Shifting your entire business from one building to another can seem a daunting task. Whether you’ve outgrown the space you’re in, or you’re deciding to downsize, moving your employees and your office furniture isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. With some careful planning and consideration, you can make your transition from building to building as smooth as possible.
Relocation is stressful enough without the pressure of having to create your checklist for the move. How are you supposed to manage to ring the removal company and arrange deep cleaning before you unpack all your things in your new office space? Luckily, you don’t have to remember on your own. Here is a comprehensive guide to moving office, designed to make the next step in your business journey as smooth sailing as possible.
Determine The Date
Deciding on the date you’d like to complete your move is essential, and you’re better off doing this early on. You may require a specific date because the lease on your current building is expiring, and this can help you eliminate new spaces that wouldn’t be available early enough. Another reason for determining the date is essential is that you should plan your move at an off-peak period for your business.
It would never be sensible to decide to have your move during the height of your busiest period, say winter if you sell firewood supplies because settling into a new space would demand time you hardly have. You’re putting unnecessary pressure on yourself and your staff if you choose to move during a busier month, and you may see falls in profit as a result.
Find Your New Space
A significant step in moving office is selecting a space to move into! Should you already have found the next building for your business, you can skip straight to the next point. If you’re still unsure about selecting an appropriate new setting and atmosphere for your employees, this is for you.
Consider your budget, your team’s size, and the room you expect you’ll need for growth and keep these at the forefront of your mind with every property you view. Also, determine what you can do for parking spaces and the public transport to ensure that all employees can reach your new office space. Take note of local shops and restaurants so that you can be sure your team has places nearby for lunch, or prioritise a sizable kitchen in the building you choose. Get a professional in commercial boilers to assess the state of the heating and water flow through your potential new office, before you commit.
Consider Your Furniture
If you’re downsizing or scaling upwards with your new building, you need to make sure that your furniture suits your needs. When downsizing, you may only need to declutter and minimise the number of your desks. If your new office building is considerably bigger, you’ll need to purchase furniture that fits the space and allows you room for your growth. The best time to try and get your furniture ordered or prepared is around one month before the move, to give you plenty of time to organise it before you try to settle in!
Plan Address Changes
All deliveries and bills that are charged to your current address need to be cancelled or rerouted. You need to arrange an internet provider, phone lines, gas and electrics and all other essentials to keep your new space running. Ideally, you want your broadband to be functional in your new area for about two weeks before moving in. If you get newspapers or milk delivered to your current office, you also want to inform them of your move at least three weeks in advance. Make your new contact information, including your phone numbers and physical address, as public as possible but plan forwarders for calls and mail that may end up at your old address!
Choose and Use a Removal Firm
Choosing a removal firm may seem like the most obvious step, but as this list has demonstrated, it isn’t the first thing you need to consider! Now that you have a good idea of the amount of furniture you’re going to need transporting to your new building, you can decide on the size of the removal company you need to hire. The day of your move, you can also benefit from the assistance of a house or office clearance business to remove all rubbish once you’re unpacking.
If you need any further assistance with moving and settling into your new office building, contact us at Kiasu Workforce to see how we can help.
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