Moving your business is exciting, whether you’re making the leap to a larger office or downsizing to streamline operations. There’s something about working in an upgraded space that fuels creative energies, increases productivity, and can help reset your stir-crazy meter. But even with those benefits, the moving process can be overwhelming and stressful.
Regardless of your specific situation, the best thing you can do when moving to a new office is to follow a checklist. In this article, you’ll find a step-by-step list for making your move as easy as possible.
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- Create a Timeline
- Review Current Lease and New Lease
- Determine Your Budget
- Assign an Internal Task Force
- Make Sure the New Office Is Ready
- Choose a Moving Company
Step 1: Create a Timeline
Before anything else, it’s essential to create a timeline for the move. Having an office relocation checklist is one thing, but you need to know where each task fits into your timeline to know where to start. A timeline can help keep things in perspective, organized, and on track.
While your exact timeframe may differ, try to accomplish initial preparation tasks about 12-18 months before your move. Those tasks may include:
- Choosing a new space
- Making a relocation plan for electronic devices (computers, printers, data, etc.)
- Gathering quotes from moving companies to find the best fit
- Determining whether you’ll need moving insurance
- Figuring out the floor plan for your new space
- Measuring the new office space and planning the layout
These items don’t make up a comprehensive list but give you an idea of tasks to place on your timeline. Taking this simple step will also help you quantify the process.
Step 2: Review Current Lease and New Lease
Commercial property leases are often long and complicated. There may be several components within your current and new leases that you should know, such as any required deposit or usage restrictions. For example, if you’re planning on leaving your current location early, it may cost you the deposit.
When packing up your office, there’s a risk of damaging your space, especially when taking pictures off the wall, dismantling furniture, and trying to take large items down flights of stairs or around corners. Make sure you read up on your current lease and find out what kind of damage might be your responsibility. You may have to fill in nail holes and paint over them, or your landlord may handle that.
With your new lease, the same thing applies. Make sure you know what you’re responsible for and ensure you’re in the loop about when your first payments are due and other financial obligations.
Step 3: Determine Your Budget
Moving, whether residential or commercial, can be a costly endeavor. There’s the time, energy, and money you spend to find the right space, plus the expense of transferring your entire organization to a new location. You may have to purchase new furniture and other equipment and figure out how to relocate your existing items.
Although a moving company’s services come at a cost, they can save you resources in the long run while ensuring your items arrive safely at the new location.
Step 4: Assign an Internal Task Force
Your internal team will make or break the overall experience. Assembling an internal task force is one of the most critical elements to successful office relocation. Knowing how to delegate is half the battle.
Assign a member of each team to manage their department’s packing efforts. That initial step takes a massive load off of your shoulders. After making the assignment, have your task force work on the following items:
- Figure out packing procedures
- Write directions to the new location
- Label all devices and inform the staff of where they’re going
- Pack and seal all filing cabinets
- Map out new desk locations and other essential details for the staff
- Prepare all keys, access codes, and additional security information
Step 5: Make Sure the New Office Is Ready
One of the final steps in your office relocation checklist is making sure the new office is ready for your arrival. This doesn’t have to be overwhelming, especially if you go into it with a roadmap. Here are a few key items to focus on:
- Prioritize fast internet/Wi-Fi access by booking an activation date for systems and telephone lines
- Coordinate the installation of IT systems
- Create a budget for refreshments for internal teams and the moving team
- Establish desk assignments for the staff
Step 6: Choose a Moving Company
You’re almost ready to go. Hopefully, if you’ve followed all the steps above, you feel well-prepared and de-stressed. If you want to feel even more comfortable and ready for the chaos to begin, choose your moving company wisely.
The right one can make the process much easier and much less stressful. It also helps to find a business that offers both moving services and storage space to streamline the entire operation.
Use Mesa Moving & Storage for Your Office Relocation
How business owners and employees do work is no longer a cut-and-dry process. In fact, there are many ways to facilitate a productive work environment. Accommodating in-person, hybrid, or remote employees (or a combination of all three) makes the relocation process even more complex.
Having the right partner can simplify the transition. Mesa Moving & Storage specializes in accommodating modern businesses with their office moves and meeting their unique needs. To find out more about how we can help, contact us today. If you’re ready to get started, request a free quote, and we’ll get the ball rolling.
