Now that you’ve finally located the ideal office space for your company, now you’re faced with the next big task: moving your whole business. Now, moving a small business is certainly no easy task, but when you have help, such as professional commercial movers, the process goes much more smoothly.
Not only do you have to hire movers, you also have to let your business partners, employees and clients know of the moving timeline. Then, you have to organize your staff members in such a way that their work doesn’t suffer. Every move is tough, large or small, which means you have to plan your office relocation very carefully. But it’s not always as hard as you think. Check out these useful tips and tricks for a successful small business relocation.
Overview
A critical component of any commercial move is staying focused and organized. Start by developing a roadmap for your move, from start to finish. There are a lot of little details to think of, so it’s pretty easy to let some things fall through the cracks. Make a list on paper or start a moving checklist on your phone or computer. Outline all goals, such as:
- Come up with a timeline
- Locate and hire a reliable moving company
- Organize employees
- Plan out a moving budget
- Inform business partners and clients about the move
Remember, relocating your small business starts with timely preparations. In making your timeline, come up with a window of about two to three months to tackle everything. Larger offices will need more time, but for small businesses, three months or a bit less will be just enough to accomplish what you need to.
It’s important to start early. Pack up supplies and equipment that you don’t use every day first, such as archived documents and excess supplies. Leave your everyday work equipment for last.
Find a Reputable Mover
Regardless of where you’re going or how much stuff you have, the first most important thing to do is find and hire a good mover. After you have narrowed down your choices to a few, read up on reviews, call each one for experience, rates, and insurance, and then make a selection based on this thorough research.
Stick to Your Moving Budget
A commercial move of any size can get very costly. Even relocating your small business can take a significant chunk out of your funds. List all of the moving costs you have to contend with, including fees, packing materials, storage fees and transportation charges. Now that you have a dollar figure in mind, you can save up that amount and tuck it away in order to avoid surprise moving expenses later on.
Assign Jobs to Your Employees
It’s impossible to move your small business unless your employees are on board. Make sure they know they’re an integral part of a smooth moving process, and that you will need their full cooperation. Call a meeting where you inform everyone about what’s going on, what the plan is, and when it will take place.
Allow them to express their opinions, ideas and expectations regarding the move. In fact, they may have a lot of good ideas about organizing and designing the new workspace. Come up with a to-do list for them and delegate each set of items between your most dependable employees.
Of course, there will be some things you can’t and shouldn’t expect your staff to do for you, and that’s move and lift heavy equipment. That’s why you have movers!
Keep Everyone in the Loop
Obviously, your address and contact information will change with the move. That’s why you should inform your employees, clients, vendors, banks and suppliers about these changes as soon as possible. Don’t forget to update your website, social media platforms, company letterhead and business cards.
Contact magazines and newsletters to cancel or change subscriptions, and fill out a change of address form with the post office. Do this well before the move to avoid confusion and problems.
By approaching your small business relocation in a methodical manner, and by starting early, you can ensure the move will go off without a hitch. At the center of that is hiring professional movers who can handle all transportation, packing, and logistics tasks.
Contact Best Fit Movers
Need help relocating your small business in the San Diego area? Please contact us today for a free affordable quote on our commercial moving services.
