Let’s be honest—there aren’t many people who enjoy the moving experience. It’s hectic, there are lots of moving parts that need to be coordinated, and you usually end up with one strained muscle, minimum.
And when you must move from one office to another? That’s a whole other can of worms with its own set of potential headaches. In fact, research indicates that 75% of small and medium sized businesses avoid moving due to the stress of the experience and 31% say moving an office is the second most stressful task they deal with (trailing behind hiring new employees by 1%).
But it doesn’t have to be a stress-inducing experience. We’ve gathered a few key tips that will make your office move go so smoothly, you just might credit us with saving your life (or, at the very least, your sanity).
1. Plan in Advance
Stressful situations tend to elicit what I like to call “the ostrich response”. Rather than deal with prepping for the task at hand, Ostrich Responders prefer to stick their head in the sand and avoid the issue altogether until the last possible minute. The trouble with this tactic is it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy—that stress you’re trying to avoid is caused by the planning you’re putting off.
Don’t be an ostrich. Give yourself a couple of months before the move to determine what furniture is making the move, if you’re going to require specialized movers for large or delicate pieces of electronic equipment, and what kind of budget you’re working with. You’ll also need to build “new office set up” time into your schedule on the back end…unless you want to lose your entire workforce by telling them you’re moving on Monday and expect the office to be up and running on Tuesday.
2. Keep Employees in the Loop
Speaking of your beloved employees, be sure to keep them updated on moving dates. Ask employees to pack up their own desks (and it’s always nice to give them a few hours off the day before the move to get it accomplished). This will be a big time saver if you’re hiring a professional moving team and will likely save you money in the long run.
3. Back Up Data
No one likes to think about electronics getting damaged during a move and your moving company will take care to avoid any disasters…but accidents happen, and for many small businesses they can be disastrous.
If your company hasn’t already made the switch, now is the time to consider investing in a cloud-based backup company. Prices will vary depending on how much storage you need, but knowing your important files and documents are safely stored is priceless.
4. Get Rid of Junk
There is no reason to pay a team to pack up boxes of old paperwork that need to be shredded, or old office furniture no one will use at the new location. Add cleaning days to your plan so you can trash the junk, shred the papers, and donate or sell any furniture that is old but still usable.
5. Hire Pros
I know there’s a part of you that thinks you’ll save some serious cash if you tackle your office move yourself. I hope you’ll believe me when I tell you—it isn’t worth it. The value you get from having a professional team of licensed and insured professionals take care of your move is well worth the expense.
A team of pros will pack up your office for you, break down and package equipment securely, load and unload the moving truck, and unpack everything in the new location. This saves you a ton of time and cuts stress exponentially.
6. Know the New Building Rules
If you’re renting your new space, you’ll want to get a list of all building rules prior to moving in. Depending on your landlord, there may be limits on when you can use the freight elevator or specific days and hours designated for move in. Finding this information out in advance will go a long way in reducing your stress.
7. Move Minor Stuff Yourself
If you need to reduce moving costs and have the wherewithal to do it, consider moving smaller, nonessential items and boxes yourself prior to the big move. This will cut down on the time the professionals spend moving and could save you some money in the long run.
And there you have it—seven simple steps that, when implemented, can change the way you feel about moving. And, if you are looking for a professional team who can make quick work of your commercial move, contact us at Holloway Removals and Storage. Our knowledgeable specialists will create a custom quote for your needs.
We’d love to do the heavy lifting for you!
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