Business moves can create a lot of stress for both managers and employees. However, when done right, an office relocation can be a positive experience for everyone. To make the process go as smoothly as possible, it’s important to develop a detailed moving plan and approach your transition practically. By avoiding the following five business moving mistakes, you’ll set yourself up for a successful commercial move.
1. Not Crunching the Numbers
When deciding whether or not to relocate operations, many business owners focus solely on the cost of renting or purchasing a new space. However, it’s crucial to take several more financial figures into consideration including the actual cost of moving, any potential downtime for your business, increased cleaning, utility, or electrical costs at the new space, repairs, additional furniture or electronic equipment, and elevated insurance or tax rates. Before committing to a business move, be sure to carefully crunch all the numbers.
2. Failing to Keep Your Staff in the Loop
It’s important to inform your staff of the transition well before your actual moving date. As soon as the decision is made, be sure to keep your employees in the loop regarding the perceived relocation timeline, new business address, parking changes, public transportation options, adjusted business hours, and what will be expected of them regarding the office move.
Additionally, your employees can help you prepare for an office move. There are many benefits to sharing the responsibilities. Your employees will feel less anxious about the move by being a part of the process. Team members can be designated tasks that are complementary to their role. For example, the office manager can help coordinate any changes to vendors and the the accounting team can determine a budget for any office items that need to be purchased for the new space.
3. Foregoing Insurance
It’s likely your business has many valuable assets including electronics and IT equipment, furniture, vehicles, appliances, or other items. Most office moves involve a variety of obstacles, so it’s vital all of your assets be insured before you relocate. If anything gets lost or damaged, it can be expensive to replace and could create problems for your business operations. Protecting your company’s valuable property will give you peace of mind knowing you’re covered in the event of an unforeseen disaster.
4. Failing to Plan Ahead
Business moves are an immense job, and oftentimes, they take more time than originally anticipated. It’s likely your staff won’t be able to resume business as usual the day after moving. Plan ahead by carefully scheduling reactivation of vendor and utility services, label each box clearly, create a detailed inventory of all items packed, have an unpacking and reinstalling plan, and prepare for potential downtime. Failing to plan ahead for an office move can leave business owners scrambling to get things up and running again at the new space. If this seems overwhelming, there are some wonderful apps that can streamline the process.
5. Not Hiring a Moving Company
When it comes to moving your business, the most critical mistake to avoid is not hiring a moving company. To save money, many business owners consider attempting to relocate their office themselves or recruit employees to get the job done. While your staff can help pack and prepare for the transition, moving is a strenuous job that should be left to the pros. Asking employees to assist with physically moving items creates a liability for business owners that should be avoided at all costs.
Commercial Office Movers in Portland & Seattle from All Service Moving
All Service moving is ready to assist with every step of your corporate relocation. Our commercial moving company in Portland and Seattle offers both local and long-distance office relocation services in including packing, unpacking, shipping, storage, warehousing, and F F & E. To learn more contact a member of the All Service Moving team.