Things to consider when moving your office

Congrats on the new office. It’s undoubtedly an exciting new chapter for your company and employees. Whether you’re relocating a few floors up, around the block, or across town, the entire process unfortunately takes more than simply packing up your stuff and moving. Before saying goodbye to your old office, you need to create an action plan that will make the move less stressful. 

The trick to keep everything smooth sailing during the moving process is proper preparation and organisation. Setting tangible goals that can be broken up into daily, weekly or monthly targets easily gives you control over the chaos. In this blog post, we share a few sanity-saving tips to help you stay on track and ensure your office move will be something your employees look forward to.

 Plan ahead to increase productivity

 Start by planning the timeline and logistics of the move. This is a key element as it will really determine how productive everyone involved in the task will be. Create a masterlist on which you note everything that needs to be done as the moving day draws nearer. There are things that need to be accounted for months in advance such as lease agreements, finding quotes and booking a moving company.  

Design your new office layout

 Consider how your current office equipment, including desks, workstations, storage units, and fixtures will fit into the new space. Get hold of an office plan blueprint and design your new office around the available space. It might not be possible to copy your existing layout to the new floor space, but you’ll want to create a work environment that is comfortable, productive, and reflects your corporate culture and values.

 Get your internet and telephone lines sorted

 You will need to notify your internet and telecommunications provider of your relocation three months in advance. They will conduct a thorough inspection of the new property to see if it’s compatible with your equipment and broadband connectivity. They will then carry out any upgrades to ensure a successful transfer of all things technical.

Give your clients a heads-up

 Announce the move to clients and update them with your new contact information so that they can continue to get a hold of you. While you’re at it, give clients a heads-up that your response to emails and phone calls might be slower during the move. Be sure to change your address and telephone number on your business website, social media profiles and business cards.

 Let everyone clear their own desk

 There’s no exact time when you should start packing as it really comes down to the size of your business and how much equipment and furniture you own. However, instead of leaving everything to the last minute, it’s best to start packing early and have everything boxed on the day of the move. While the transporting company will be responsible for the heavier stuff like the printers and fridge, each employee should be in charge of clearing up their own desk. Set a deadline for when everybody needs to be packed up and encourage your team to start packing their stuff a little bit at a time so that everyone doesn’t have to rush on the day of the move.

 Modify your schedule on moving day

 Rather than letting employees spend half a day setting up their new desks and the other half performing their work duties, allow them to leave once they’ve unpacked their belongings. Most employees will be tired from the move, and it will take some time to connect the internet and telephone lines anyway, so rather than keeping everyone waiting around, call it a day and let your team return to work fresh the next day (or Monday, if the move took place on a Friday).

Moving office is a tremendous task but with these tips you are better prepared to survive this energy-draining process and have a great start at your new address.