- You need to follow the right processes if you intend to move your office without unnecessary hassles.
Moving offices is an exciting time. It is almost as exciting as finding your first office. After all, it gives the opportunity to replace tired and worn furniture, to redesign the flow and feel of the building, and even to let the staff have more say in the arrangements.
Done properly, it can be beneficial to everyone and improve staff morale. Of course, the better the staff morale is the more productive staff generally are. This is why you need to devise a plan before the office is relocated and make sure all your staff is involved.
Check the Building
The first thing you should be doing is verifying the building you are moving into is structurally sound and capable of handling your staff and equipment. It is a good idea to have surveys completed, including dye penetrant testing. This will verify the integrity of the building and allow you to plan the move in confidence.
Don’t forget that an important part of this stage is to check the electrics and water, ensuring the building has an adequate and safe supply of both.
The Timeline
The next step is to create a timeline for the move. You should start with when the move is, presumably the end of your current lease or the date of sale. Ideally, arrange to move a few days before this to give yourself a cushion.
You will then be able to backtrack and work out how long each stage of the move will take. For example, it may take two weeks to set up all the network cables, which means you want to do that at least three weeks before the moving date.
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Create the Space
Take as many of your team with you as possible and visit the new office. This is the time when you need to finalize the layout. While you will have the ultimate decision, it is nice for your office staff to feel involved in this part of the process. You can certainly listen to their suggestions. You want to make sure that the office aesthetics are right.
This is also a good time to choose the color scheme and get the painters in. Create a plan regarding the positioning of cubicles, etc. You can even mark them out if it helps you to visualize the space.
Clear the Clutter
Moving offices is a great time to take stock of what you have, what items need to be updated, and what is never used and simply a waste of time. You should get your staff to help with this, they will know better than you regarding what is and isn’t used.
Your new office should be functional and clutter-free.
Consider Business During The Move
One key consideration is how the business will function during the move. This is one of the reasons why you should move before the lease expires or the sale completes. You can continue using your existing office while you set up the new one and test it.
Your customers won’t notice the difference which is good for business.
Don’t forget to hire professional movers to relocate furniture for you and make sure you have a rota system in place to ensure all members of staff play their part in the move. It can be a great bonding experience.
