Moving an entire office to a different location is a major undertaking. Maybe your office lease is up or your company has experienced tremendous growth and requires a bigger space. Whatever the case may be and however big or small your business, months of planning is required to insure a smooth transition.
Before entering into a new lease agreement, one of the most important things to consider is the lease term. Do you need a place that can accommodate the needs of your business long-term? For most business models, continuity is critical and having to change locations frequently is not ideal. Or are you planning for another move in short-term because of predicted growth or any other reason? Consider carefully the best lease term of your business. The cost of your monthly lease is another factor to take into account. If you sign up for a long-term lease in order to lock in a good price, make sure that you have the budget to pay your monthly costs month after month. Consider too how flexible the space needs to be. Is there enough space to expand? Are there good amenities for the business and those who work for you? What are the hidden expenses associated with the space? These are questions that need to be asked.
When it comes to a lease for space, it’s not wise to assume and you’d better ask every question you have in mind about the leasing. Furthermore, get it in writing and save yourself a good record of communication with your lessor or property agent.
Hire Reputable Professionals for Your Office Move
There are so many logistics and things to organise in a business relocation. The whole company needs to come together and do their part. While stressful, when it is done right, it can be a wonderful bonding and team-building experience. Keep in mind, that unlike a residential move, moving your office will require a moving company. You need experts to minimize downtime, maximize resources, protect important documents and keep your very expensive equipment safe.
The bottom line when moving your office is that you want to get back to business ASAP. With a reputable moving company behind you, the process will be more manageable and they will always have the needs of your business front and center. Experts at moving offices know exactly what to do and the order in which to do things for the efficient and effective results. Make a plan in advance and it’s best to have a representative from 2-3 moving companies stop by and give you quote. Get a feel for their company and see if it complements your business. Yes, you need to feel good about your mover!
If possible, ask potential movers to come in during the weekend so it doesn’t interrupt everyone’s work day. They can walk you through the process and give you a more accurate idea of the time needed and cost involved to complete your move. If you have equipment that requires heavy lifting or special handling be sure to point that out. It can be some machinery, safe, racking system, etc. The same goes for any hazardous materials or flammable and combustible items. You must point these out. Transparency will be your best option as the potential movers can give you more accurate quotes as well.
After you choose your moving company, schedule your move date in detail, including packing time before the move, moving time and unpacking time after the move. Discuss it carefully with your mover to avoid any problem during the big day.
The Nitty Gritty Details
Once you’ve signed on the new lease agreement, it’s time to start planning and organising your business relocating. There will be mountains of details associated with your big move. Assign a point-person within your company to be the liaison with your moving company. On moving day, they will be the person-in-charge. Make sure that they have a team of sharp folks working with them on that moving day. You will need runners and quick-thinkers able to handle the myriad of tasks the point-person delegates on the fly.
You can even do a search online for a “move coordinator” – someone with specific expertise in large and complex moves. It is their job to know how to handle the insane logistics that come along with moving a business or large corporation. Hiring a move coordinator is indeed an extra cost, but can be a smart move for your savvy company.
Collecting Resources
It is a good move to prepare yourself with some resources for those planning an office move. Find good tips in the internet, have a read of some moving companies’ website for info and articles about company relocating, and don’t hesitate to consult with your chosen moving company. They will be happy to share what they know and to know that you’re planning to be fully cooperative. You may find those resources helpful and very informative for before, during and after the move. For example, how you will manage the waste after moving.
Time to Get Packing
Finally, there is the packing itself. The movers will pack everything considered company property, but all personal items should be the responsibility of each individual and should be handled as such. Before the big day, all employees should have already cleared out their personal items to make it easier for the movers to make efficient work of packing the office.
The most important thing is communication. Make sure all employees understand what they need to do to support the office relocation and how to do it.
Planning a business relocating? Have a chat with Koala Box team. We have awesome experiences in supporting several office relocations in small, medium and large scale.
If you choose to move by yourself, have a look at our Commercial Package. Besides super-strong Koala Boxes, we provide extra trolleys (included in the Commercial Package at no extra cost) to help your team members to move the boxes around more easily when packing and loading.
If you prefer the ease of professional movers involvement, Koala Box is partnered with one of the best office mover companies in Perth. We’re here and ready to help 🙂
Before entering into a new lease agreement, one of the most important things to consider is the lease term. Do you need a place that can accommodate the needs of your business long-term? For most business models, continuity is critical and having to change locations frequently is not ideal. Or are you planning for another move in short-term because of predicted growth or any other reason? Consider carefully the best lease term of your business. The cost of your monthly lease is another factor to take into account. If you sign up for a long-term lease in order to lock in a good price, make sure that you have the budget to pay your monthly costs month after month. Consider too how flexible the space needs to be. Is there enough space to expand? Are there good amenities for the business and those who work for you? What are the hidden expenses associated with the space? These are questions that need to be asked.
There are so many logistics and things to organise in a business relocation. The whole company needs to come together and do their part. While stressful, when it is done right, it can be a wonderful bonding and team-building experience. Keep in mind, that unlike a residential move, moving your office will require a moving company. You need experts to minimize downtime, maximize resources, protect important documents and keep your very expensive equipment safe.
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