Running a business means accepting that, at some point, you will need to move into a bigger space or even open a second location. Either way, you will find yourself needing to plan out a commercial move at some point. Moving into a commercial place is a much more detailed process than moving house.
Homes have simple layouts, and it is obvious where specific types of furniture need to go. Not so with a commercial space. Open-plan spaces need to be arranged for maximum accessibility and easy flow of movement. Commercial spaces with offices and a customer service area need to plan for different layouts and storage layouts.
The hardest part is that a thriving business that needs to move cannot shut down their business for too long to move as this can affect their quality of service. So you must hire movers who specialize in commercial moving to help get the furniture and equipment to the space efficiently. Then, you must find an experienced facility maintenance company to help you clean the space and set it up as quickly as possible. If you prepare well, the process does not have to take long or cause too much disruption.
Appoint a Move Manager
As soon as you realize it is time to move, you need to appoint one person to handle the logistics and planning for the move. This person will be the point person for all move-related information and will facilitate every step of the moving process. You will likely end up choosing your most competent employee for this temporary position. This means accepting that, for a few months, they will need to reassign their work and delegate to ensure the move goes through smoothly.
Allow them to handle the logistics within the business so that you can concentrate on finding a suitable space. Once you have narrowed down to a few possible new spaces, bring in the move manager to view the space. Measure out the square footage with them and trust their input on whether the new space is large enough to accommodate the existing staff and new staff plus the equipment and electronics. Their input will be invaluable to you as they will know exactly how much space will need to be used.
Hire Outside
On the off chance that you cannot spare an employee to handle this position, you may need to hire a commercial relocation specialist. A few companies offer this service, and, for a fee, they can help to handle the logistics side of the move. The downsides are that you’re allowing outsiders to see the inner working of your business, they may not understand the personnel dynamics of the company, and budgeting for their fees will increase your moving budget.
Find the Best Moving Company
The right moving company can make the difference between your electronics arriving unharmed and in good condition or arriving damaged and unusable. Businesses rely a great deal on their electronics and sensitive equipment. Entrusting these to inexperienced movers can cause you to incur a lot of damages that you may not be able to recover from easily.
Ask for recommendations from other companies that have moved premises in the past. This will help you to narrow down a list of commercial movers that have a good reputation. Choose the moving company based on your budget. A full-service moving firm will be expensive, but they will pack, load, deliver, unload, and unpack everything. This can help to greatly reduce the extra costs that come with moving as they will provide the boxes, packing paraphernalia, and miscellaneous items as part of the service.
Invite the movers to send someone to see your current office and give you a quote based on the amount of work it will be. Be sure to give them accurate information on the new space and allow them to see the new space as well. This will give them all the information they need to give you an accurate time frame and a price point that will allow you to know how to proceed.
Allow Employees Some Freedom
Depending on the sensitivity of the information you work with and the amount of personal space you allow employees to have in the workspace, you may find that it is better to have them pack up their own desk. Assign them a set amount of boxes and give them a few days to pack. They can label these boxes with a special code to allow the movers to know to pack them away separately.
Inform your staff of this early enough so that they can start preparing for the move early as well. Provide the boxes and the packing labels so that they can pack without too much disruption to the workday. It is better to give employees a longer time to get everything packed and in order than to rush them to pack in one day right before the move.
Moving is not an easy process, but it does not have to be disruptive to the workflow. A full-service mover should ensure that the IT department does not run into any issues with connecting and setting up the new office. They should have you back in business without must delay.
Also, it is a good idea to start sending out address change notices up to a week before the move. Send out a regular reminder on your social media pages and set up a banner on your website as an extra measure. Sometimes it takes clients a bit more time to get used to business moving their premises, and you must make sure they are informed well in advance.