The prospect of relocating your company to new premises is an exciting one, marking the progression of your enterprise and the start of a new era within the business.
However, once you’ve signed the lease papers and committed to moving office, the reality of the situation can suddenly hit home. After all, any moving process, whether residential or commercial, is notoriously fraught with stress and worry. How can you ensure that your business move runs as smoothly as possible, with minimum disruption to the everyday running of your company?
Smooth move: Top tips to ensure that your office move is as straightforward and stress-free as possible:
Get everyone prepared. It’s important to keep both employees and customers well informed as to what is happening within your company. Remember that your relocation may impact on your employees in terms of their commute into the office, and give them enough time to work out any adjustments that they may need to make in order to accommodate the change.
Update the stationery. Before moving, make sure all your stationery and correspondence reflects the new address, and ask a member of staff (or indeed yourself) to update the website with the new contact details.
Take an inventory and identify where purchases need to be made.In the weeks leading up to the office move, make notes of the items that will be moving to the new address, and consider whether you need to upgrade any existing equipment, as now is an excellent time to do so!
Identify difficult-to-move objects.Some items in your office may be heavy or awkward to move, so it’s important to hire a removals company that can cope with this. If in doubt, make sure to ask before booking.
Don’t leave packing until the last minute. Packing up an entire office can be a time-consuming activity, and it’s imperative not to leave it until the last moment. Instead, create a rough itinerary, packing items that aren’t used very often a few days before the move date, and leaving more every-day items until nearer the time.
Protect your possessions. Some of your equipment is likely to be fragile, so it’s really important to work out how best to protect it during the move. This is something that your removals team may be able to assist with.
Don’t forget to insure.It’s vital to insure the contents of your office whilst in transit, especially if you’re carrying any sensitive documents containing client information. You'll need special insurance to cover you during the process.
Plan your new office space.To save time and stress after you and your possessions have arrived in the new office; create a plan, outlining roughly where desks, filing cabinets and other large items will be placed.
If it all sounds just a bit too overwhelming, then remember, there are many removals companies that offer a comprehensive service, packing your items for you and even unpacking when you arrive at your destination. This can really take the stress out of proceedings, leaving you free to concentrate on returning the business to normal as swiftly as possible.
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