An office move is one of the biggest and most complex tasks managers have to take on. It’s important to make sure that the move is handled both efficiently and safely, limiting any business disruptions.
Having the staff prepared to move requires creating a rock-solid move plan. The following looks at some of the issues that businesses face and ways to keep an office or business move manageable.
The First Five Things To Know
You want to keep the follow major points in mind as you prepare the office staff for the big move. Everything else flows from these ideas.
- Properly determine how much space you need
- Set deadlines and meet them
- Stay within the budget
- Hire a trustworthy moving partner
That last one could rank as No. 1, considering that many of the issues that happen in an office move occur because of the lack of a quality professional mover.
Here are some steps to take to ensure you meet all the above.
Fix a Schedule
Two months before the move, set up a schedule. This is going to be the document you refer to, so it needs to be thorough. Set deadlines for hiring a mover, having everyone packed, having all the stuff you’re not moving disposed of, and the dates of the actual move (it’s usually going to take two to three days).
Once you have that, you can then determine all the dates that the staff needs to know for each step (such as the day their department needs to have their desks packed or when they need to submit a list of all the furniture they need moved).
Notify Everyone
A month before you move, staff needs to notify everyone who needs to know about your change of address. You can use a template like this one to make those notifications. It’s important to also make new business cards and stationery and make any changes necessary for the contact information on the website.
Put Someone In Charge
One person will need to act as the coordinator for all the moving activities. They will keep the list of deadlines and makes sure that they are all met. You may also want to put more than person in charge – a moving committee – if needed.
Professional Packing
Hire a mover with experience in packing sensitive computer and other equipment. You want to avoid as many problems as possible. This is also the part where it’s important to note that employees should never move anything. That’s a safety hazard! Employees should only put the belongs they want to take into a box and leave it on the desk. The professionals will take it from there.
Those are some of the tips to keep in mind when getting staff ready for an office move. The goal is to minimize disruption and enhance safety. It can be done with some careful planning and following through, as well as with a professional moving partner.
