Transferring to a new office location feels a lot like moving to a new house. There is so much to pack up, from personal belongings to memories of staying in that place. In addition, moving can be a stressful and time-consuming process altogether.
When moving your office to a new location, there is also the pressing concern of time. Your employees have less time to settle down and get back into a productive rhythm when you spend too much time preparing for the move. The goal for the transition is to minimize interruptions from work operations.
A big office move needs careful planning to make sure no time is wasted. From packing to hiring a reputable moving company, through to taking care of your stuff, this is a guide to make the process as smooth as possible.
Just a Few Prior Considerations
Here are a couple of things upper management should reflect on before making this big decision.
See how employees may be affected.
Transferring your office location affects employees in different ways. Firstly, they will have to adjust to the change in the daily commute. It is good if employees end up needing shorter travel time, but consider if a significant number of employees will be negatively impacted by moving to a different location.
Consult your employees first before coming to a decision. Take suggestions from them, too, to be able to settle for a location that works for everyone involved.
Be smart about the location.
In addition to taking employee concerns into consideration, you should also choose a location that has many nearby facilities. Check if a space is close to convenience stores, banks, and restaurants.
Take transportation into account also. For employees who bring cars, see if there is enough parking space to accommodate all of them and if parking is free. For those who don’t own cars, see if the location is easily accessible via public transportation.
Three Tips for Packing Up
When you’ve decided on a new office location, it is time to get packing. Here are a few tips to stay organized as you do.
- Task employees to pack up their own desks and cubicles.
A workplace typically has more than just a handful of people, potentially making packing a nightmare — but it doesn’t have to be.
Remind staff that they are responsible for their own things. Instruct everyone to do their own packing for personal items or whatever is in their cubicles. Announce it ahead of time and provide periodic reminders so that no one is cramming by the time you have to move out.
- Coordinate with your tech guys.
One of the hardest things to uproot from an old office is your whole IT system. You have tons of connections in the workplace, from computers to Wi-Fi routers and phones and others.
The safest way to migrate this into a new space is to take cues from your tech department on how to safely transfer equipment. This task of unplugging and moving is best handled by tech staff to prevent damage to sensitive equipment.
- Label your things.
Many people who move underestimate the power of proper labeling to make it much easier. You want to avoid the unnecessarily stressful experience of your first day in the new office being wasted on just trying to find where some documents or things are.
By appropriately labeling everything as you pack up, you won’t have to be scrambling around just trying to find out where the whiteboard markers or staplers are. Don’t just rely on the labels on your boxes, either. Have a spreadsheet or some kind of digital checklist to help you easily keep track of your things.
When Settling Down
When you start moving things in, especially if you are bringing with you a truck from a moving company, it can get difficult to stay organized when you start unpacking. First, make sure you have a place to park your vehicle/s for easier unloading.
When you have finally settled into your new office space, don’t forget to update your office addresses on your website and social media pages. Make sure that all employees and clients are also informed of your new address, and also your insurance company, bank, accounting team, and other related institutions.
For security purposes, hand out necessary security cards and keys to relevant parties so that no one will have issues with entering your building (if you are renting out a portion of a building) and office premises.
Settling into a new workplace takes much effort and will be stressful at times. If you stay on top of your responsibilities from the get-go, the move can be comfortable.