Moving offices is always a huge undertaking, but with the right approach, you can make it go as smooth as possible and eliminate costly downtime. Here are some tips that will help you, your team, and your clients navigate the transition with fewer obstacles along the way.
Speak to Your IT Department Before Moving Offices
Don’t let IT become an afterthought, or you’ll find yourself drowned in cables or unable to use your equipment. Trying to figure out network cabling, or setting up servers will make your head spin while you should be using your time more wisely. Let you IT company know your office moving plans ahead of time, so they can prepare to move and setup your equipment to coincide with your move. They’ll have you up and running much quicker than you would have otherwise.
Moving to a new location is typically a good time for making some upgrades to your current office setup and revisiting industry best practices. If you feel like some of your tech equipment is outdated, discuss potential upgrades as a part of your moving plan.
Stay Organized by Labeling
Your boxes or containers should be labeled in some kind of fashion, whether they’re colour coordinated or simply stuck with some tape that hints towards what’s inside. You may think that you can remember the contents of your boxes, but once everything is said and done, chances are you’ll be clueless.
So, to save valuable time and make unpacking more organized, label your boxes! By doing so you’ll be able to unpack based on the highest priority, or keep things more manageable by moving different boxes to their corresponding rooms.
Get Rid of Clutter
Moving offices is the best time for throwing out any unnecessary items that has built up over the years. Once you move into your new location, dealing with trash, clutter, and finding a place for items you no longer need is going to be an unwelcome task.
So, as you start packing, make decisions on what should stay and what should go. Don’t feel like you have to get rid of things you actually do use, because you shouldn’t have to waste money repurchasing office supplies that you already have.
Delegate Tasks to Staff
An office move affects every employee, so keep everyone involved to help save time and reduce confusion. Each team member should be in charge of packing their personal belongings or workstations. Aside from that, you can delegate other tasks (like inventory) and use the organizing, packing, and moving offices experience as a team-building exercise.
Plan Your Office Layout
After the big move day, you don’t want to have one of those “now what?” moments. To avoid that overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to begin, it’s a good idea to have a plan your office layout ahead of time. This can include a seating plan or a strategic layout that complements workflow between team members or departments.
- Create a plan for your new space that identifies workstations, equipment areas, offices, conference rooms, or other support spaces
- Hire an office fit-out company if needed for new construction, upgrades, and/or build-outs
- Customize your lighting with fixtures or lamps to give adequate lighting to all work areas
Take Care of External Communication
By external communication, we mean all things you use to communicate with the public. Prior to your move, you should begin the transition by letting your clients know through mail or newsletter, and taking care of the following:
- Change address and phone number
- Order new stationery and business cards
- Order new signage
- Notify post service/forward your address
- Update website to reflect new address/phone numbers
Relocating your office can be both an exciting and stressful time, but by planning ahead, staying organized, and getting the help where you need it, you can achieve a smooth relocation with minimal downtime.
