Three Tips for Moving Your Office

Moving your small business office causes you plenty of hassles if you don’t start with a plan. That’s why having an office move checklist comes in handy. To be certain, a list ensures that you won’t forget anything. However, there’s more to moving an office than that.

Below are three tips for moving your office that will help you transition more smoothly into your new space.

1. Put Together Your Moving Timeline

Your office moving checklist should include a timeline for the move. According to Wave Apps, this accomplishes a couple of things. It allows you to establish a budget as well as a plan for the move. It also gives your employees a heads-up so that they can plan, too.

Additionally, creating your office relocation checklist also gives you the opportunity to see how your moving plans may affect your interactions with clients and vendors. For example, you’ll want to move your Internet service ahead of time so that it works in your new space on your first day there. To ensure that this happens, it’s best to put this list together about six months before your move. If problems arise because of your moving plans, you’ve given yourself extra time to deal with them.

Finally, your moving office checklist should include a date for securing a moving company and a cleaning company. Book these professionals two to three months ahead of your move to ensure that they’ll be available on the days you need them.

2. Get Your Employees on Board

Your employees might not be as excited about the move as you are. They may face a longer commute. They may also have to find new budget-friendly places to have lunch and they may also worry about how the physical part of the move will affect them. You’ll need to address these challenges when you’re making your office relocation checklist.

Some issues like the actual physical work of the move are easier to address with the checklist. For example, employees will need to pack up their desk. However, the movers you hire will move the big items like desks, chairs, office equipment, etc. Let your employees know that. You can also help them come up with new lunch places by scouting out the area where you’re moving to. Pick up menus from nearby restaurants. Send them links to online restaurant reviews in your company emails. Offer to host an employee lunch or coffee in one of these new places.

As for the commute, that could be a bit more complicated. You may want to buy your employees monthly bus passes to offset commuting costs or allow them to work flexible hours, which gives them more time to get to work. Finally, be prepared for some employees to leave the company if the commute is just too much for them.

3. Plan Your Floor Layout

Moving isn’t just about packing boxes so that things don’t break. It’s also about what you’ll do with the contents of your boxes once the move takes place. As you plan your move take the time to map out the layout of your new office space. Consider issues like shared employee space, fire codes, and flow of traffic.

Also consider getting new office furniture. Even if your space is bigger, your old furniture may not fit the new layout. New furniture and fixtures add new life to a space and to employee spirits. If you opt to buy new items, you’ll need to think about how these pieces will fit into your new floor layout as well.

Final Thoughts

Moving your office takes considerable time and planning. The most successful office moves include months of planning. They also require at least one office move checklist. Creating a checklist gives organizers visual reminders of what needs to be done and when. The best-laid moving plans start at least six months in advance. This gives company managers time to contact vendors, move services like the Internet, and help employees to adjust to the idea of working in a new space.