Whether your company is expanding and you require larger office space, or you have discovered a perfect workspace in an ideal location, it is crucial that you carefully plan your strategic relocation to overcome unforeseen difficulties, minimize downtime, and preserve clients.
Relocating an entire business is no easy task, but with the aid of an effective, well-considered strategy, it can be quick and efficient, allowing you to get back up and running in no time.
Here are several crucial tips that will help make your business relocation seamless.
Tips for business relocation
Locate a new office space
The ideal new location for your company is a place that is affordable, meets your current demands, provides space and opportunities for innovations not possible in your current facility, and is appropriate for any future developments. If you’re planning a relocation to another state and plan to hire more employees in the future, the local job market is another thing to take into account.
Give thought to employee convenience and location
It is a very worthwhile idea to talk to your staff before deciding on a new site. Of course, your new office space needs to be functional for you, but ideally, it should also be functional for your staff. This is also a great opportunity to ask them about workspace preferences. For example, the majority might be in favor of an open-plan workspace to work more collaboratively, or perhaps natural light is desired to enhance productivity. Moreover, it would help if you investigated nearby transportation and living options to make sure relocating employees are as comfortable as possible. They will be far more inclined to support the change if you involve them in the process.
Examine your rental choices
While selecting new business premises used to come down to size and location, nowadays, there are many different options and genres of office to consider. Throughout the recent decades, a lot of businesses — regardless of their sector or size — have opted to rent office space rather than lease or buy. But the business landscape is shifting, and flexible office solutions are becoming more and more appealing to businesses all over the world.
Consult with a realtor that specializes in business premises for your size company. They will be able to show you the various options while detailing the pros and cons and, ultimately, helping you decide which new working environment is right for your company.
Establish a moving budget
Budgeting for the move is obviously not an easy task, especially given the sheer number of elements to take into account. It may be rather uncertain how much your final lease payment, moving materials, and updating all of your promotional items will cost. However, the price of the companies you engage to assist you is one item you do have complete control over. The first thing you should do is sit down with your team and come up with a moving budget; then, the task is to stay within it. One way to do this is to look for movers and removalists that won’t charge you any unexpected fees.
Give workers and clients a heads-up
Finally, before you relocate, make sure to give your staff, clients, and customers as much warning as you can. If required, make alternate arrangements for them, such as implementing remote working policies for your staff. You’d be amazed at how many companies fail to update their contact information as soon as they move or make it clearly apparent that they are doing so, which can result in a myriad of issues for both them and their customers.
Make use of a reliable moving company
Even if your firm is small and you have few resources, it’s a good idea to work with reputable office relocation movers. Office furniture and supplies must be handled carefully and professionally when being packed and transported. It’s worth spending more for a moving company that you know will handle everything with extreme care, get the job done quickly, and also reinstall your equipment. Keep in mind that regular furniture movers oftentimes won’t have the expertise to move complex IT systems or large office furniture. Remember, every day lost to relocation, or broken equipment is a day your business isn’t making money.
Declare your new address to the IRS
Businesses relocate frequently, and it is the owner’s responsibility to notify the proper municipal, state, and federal authorities. Fortunately, notifying these authorities of your move isn’t as time-consuming as you would anticipate.
Before anything else, fill out a Change of Address form and send it to the IRS. You may also contact the IRS in writing, in person, or over the phone to make the change. They will require either your Social Security Number or tax ID to verify your identification, so be sure you have one on hand.
Final thoughts
Moving an office is a challenging and often untidy process, and this is only the beginning. But if you keep in mind these tried and tested relocation tips, your office move will be seamless, and you’ll be back in operation in no time. The devil is in the details, as they say, so make sure to properly prepare and consider the smaller details. Keep in mind that the objective is to ensure that your organization experiences the fewest disruptions possible to reduce any output downtime. Good luck!
Have you relocated a business before? What top tips do you have that should be on this list?