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When a company grows, it needs a larger place to accommodate the increasing number of employees. Managing an office move is very stressful and the first concern while relocating an office is the minimum disruption of work during the move. Computers, filing cabinets, a complex network of cables, and whatnot, and an office consists of unlimited stuff. It is hard to transport the delicate equipment but planning, preparation, and communication are three key factors that can make your office move smoother. Yu must use the best moving checklist of 2021's and ensure that you have a safe and successful office moving experience.
Here we present a handy guide that will help you in making this transition as smooth as possible:
Initial Steps
An office move is a major project that needs a lot of planning and preparation. Ideally, you should have at least 4 to 6 months in your hand before the move so that you can plan a move without any hiccups. There are some major steps that you need to take a few months before your office move.
Check your commercial property lease. It may cost you your deposit in case you are leaving the place early. Check the property for any damage before and during the move as you may be responsible for the repair work.
Build a team and delegate all the moving-related planning and work to them. Make sure that the moving-related tasks are distributed among the team to have positive results.
Set your moving budget. Ask quotes from various moving companies to find the best offer and value for your money. Consider the right options for the insurance of your office equipment and delicate stuff during the move. Make sure you stay within your moving budget to avoid any financial setbacks.
Communicate Everything to Everyone
Make sure you communicate everything about your move with your staff. As soon as you decide on your office relocation, it is wise to let your internal and external parties know about the upcoming move and changes that may happen due to it.
- First and foremost, let your current landlord and give them an official notice.
- The next most important people that need to know about the move at the earliest are your team members.
- Update your client and service providers’ list.
- Update your client list too.
- Delegate a team for moving-related tasks and let each team member know the details of his responsibilities.
- Make a reservation with the moving company for your chosen moving date.
- Consult your IT department for all the technical help needed for the move.
- Notify everyone connected to your office about the change of address and relocation. These connections may include affiliates, suppliers, and local partners. These business connections will be affected by the change of address and should know about your move well in advance.
- Send a change of address notification to all your clients and partners, any professional organizations your office deals with, stationery services, accounts departments, banks and financial institutions, internet service providers, food service companies if any, and telephone company.
Begin the Preparations
So, once you have completed all your groundwork, now is the time to make all the preparations related to logistics to move your office equipment to your new space. Make sure you complete each task given below properly and timely.
- Plan the layout and organization of stuff at your new office and take measurements and a detailed floor plan of the space to make sure that you can put the particular equipment at your chosen place. A copy of your office space’s floor plan to your movers too.
- Create an inventory of your office equipment and other material.
- Choose and order new office furniture if you are planning to place new furniture at your new office.
- Order office stationery mentioning your new address well in advance to avoid any delay or disruption in your office work.
- Access codes and security for the new office premises should be finalized before the move.
Some more points to keep in mind are as follows:
- It is a good idea to assign the packing work to your team. Ask them to pack their desk themselves. This will help them in organizing their new office space easily and smoothly and will also lessen the moving cost.
- Decide a proper packing process and colour code for each department. Choose a standardized label system to label laptops, screens, and other hardware of the company.
- Ensure that all your employees are aware of the colour code system and packing procedures.
- Make sure that you have the keys, access codes, and security information related to your new space.
- Assign duties to your employees for the moving day and decide which representative will supervise at the new office space and who all will be staying at the current location on a moving day.
You can always try a DIY office move, but the stress-free experience that you enjoy with professional movers is a rare offering of such a moving experience. It is best to take help from moving companies with experience in office moving and enjoy the transition.