Migrating to a new office location is just as complicated as moving to a new home. You have big, bulky furnishings that are difficult to pack, along with complex electronics and numerous rooms’ worth of knick-knacks. And, because you can’t exactly close down operations for a week to tidy things up, it all has to happen quickly and efficiently. Here are 10 tips for making your office moving process as seamless as possible:
1. Define Your Budget
The first step in any office move is defining how much money you’re willing to spend. This will help dictate everything from the size of your new office to the professional services you’ll need to hire.
2. Declutter and downsize your office belongings
If you’re anything like the average office worker, you have a desk overflowing with paperclips, old candy wrappers, and long-forgotten Post-Its. Not only is this bad for your mental health, but it will also make packing up your office a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Take some time to declutter your office space before you start packing up boxes.
3. Hire professional office movers
If you want your office move to go off without a hitch, it’s worth hiring professional movers. You can always get hold with office moving companies before moving. They’ll have the experience and expertise to move your office furniture and equipment quickly and safely.
On your first day in your new office, you’re going to want to have a few essential items on hand: toiletries, snacks, changes of clothes, your laptop, and any other items you might need to get through the day. Pack an essentials
4. Office Moving Tips For Employees – Notify your office staff
Notify your office staff about the upcoming move and give them plenty of time to adjust. Your office staff will be just as stressed out about the move as you are, so it’s important to give them a heads up as soon as possible. This way, they can begin to mentally prepare for the change and come up with a planning team to make any necessary arrangements.
One Of The Best Office Moving Tips Ever: Begin A Strategy As Soon As Possible
When it comes to relocating to a new office environment, there’s no such thing as “winging it.” You must start the planning process early, separating out who will do what, how they’ll do it, and when the work will be finished. Otherwise, you could scramble at the last minute, and no one wants to be that office manager.
You’ll also need to consider how you’ll get everything ready for moving day and where things will go when you arrive at your new office location. Use a blueprint to figure out office and common area layouts and any additional demands you may have. Estimate that planning your office move might take several months and then several months to actually put your plan into action.
Appoint a moving manager
Even if you’re going to distribute the labour, it’s essential to have a designated move manager who can help and follow up on each step to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. An administrative assistant is typically the best choice, but you may also hire someone with past experience managing commercial transplants.
Find The Finest Moving Company.
Moving companies are typically more expensive than hiring a moving van and doing it yourself, but there are certain circumstances in which they may be less costly. For example, if you have a lot of things to move or multiple items to pack densely, then renting office movers from Moving Butlers is the way to go. You’ll save time and money in the long run, making it worth the investment.
When it comes to office relocations, ask around for recommendations from people who have done it before. You’ll want to make sure you only hire a firm with a proven track record of success in this area, so look into moving companies with prior experience. Have a representative from each moving crew come to your workplace and examine the scope of the work for an accurate estimate.
Read more about the questions to ask moving companies
Schedule Your Office Move Around Business Hours
The best time to schedule your office move is during business hours on a weekday. That way, you won’t have to worry about taking too much time away from work or disrupting your company’s daily operations.
Don’t Forget to Change Your Office Address.
This one might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many companies forget to update their office address on their website, Google Maps listing, and other marketing materials. Be sure to make the switch as soon as possible so that your customers can continue to find you without any trouble.
Everyone should be assigned the job of packing up their own workstation
While you may have a moving company come in to take care of the major items, having everyone responsible for their desk area will still be beneficial. Give your employees notice when they’ll need to pack up their workstations and try to encourage them to complete small tasks one at a time so that nobody has to hurriedly finish packing.
Don’t forget I.T.
Disconnecting and reconnecting all of your technology is one of the most challenging aspects of relocating to a new office environment. As soon as you know the date of your move, get your I.T. department to prepare a plan for transferring all of your company’s technical equipment. This involves computers, servers, phones, and data and internet connections.
If you’re getting rid of any equipment, make a plan for recycling or donating them. Human-i-T and Computers with Causes are two non-profit organizations that accept used tech and distribute it to organizations where it is needed most. In some situations, the equipment does not have to be in good operating order.
Pack An Office Survival Kit
On the day of your office move, make sure you have all the essentials packed and ready to go so you can continue working without disruptions. This includes items like toilet paper, coffee, snacks, paper towels, pens, and other office supplies.
Make Sure You Know How To Create Rules.
If you are moving out of or into a facility your company owns, you’ll need to obtain a thorough rundown of all building regulations regarding relocating. You may believe that simply because you can only relocate during non-business hours means you’re good to go.
Put Address Change Orders In Place
It’s usually better to get your new address on your documents as soon as possible, so place your orders for new business cards, letterhead, envelopes, return labels, and other items right when you know where you’ll be settling. Make sure to notify your clients about the change as well; in particular, if they regularly ship things to you.
Make It a Point To Label Your Boxes Carefully
When you’re moving to a new office, it’s especially crucial to label your boxes. To keep things going while and after the relocation, make sure you label each box appropriately, so you don’t look for things like more printer paper or toner when you really need them.
Label each box with a location and a number for maximum efficiency, and maintain a corresponding spreadsheet that lists each box number and the items inside of it. It’s a little more work, but it’ll save you a lot of time when you first move into your new home by making it easy to find.
Check To See If Anything Will Fit
While you may want to bring that big breakroom fridge with you, the room in your new breakroom may not accommodate it. Instead of spending time, effort, and money on things that won’t fit in your new workplace, get the dimensions of your major goods and compare them to those of your next location.
This also applies to things like your conference room tables, major electrical equipment, and other items requiring much room. Hopefully, you’ve chosen an office that can accommodate your previous furnishings and technology, but if you haven’t, you’ll want to know before move-in so you don’t get stuck with useless boxes.
Try To Get Rid Of Some Non-Essentials On Your Own First.
Moving day may be made easier by relocating the small stuff as soon as possible, provided there’s enough time overlap with your new lease. As one of the best steps, you can try to sell unwanted furniture online. Taking care of things like plants and bulk office supplies on your own, especially if you can have them set up in their new places before you move in, might help make the entire relocation process less complicated.
Celebrate Your New Digs
Relocating to a new office is stressful for everyone, including your workers. As a “thank you” for everyone’s help in making it happen and as a symbol of your new workplace, plan a little party after the move. You don’t have to be completely settled yet, and it doesn’t have to be anything huge—a simple office-wide lunch will do.
What matters most is that you acknowledge the fact that everyone’s lives were disrupted for a while, and that the office is now in a new place. This simple act can help build office morale and ensure everyone knows you’re grateful for their help.
Moving to a new office is a time-consuming and stressful process, but there’s usually a good reason for it. Prepare as much as you can ahead of time so that to-dos don’t fall through the gaps. Appointing your move manager early on will allow you to focus on more important tasks. Knowing that someone is in charge of creating a timeline, budget, and assigned tasks will give you some much-needed peace of mind.
For All your office moving needs around Maple Ridge, please give us a call.
