A 10-Point Plan For Relocating Your Office
Whether a company is large or small, the decision to move to a new set of offices or new business premises is not one that should be taken on a whim. Whilst any such move has more chance of success if is planned and carried out by professional removalists, there are many other elements to such a move.
For each individual, the decision process and the specifics relating to their relocation may differ somewhat, but in all instances, there are a number of core steps that apply when considering moving a business. There are many ways you can ensure that you cover all of them, but our favourite is to use our 10-point plan.
#1 Determine The Motives For The Relocation, And Whether They Are The Right Ones: No business should move just for the sake of it, so ensure that any move is part of a long-term strategic plan for your business and that the motivation for the move ties in with its expansion.
#2: Choose The Ideal New Location: Your first thought should be to confer with management and even staff with regard to location ideas. Ultimately the choice of location should not only make logistical sense but compliment and support the goals of the business.
#3: Assess Your Costs And Available Budget: Once you have determined what locations are suitable, your final choice may be shaped by your available budget. This will apply not just in the long-term with regard to rent, but also the costs of actually implementing the relocation, such as removalist fees, packing materials, and any loss of revenue during the move.
#4: Appoint A Relocation Coordinator: This is a role that you can obviously take on yourself but given that you should be focussing on running your business, you should instead appoint a trusted manager or member of staff as a relocation coordinator, along with the authority to make some decisions pertaining to it.
#5: Hire Professional Removalists: This does not really need much explanation other than the only sensible decision here is to hire professional removalists if you want your relocation to be successful, especially on moving day.
#6: Create A Calendar Of Events: For everyone’s benefit, including yours and your staff, and to minimise disruption, you should create a calendar of events so that each of you knows what is happening and when.
#7: Determine What You Are Keeping And What Is Being Scrapped: There will never be a better opportunity to get rid of anything and everything that is surplus to requirements than a relocation. Be brutal and scrap, shred, and dump anything your business no longer needs.
#8: Arrange For Packing Materials And Then Pack: Once you know what you are keeping and taking with you, you should then start the process of packing, which obviously means purchasing packing materials. If you are unsure which packing materials to buy, ask your removalist company which should supply them.
#9: Arrange IT/Technical Support In Both Locations: At both your current and your new location you will need IT and telecommunication equipment and systems uninstalled and installed, respectively. Do not leave this to the last minute as it could cause a delay in your business reopening.
#10: Plan Your New Office Layout: Presuming you are moving to larger premises you will need to plan the layout of your new offices and other areas. Again, this needs to be done well in advance so that when office equipment and furniture arrive at the new location it is placed where it should be.