sliders.
Use these supplies to provide real protection for your valuable items during moving. It’s more expensive to replace valuable equipment than to pack it properly. So, this is a great way to avoid unexpected costs.
Check the 50+ Packing Tips we have to share.
To Conclude
Business relocation is a serious and stressful change. Thoughtful planning and a practical approach promise an easy and less challenging way to relocate with no critical consequences for your business. And our article is perfect for helping you make the right decisions regarding your company relocation. Remember, once you finish the moving process, take time to celebrate with a fun move-in party for employees and customers.
