Moving to a new office is a great sign for a business. It usually means your operation is growing and you need room to expand. However, an office move also presents challenges and requires careful planning. The following looks at steps to take when coordinating an office move that can lessen business “down time” and make the move less stressful for employees.
Develop A Timeline
As far in advance as possible, create a timeline for the move that includes all the tasks that must be accomplished and the people responsible for each task. This will require creating a team of people responsible for different aspects of the move. Makes sure to include them all in planning the timeline and creating realistic deadlines for each task.
Structure the Team
One way to approach creating the moving team is to put one person in charge, then have representatives from each department on the team. That way, the views of every department are heard and considered. This is also the time to determine how many employees and how much office equipment will be part of the move.
Hire a Mover
As much as six months (or more) before the move, have a list of every item that will need to be moved. This information then can be used when hiring office moving services. When choosing a mover, keep the following in mind.
- Only consider companies with the proper licensing to handle local, statewide and cross-country moves
- Only work with companies that offer insurance through a third-party provider (moving companies offer basic, standard insurance and should offer information on getting higher levels of insurance through third-party companies)
- Make sure to get a written contract for your moving costs
- Let movers know in advance what services you need, such as packing or temporary storage
- Be sure to research moving companies, including reading online reviews
- Look for companies with experience in handling office moves
Make Plans For The New Space
To help determine what you will need to move, design how the office will be laid out in the new location. You can eliminate any items you will not need. Also, any problem areas in the current location can be fixed with the design of the new space.
Notify Customers
About four months before the move, notify your customers. Now is the time to create an office moving notice letter to send to customers, vendors and business partners. The letter should be short and to the point, offering information on your new office address and any changes to email addresses, phone numbers and contacts.
Assign Tasks
Each employee should know their office move tasks weeks before the move. An important part of this is ensuring employee safety. This includes informing employees about avoiding certain types of behavior, including the lifting of heavy objects, overreaching, deep bending, twisting and trip and falls. It’s important to allow professional movers to handle the work, not employees.
On Moving Day
Make sure all the personnel needed for the move are in place. Clearly mark what needs to be moved and what will go into storage or discarded. Once in the new location, have a plan where you want movers to place office furniture and equipment (based on the design you did months before).
Moving to a new office is an important time for businesses, With the proper amount of planning and by hiring a professional moving company, the move can happen smoothly and get your business back online as quickly as possible.
