How To Navigate An Office Move With Ease

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When it comes to navigating an office move, there are a lot of things you need to consider to keep your business running smoothly. There are a host of different elements to keep everything ticking over while also getting settled in so your customers don’t suffer. Whether you’re moving due to an expansion, to be in a better location, or to find a nicer office, the quicker you can get it all done, the better. In this article we put together some top tips to keep your office moving as easy as possible, both for the staff involved and your customers. Keep on reading to find out more and get inspired. 

Create a floor plan of your new place

When you are moving into a new building, it’s essentially a blank canvas which you can make your own. By creating a floor plan ahead of time, you can work out where everything can go so you can save a lot of time when you arrive. Include details such as where you will place your furniture, detailing rooms such as staff break rooms, investing in new commercial furniture if needed, to make a really comfortable space. You want space for your employees to relax and recuperate, as well as nice meeting spaces, offices and a kitchen.

Plan well ahead of time

One of the first and best things you should do when looking to move your office, is plan well ahead of time. Establish deadlines and write a clear list of tasks with when they need to be done by. Things like packing up storage rooms can be done first, with things like your IT systems being left until last so people can continue to work right up until the last minute. You should get a budget with things like how much a removal firm will cost, whether you need to hire a van, and if you need to get some extra help to assist with the move. By being as prepared as possible upfront, when the time comes for the move (which will come around before you know it!) you will know what needs to happen, who needs to be where and when, and what exactly the process is.

Communicate with your employees

Employees are the backbone of your business so don’t leave them in the dark when it comes to sorting out your move. Speak to them about what is going to happen, where the move is going to be and inform them if it’s going to make their commute even longer, or less convenient. Ask if anyone is available to help with the physical move itself and let them accrue some days in lieu if you decide to do the move over a weekend. Let them know if there are any delays, and the exact dates everything will be happening to keep operations running smoothly.

Let any clients or customers know if they will be disrupted

No matter what your business is, it’s quite difficult to navigate any business move without something affecting  your customers and clients. You will want to inform any relevant stakeholders about changes such as to your address and contact information and if there will be any differences to your opening hours. It might be that you need to close for a day or two to get everything set up, or you might be running with skeletal staff while some people help with the move. This could impact how quickly orders are shipped out, or how fast you reply to queries, so by letting people know it manages their expectations and means you don’t need to worry about people getting frustrated. 

Have a strategic packing plan

Packing efficiently is key to a smooth move and means when you get to the other side you won’t have to worry about what is where, or losing important items. You could hire a professional moving service, or if you want to do it yourself, ensure you get good-quality cardboard boxes so they don’t break and have an efficient label system. Write down what is in the boxes and what room they will need to be unpacked in. Ensure you have ‘fragile’ stickers for boxes that people need to be especially careful with.

Get your main systems up and running as soon as you can

The main thing to do when you move, is to get up and running as soon as possible. Things like plants and aesthetic items can wait, but you need to get desks and laptops running as quickly as you can so business operations can continue. You could set up a temporary working area for now, where key staff can conduct calls and make sales, then once you have everything moved and perhaps out of working hours, you can get the rest set up and ready to work from.

Weak mobile signals can quickly slow down those early operations, especially when your team depends on clear calls and stable data connections. Installing a reliable booster like the weBoost for business 200 can help ensure your temporary workspace stays fully connected while the rest of the office is still being set up.

Have a big sort out before you move

Before you move, you should take it as an opportunity to get rid of anything you don’t need anymore. This could be old papers, or equipment that doesn’t work anymore. If you have been around for a while, it is very easy to accumulate things that just aren’t providing any purpose and take up space in your office. It’s not often you can have the chance to really sort everything out and declutter, so be as organised as you can ahead of time. See what you can donate or give to second-hand stores. 

These are just a few top tips to help you navigate an office move with ease. It can feel a bit overwhelming trying to get everything sorted out when you are moving to a new place, but once the hard work and initial setup is all sorted, you can reap the benefits of your move. What are some top tips you have for navigating an office move with ease? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you and get inspired!