There is absolutely no doubt that any kind of moving is a daunting process for everyone. It doesn’t only require a significant amount of time, but also, if not planned carefully, many problems can arise on the way. Because of this, when it comes to relocation most people create a list of things that they have to do, just in order to ensure that everything goes smoothly.
The same thing applies when it comes to moving your office space from one building to another. You might even say that this process is far more complicated when compared to other kinds simply because it is not only your stuff you have to move. In addition, there are numerous bulky pieces of furniture which means that you have to hire a professional moving company. In this article, we are going to provide you with a set of tips you should use when packing and organizing everything, and if you want to learn more about what kind of services a moving company can provide you with, click here.
Plan everything in advance
Without a doubt, this is the most important thing that you have to do. Start organizing everything weeks in advance. Think about packing everything from your current office, and also don’t forget to decide where each item will go in the new space. Use a blueprint to find perfect spots for all your things because this is the only way to avoid mess and clearly, save a lot of time.
Furthermore, decide when the move will take place, and who is going to help you. Obviously, this is something that you cannot do on your own, so you should assign a move manager. The person’s job would be to check everything and make sure that everything is going according to plan. Simply put, you cannot ignore your work and put it on hold because of the move which means that you would have to divide your time. The best way to ensure that everything works perfectly is to collaborate with some of your employees. In addition, no one wants to stay overtime to pack everything, right?
Hire movers
The next item on your checklist should be the task of employing a moving company. As surely you are aware, not only are there numerous businesses that you can hire but choosing the right one is of vital importance. The very first thing that you should do is set a budget. This task is an obvious one simply because you have multiple choices and each moving company has its own fee. Plus, you probably do not want to spend too much money on this task.
Secondly, if you are moving across the country, naturally, you should only focus on long distances companies. These do not only have the proper equipment, but are also specialized in this type of move, so they can provide you with services that you need.
Once you have gathered a list of potential partners, you should ask them to provide you with their estimates. Make sure to check out if they have some special offers or services that might be worth paying for. Naturally, your instinct would be to go with the cheapest one, but our advice is to go with the one that possesses a license, it is insured, and finally, that has a lot of satisfied customers.
Assign tasks
Now that you have everything planned out, it is time to think about the packing process. Depending on the size of your current office space, and the number of employees this might require some time and effort. There probably isn’t a need to point this out, but each person in your office should be in charge of preparing and packing their personal items.
Yes, you can hire a moving company and ask them to pack everything for you, but this doesn’t include personal possessions that employees keep in their desks. You should inform them beforehand when everything needs to be packed so that they would have enough time to organize themselves and ensure that everything is on schedule. You might want to try to motivate them to complete this task earlier than originally planned.
Instruct your IT team
One of the biggest concerns of everyone is all the tech equipment that has to be transferred from one location to another. Disconnecting and then reconnecting every piece is not an easy task which is why you have to inform your IT department of every detail such as the date of the move as soon as you get that information.
This is not something that you can hire movers to do, because, well, you need professionals to connect all the computers, servers, and so on. Also, if you want to get rid of some pieces because you do not use them anymore, if they still work fine, you should think about donating them. There are multiple organizations that would appreciate this, so tell your tech guys to take some time and research these.
Be practical
When it comes to this, there are multiple things you can do. First of all, you should first move some non-essential pieces. These include everything from decorative items such as plants to some bulky furniture that you do not use on a daily basis.
Moreover, it is of crucial importance to label all the boxes correctly. If you find it necessary, you shouldn’t only write down the content of each box, but you could also add some details like where the items will go in the office, or something similar. Basically, you have to come up with a system that is going to allow you to know where each item is at all times.
Don’t forget about other changes
One of the best things that you can do, as soon as you learn that you are going to move, and of course, get the new address is to start changing your documents. This is one of those tasks that should be done sooner than later.
Firstly, make sure to update all your partners of clients of your new address. This is especially important if they ship your parcels of documents because if you do not do this, you take a risk of not being able to complete all the work-related tasks once you move since you won’t have all the files and data at your disposal. Secondly, you should order new business cards, envelopes, letterheads, return labels, and other items so you would be able to continue your work normally on the first day in your new office.