Guest blog by Matt Casadona. Matt has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. He is currently a contributing editor for 365 Business Tips. Matt is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys the San Diego life, traveling and music.
Moving offices can be daunting and complicated because you’re relocating all of your employees, high-value equipment, machinery, and more. Planning and organization will help make your move easier, quicker, and more efficient. It will also help you better coordinate with your employees and make their lives simpler.
Relocating an Office
When you move your offices, there are tons of things you have to do before, during, and after. Use these tips to help you make the process efficient.
Before Moving Offices
Apply for a Lease at the New Location
If you haven’t locked down your lease at the new location, make sure that you go through the tenant background screening process as soon as possible so that you know when your move-in date is and can start getting prepared.
Review Your Current Lease
Before you move your office, make sure that you understand the consequences of breaking a lease early. These can include a loss of your deposit or an additional fee. Make sure that you understand who is responsible for damaged property, including anything that could happen during the move. Reviewing this contract will help you understand how much the move will cost in its entirety.
If you want to move offices, make sure that you won’t be subject to significant fees. You may want to plan ahead and wait for your lease to end before relocating. Once you know your moving day, inform your landlord so that they know they’ll have to start looking for a new tenant.
Get Quotes From Moving Companies
When you know when you’ll be moving, you’ll want to get quotes from the different moving companies in the area. This will allow you to compare rates so that you can make your move more affordable.
Notify Your Employees
It’s important to let your employees know about the office move as soon as possible so that they can plan ahead. Your new location might be farther away from their homes, so it’s important to let them know the date they’re required to report to the new location so that they can ensure they can make it to work on time.
Make sure that you continue to remind your employees about the move in the weeks leading up to it so that they don’t forget. You can enlist the help of your email marketing platform so that you can set automated email reminders to go out to their personal and business email addresses the closer you get to the move. This will ensure consistent communication.
Assign Roles
Using your own employees for the move can help save you money. Make a to-do list that can help this team be more productive before, during, and after the move-in process. For example, you can have one person in charge of the machinery and another in charge of office supplies.
Communicate With Partners and Customers
Anyone who would normally visit your office should be informed of the move ahead of time. This is another place where you can utilize your email marketing software to help you get the word out. You should also update your website with your new address so that people who look you up online can find you. Updating your website with your new address will improve your local SEO and help people who don’t have current relationships with your business find you.
Consider Ordering Furniture or Equipment
Take a look at your lists to determine what furniture or other office equipment needs to be ordered so that your office can be functional as soon as you move in. If you need to hire
professionals to set up complex machinery or need computers delivered by a certain date, you should take care of these tasks as soon as possible.
Set Up Utilities
Make sure to call your electricity company to ensure they can have the lights on in your new office by your move-in date. And always need to make sure your employees are happy with a quality air conditioning system.
On Moving Day
Make sure your utilities are working. Turn on the lights to make sure that you have electricity. If the power isn’t working, call your utility company as soon as possible to get the problem resolved.
Set Up the Office
Set up the computers, workspaces, standing desks, machinery, and more so that you can see how the office looks visually from a client or partner’s perspective. Doing this immediately can help you make changes to the layout before you commit. You should even set up a comfortable lounging area that your employees can go to relax the body from any work pains, such as arthritis or arm numbness.
Document Damage
Do a thorough walkthrough of your new office and document any damage. This can help you when you move your office again as there was already existing evidence of damage that you cannot be charged for. You’ll also want to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for. Offices aren’t cheap, so if you have broken door knobs, chipped paint, or anything else, you can ask your new landlord to resolve it immediately.
Test All Equipment
Once everything is in place, plug in your phones, computers, Wi-Fi, and IT systems to ensure that everything is working properly. This will allow you to bring in your employees to start working as soon as possible.
Clean Up
Once the move is complete, pick up any garbage that was made from the move or unpacking supplies and equipment. When you’re done, do a thorough cleaning of the entire office space so that you can ensure it’s ready for employees and clients the next day.
After the Move
Welcome Your Employees
Once your move is complete, welcome your employees to the new office by giving them a tour and showing them where their desks and workstations are located. If you’ve moved to a new, better location, you might even have a short get-together in the lunchroom as a celebration of your upgrade.
Get Back to Work
Now that you’re officially moved in, and your employees are back, it’s time to get back to work. Your new office should enable your employees to work more productively and efficiently.
Remember, you may not have gotten everything right immediately. You may find that some employees should be moved closer to their superiors or that you forgot to order more office supplies. Continue to make changes to your new office as time passes so that your space can evolve with your business.
Here are a few other articles you might enjoy:
Importance of Signage for Commercial Tenants
5 Reasons to Pay Attention to Parking in Your Office Lease
Preparing Your Office Space for Autonomous Vehicles
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