Office Movers: Quick Tips for
Smooth Moving
Moving offices can be unsettling to
employees; however, effective internal communication can minimize uncertainty
and fear and smooth the disruption. When handled well, moving offices can be a
motivational and positive change for employees.
Define
key messages for the office move
At various stages in the project, measure
employee understanding of the key messages and re-communicate or clarify them
as necessary. For example, key themes may focus on a better environment or
growth and expansion.
Communicate
about the office move early
Communication regarding an office move
needs to begin a long time before the actual move. Employees need to understand
what to expect and be able to ask questions. If communication is delayed or
withheld, rumors may start, and people may feel that their jobs are under
threat. Plan and, where possible, preschedule communications regarding the
office move for every stage of the move.
Target
communications and make messages relevant
Different teams may be on varying move
schedules and have access to different facilities at the new location. As a
result, you should target communications to allow the teams to receive the
specialized information.
Plan your office relocation
early
Commercial relocations need detailed
planning and preparation. When planning the move, decide on the moving date,
the time-frame for the relocation process after which you can come up with a
schedule. Additionally, have a specific budget assigned to the relocation
process. It will come in handy when identifying costs for hiring movers and
help avoid making uninformed decisions.
Assign a project manager
Every office move requires a team effort to
increase chances of success. Appointing a project manager to facilitate all the
aspects of the relocation process will also be important.
Protect your data
You never know what could happen to your
files and hardware during the relocation process. You could end up losing
important documents to damaged servers or hard drives. Therefore, it is important
to back up your data and protect it from loss and breach when moving.
Do research to find the best
moving company
We always recommend researching and getting
quotes from at least three professional moving companies before booking your
move, but because an office move can get very expensive, very fast, you’re
better off looking at a couple more than that. If you have the budget for it,
plan to hire a full service moving company—they’ll do all the packing for you,
as well as the loading, unloading, and unpacking. Ask around for
recommendations of moving companies that have experience with office
relocations, since you’ll want to make sure you only hire a company with a
proven track record of success in this area. To get the most accurate quote possible,
have a representative from each company come to your office and see the scope
of the work. With jobs like this, it’s not enough to describe what needs to be
done over the phone.
Sample Checklist for
Startups
A startup office needs to be able to
respond to rapidly changing needs. Launching a new business in a real office
comes with plenty of risks, mostly due to space and budget constraints. Pay
attention to these details:
- Understand if you own or lease your workspace. Be wary about signing a multi-year lease, especially if you anticipate rapid growth.
- Consider coworking, which is good for startups that want a formal space, but don’t need a great deal of room.
- Think ahead about working from home and if this will mean you will implement a BYOD policy. Requiring your employees to provide their own device can reduce costs and make remote working much easier.
- Look into what, if any, alterations can be made to the decor and design of your rented space.
- Decide if you plan to work with your building’s wireless network or if you plan to install your own servers, which can increase internet speed, security, and fidelity.
- Plan ahead for security, including how you might implement an access control system if you do not already have one installed in the building. Security is incredibly important for startups, which often deal with sensitive information or plans.
- Budget for high-quality furniture, office supplies and stationery. Purchase only what is necessary and rely on renting for pieces that you cannot yet afford or can easily be unloaded on an outside contractor. Vendors should be arranged for everything from staples to snacks to copiers.
- Make sure your space is ready for visitors. If you plan to bring investors or members of the media inside, their experience will be crucial in how they view your business, so make sure you have solid, modern interior design.
After your move
Things to consider
- Test phones, computers, Wi-Fi, cable connections, and IT systems. Test your technology to make sure your business can get back online ASAP—and troubleshoot as needed.
- Confirm termination of your old lease and change-of address updates. Double- (or even triple-) check that your old lease was properly terminated, that every client and business partner was notified of your move, and that your new address is accurately advertised.
- Designate employees to unpack, remove tags from equipment and furniture, and stock supply cabinets. If your professional movers haven’t taken care of this already, task employees with unpacking and restocking.The more hands you have on deck, the sooner your business can get up and running again.