Endless surveys by large companies will tell you that moving your office or small business is the second most stressful thing after hiring new staff and even places it above handling finances. An incredible amount of stress can be avoided (not to mention valuable workdays lost) if you follow some simple tips to help you smoothly transition to your new premises.
Start Planning Early
Due to the stress involved many businesses often decide to stay put in cramped or expensive premises when in reality, taking your time and not trying to do it in a rush will make the whole process a lot easier. Giving yourself a realistic schedule will be helpful, as all the planning will pay off when your removalists come as things will go according to plan. Think about how long it might take you to achieve certain tasks and other important things like budget.
Assign a Project Manager
Most small to medium businesses don’t have office building managers, just maybe a general office manager, so assign this person the task, or whoever else is capable and has the time. Letting too many people be involved will likely lead to not only arguments but mistakes and costly ones too. It should be obvious to most small companies who this is, even the boss or business owner, but someone would have overall responsibility.
Tell Your Staff
Good communication is key and not telling your staff of your plans could upset some of them. They don’t need a running commentary but telling them at the start will make the transition less stressful for them too. They will have to get used to being in a different space and potentially next to different people. For very small companies, having your team onside is helpful as they could help in the move itself too.
Hire a Professional Removal Company
This part may seem obvious, but moving can be a costly task even if it’s to ultimately save money, but not hiring removalists will certainly be even more costly. Damages, time lost, information lost and the extra stress won’t be worth it. Professionals will help you plan in advance, but don’t book one at the last minute, as we said at the start, plan early as there can be unexpected hurdles or plans slightly changing. Your project manager should choose a local removal company that has good experience and a great reputation.
Update Your Address
This last one is easily overlooked, but it goes without saying how important this is. Not only should it be done on your own properties like website, social media and Google My Business profile but also web directories too. There’s all your company stationery to consider and it’s also a great excuse to do a mailout to keep in touch with partners, suppliers and customers.