5 Tips for a Stress-Free Office Relocation

Businesses relocate for various reasons. Expansion opportunities, financial reasons.   Moving a business is complex, and can easily become very stressful for a business owner. However, by planning ahead and taking various steps to make the move easier, business owners can reduce the feeling of uneasiness that comes with a move. Below are 5 tips to create a stress-free move.

1. Start planning early 

Often times businesses underestimate the planning required to move, and it becomes more and more complex the bigger the business or the farther the move. In order to avoid last minute decision-making, businesses should get organized as early as possible. As soon as you know that your business will be moving, you should start making lists of all the necessary steps to be taken:

• Possibly hiring movers
• Purchasing supplies
• Packing
• Notifying stakeholders
• Updating business address

The list is endless. And it is never too early to start the planning process, even if the move is a year away. Moving day will sneak up on the unprepared.

2. Consider hiring movers 

Larger companies, businesses with larger equipment, and businesses moving further distances should consider hiring a moving company. Movers should only be hired after properly vetting and researching the company. Look for a company that specializes in corporate relocations and can supply references for you to contact. By planning the process early, a business has time to interview and vet multiple moving companies. Hiring the right moving company can alleviate some of the owner’s stress.

3. Communicate with stakeholders

It is important to keep an open line of communication with all stakeholders involved, including employees, clients, and partners. It is vital to start talking to employees early in the process and communicate openly and honestly with them. Employee complaints about poorly executed moves can have a debilitating effect on a business. If there are any inconveniences that employees may have to bear, you should start talking these over with employees early in the process.

Clients and other stakeholders should also be frequently updated during the moving process. Clients and customers need to be aware of the coming change in location, and the possible affects on business operating hours during the move. Any changes that come as a surprise to customers will likely be taken twice as hard.

4. Devise a business continuity plan 

Simply stated, the show must go on when your business is moving. Most businesses cannot completely cease their activities while the move is occurring. Proper planning can reduce the operational impacts on business. For larger corporations, this could include moving one department at a time, or scheduling the move on an off-day. The most important part of this plan is ensuring that the technology and telecommunications can continue to work to the largest extent possible during the move.

5. Dispose of things! 

People tend to not want to throw stuff away, even around the office. As a result, things pile up and become clutter. An office move is the perfect time to get rid of stuff that your business no longer needs.

Businesses should remember that anything thrown out is one less thing to pack and then unpack. Excessive clutter can make a new location look old very fast and can detract from the fresh start that a business gets when it moves. Even if older items cannot be completely disposed of, business owners should consider whether it is better to place them in storage as opposed to taking them to the new location.