Many have packed up and moved to a new home before but moving commercial office spaces is a whole new territory. If your company needs a new space (upgrade or downsize) and you’re worried about getting everything done correctly, never fear! Follow these five pro tips to have your commercial move go off without a hitch.
Start Early
Begin strategizing your move as soon as your new lease is signed. In moving, unexpected challenges always arise, so starting early will equip you with the energy to handle them. Sit down with everyone in the office and delegate tasks.
If everyone is on the same page about what is expected of them from the beginning (cleaning desks, packing parts of the office, etc.), you can avoid a lot of headaches as the move gets closer. Invest in packing supplies and make a timeline of when each task needs to be finished to move on time.
Spread the News
Alert every stakeholder in your business that you are moving. Furthermore, plan on alerting everyone twice from the beginning—many people don’t check their messages or may forget.
Start with vendors—who are you a customer to? Be sure to tell your utility, internet, paper supplier, subscriptions, and staffing services (as applicable) that you’re moving. Double-check your contracts to make sure that moving to a new facility won’t breach your agreement.
Be sure to also tell customers about your move, especially if customers frequently visit your office. If you have a smaller clientele, having an employee personally follow up with each customer isn’t a bad idea. If your clientele is larger, sending out a few emails, posting on social media, and putting signage on your building is adequate.
Downsize
This is a good idea, even if you’re upgrading spaces. Go through your office with a critical eye. What fax machine, copier, or desktop hasn’t been touched for months? Where is it time to upgrade? What furniture or technology could be donated and written off your taxes? Paper is a huge culprit nowadays since digital documentation is almost always adequate, and piles of papers are deceivingly space-consuming and heavy.
Make a plan early on about what you’re going to donate, sell, or otherwise get rid of. It’s a good idea to keep financial documents from the last six years—if you’re audited, those are good to have on hand. Assign a few employees to digitize and shred as much paper as possible.
Pack Well
This is the moment to help your future self. You’ll thank yourself later for doing a little extra work up front. Label cables and cords, wrap them up so they won’t tangle, and keep them with the appropriate machinery. Wrap up monitors in moving blankets, disassemble furniture, and color-code your labeling (green for kitchen, orange for reception, blue for office A, red for office B, etc.). That way, when all the boxes arrive at the new location, there won’t be too much shuffling.
Another good idea is to figure out the bare minimum you need to get the office up and running again. Label and move it separately. Your office can get going again without pictures on the wall but could be at a standstill without certain computers or paperwork. Set yourself up to be back in business as soon as possible.
Call in the Big Guns
Most business owners are already stretched thin and don’t have the time or energy to take on a move by themselves.
Dixie Moving & Storage is ready to help you with any part (or all!) of the moving process. Call us today for a free quote, and we’ll get you ready for business in your new space in no time.
