Moving is never an easy task, even more so when you are a business owner moving your operations into a different location. It can be a hectic chore that may obstruct your business transactions if not managed properly. And even then, you may still encounter some unforeseen problems that can prolong the entire process.
To add, some businesses have sworn to continue with more sustainable operations that they should uphold even while moving to a different store or office space. Fortunately, there are many ways to minimize the environmental footprint of moving as a business. Here are some of them to help you reduce the impact of moving your business location.
Hire an all-around moving company
Hiring commercial movers is a good way to make your move less destructive to the environment. Because businesses will probably have more heavyweight properties and are difficult to transport than an average household, the moving process may take a long time with a lot of trips between the old and new locations, increasing carbon emissions and taking away time from your transactions.
You should then find a good moving company that can accommodate most of your office appliances and equipment in their vehicles to lessen the number of trips you’d have to take. Even some specifically operate with sustainability as their goal in transporting belongings and disposing of wastes.
Step-by-step moving process
As a business, moving has to be done in steps. Most businesses will want to continue serving their customers even in the middle of a move to not lose any profit. To do this, you must plan the process little by little, only moving certain items and equipment in the beginning to avoid halting business.
But if you have to close shop for a few days, you may still want to properly plan the days before and after to ensure maximum benefits on your part. Depending on how much you have to transport, you should also consider the number of trips to take and days to allot for the task.
Get employees to clean up their workspace
Of course, you can ask your employees to help out during the move. As crucial members of your business, they will also benefit from a smooth transition to your new location. If you are a corporate business with separate desks for each worker, ask them to clean up after themselves and move most of their stuff to make everything more efficient. If they have their vehicles, you can even ask them to help transport some items. Just remember to compensate them for their help to your business.
Sort office properties
Moving to a new location is like starting a new chapter in your business’ life. With that, you may also be compelled to start anew and dispose of some old equipment. In this task, do try to sort your properties into different categories. Some of them you will bring with you to your new workplace.
Some others may be sold to other businesses that can still use them. Others can be given away. As much as possible, try to reduce the number of things you throw away. Especially with electronics, they can be harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly.
Start with new sustainable supplies and appliances
Once you’ve let go of older equipment, do consider looking for more efficient and eco-friendly replacements. Most new technology will have features that reduce electric consumption, helping you reduce utility bills while saving natural resources from being wasted. LED lights, hand-operated tools, and recycled or secondhand equipment are good starting points to move your business toward sustainability. Other sustainable appliances focused on reducing waste are also available depending on the kind of business you own.
These are only some ways to make moving more sustainable for your business. There are still so many other ways to do it that will involve more effort on your part, requiring bigger changes right from the start of the planning of your move until the end of your unpacking activities. But the most important thing is your conviction to sustainability. You need to make sure that everyone in your staff also shares these same beliefs, so everyone is on board with your move.
Even if your move is not the most sustainable one you’ve ever done, you can always take action in your operations and grow your business to become more eco-friendly. This way, you can contribute greatly to conserving the environment while still making a good brand for your business. So do your research and start making the world a better place using your own hands.