Tips & Tricks for Office Renovation or Relocation
If you have recently relocated your office or are renovating your current office space, here are some tips and tricks!
Start Planning NOW:
There is no such thing as “winging it” when it comes to moving offices. Most businesses begin to plan their relocation at least six months in advance. Some larger corporations must plan two years in advance. It’s crucial to start divvying up who will be doing what, how they’ll be doing it, and when it will be getting done. Planning does not stop after the move. It’s in everyone’s best interest to plan what to do when you are in the new office space. Consider deciding on a layout before move in, and create a map of the floor plan and make it available to both employees and movers.
Appoint a Move Manager or Hire a Full Service Office Mover:
This is essential when moving offices. Hiring someone or appointing a moving manager will safe your company a lot of headaches and time. Even though you will be dividing up the work required for the move, it’s important to appoint a moving manager to facilitate and follow up on each step to ensure that things are progressing. If you would like to appoint someone has a move manager, an Administrative Assistant is usually the best person for the job.
Hiring Movers:
Take the time to research the best moving company for your office’s relocation needs. Depending on various factors of the move you should hire movers with the experience, resources and manpower your company needs. When it is time for the actual move, it’s a good idea to have at least two managers present during the duration of the move. One at the origin and one at the final destination. Take care not to have too many managers present during the move. This could lead to confusion and slow down the movers.
Everyone For Themselves:
Talk to your employees in the start of the move, and make sure you are keeping them update about any changes that occur in the moving plan. Set a date in which everything must be packed up and encourage them to start packing their desks little at a time to avoid having to pack everything at once. Consider giving your employees a few hours off the day before the move to get their desks in order. Assign the head of each department the responsibility of taking inventory of all items to be moved in their department.
Don’t Forget About I.T.:
One of the biggest problems in relocating is disconnecting and reconnecting all the technology. Once the official move day has been selected, I.T. should draft a plan for transferring all of your office’s technical equipment. Do make sure you are giving I.T. enough notice about the move so they can begin planning. Typically 3-6 months in advance should do. If you’re moving existing IT equipment, make sure it’s unloaded first so the IT team can immediately get to work setting up the network, phones, etc.
Address Changes:
Start putting address changes in place once you’ve received the location of the new office. Place orders for new business cards, envelopes, letterheads, return labels, etc. Make sure you keep your clients up to date about the move, and get them your new address as soon as possible, especially if they ship to you often.
Boxing & Unboxing :
Time is money, don’t waste your time rummaging through boxes to find stuff. Clearly label all of your boxes with what is inside. Consider labeling each box with a location and a number, and keep a corresponding spreadsheet with a list of what is in each box. Color coding is another genius way to stay organized. Yes, it is a bit more work, however it will save you a ton of time when you are getting settled in your office.
Try to move some non-essentials on your own first:
Provided their is an overlap of timing with your new lease, try moving some of the smaller stuff on your own. Taking over smaller items such as a plant and bulk office supplies can simplify the whole moving process. Getting as much set up in the new location before the official move is helpful. Every little counts!
Get a Handle on Building Rules:
If your company does not own the building you are moving out of or into, make sure to get the run down for the buildings rules on relocation. For instance, the new or old building may only allow moving during non-business hours. In which case, you may need to reevaluate your moving plan. The sooner you know the building rules about moving the better, as it may dictate the logistics of your moving day. Each office building is unique and will have different requirements regarding the move.
Deep Cleaning:
Relocating offices is the perfect time to purge any unnecessary papers, get rid of office furniture, abd sell or donate equipment. Anything you choose to donate can be used as a tax write-off. If you do end up getting rid of a lot of your office supplies and or furniture, make sure to replace it with new ones. Any replacements should be ordered in advanced so they are ready to go when you are in your new office. Make sure whatever you order fits the measurements of your new office.
Moving, Meeting, and Deadlines:
Give yourself and the staff a buffer zone around the office move for at least 3 days where there are no client meetings and no major deadlines. No one likes to run around trying to find a clean place to have a meeting, and having a big report due the day that your workstation is being unpacked is rather stressful. Once you have your moving date set, mark it on the calendars and plan accordingly. If the date of the move changes, make sure to keep your employees up-to-date so they can plan accordingly.
Celebrate!
Moving is chaotic and stressful for everyone. Give a small thanks to your fellow employees for all their help and cooperation with a small party to celebrate the new location and a successful move!