An office relocation is exciting. You could be moving to bigger premises to cater to your growing company, or you could be opting to upgrade your office. Whatever your reasons for making the move, you want it to go as smoothly as possible. As the saying goes, fail to plan, plan to fail. We’re here to help, and with these tips, your office location is sure to go as planned.
Tip 1: Find your new location
This could be the toughest part of the whole journey: finding the perfect location. Are you currently in the countryside and looking to move to the city? Or vice-versa? Moving offices can open new business avenues, so this is a very exciting time for your company. Things to consider when finding your new location:
- Budget: If it’s not next door, you’re likely to need removal vans. If you’re moving across the country this could be costly
- Clients: If you’re a customer-facing business and have clients in your current location, how will this be affected by where you move?
- How much space: Be sure to check the capacity is worth the move. If you’ve forecasted staff numbers to increase from 50 to 70 in the next year, don’t look at an office which has a comfortable capacity for 55 people.
Tip 2: Assemble your team
Like any big project, you need a reliable team behind you. It’s even more essential with an office move as you could have thousands of pounds worth of equipment leaving the building.
The team you form could be responsible for:
- Doing a stock check: You don’t want to start with 10 computers and end up with eight. Ensure an inventory of the office is carried out prior to moving anything
- Seal with confidence: When things have been packed and checked off the inventory, it’s up to the relocation team to confirm this and have it sealed
- Organise the essentials: If you plan to work in your new building while moving out of your old one, you want to ensure essentials are moved over first.
Tip 3: Clear out
Time to streamline your office belongings and pack what you’re taking with you. You might have several feelings rushing around, but the next step is the new chapter in your business’ story. It could fall perfectly; the lease is up on your current location and your new office is ready and waiting. In this instance, this is the perfect thing to happen – a quick move, unpack and you’re back up and running. However, there are other situations which might not seem so smooth but can be easy nonetheless. If, for example, the lease is up on your current office but your new one is running a month behind schedule, you can look at getting business storage to safely secure some things in the meantime. You could also use the storage unit as a base to unpack from to ensure you can get your new office exactly how you want it.
While at some points it may seem like a stressful transition, an office move can be an exciting and rewarding time – especially if you plan well.
