As you know employees are a huge part of a business therefore it is important to prepare them if you have decided on a business move. Focus on helping your employees stay motivated during business relocation. Include your employees in the relocation plan while ensuring that you are in touch with their needs. It requires a lot of planning to prepare your employees for an office move. There are countless things that you need to convey while preparing your employees for a business move.
Moreover, there are a lot of things in an office that has to be relocated from office equipment to furniture and much more. While you focus your attention on moving these items, your employees might have already been affected by the moving plan. It is recommended to hire out of state movers to relocate business while you focus on attending your employee’s needs.
Why business relocation in the first place?
There can be any number of reasons that make a company decide to move: the reason can be a new deal or can be the expansion of the company. There are hundreds of reasons that can make a business owner relocate his/her business. In such a case, when management decides to move, not only they are responsible to move equipment or furniture but also they have to prepare their employees. Attending to the employee’s needs while moving must also be a part of your move checklist.
Tips to Relocate Your Business
Provide them information about your business move
Let your employees know the details and reasons behind the big move. When you start communicating with your employees, start by telling them what is going on now. Then continue telling how this move can affect your business therefore can be helpful for employees as well. Your employees should know all the benefits that this move will bring, months in advance.
Tell them once you decide it
Your employees should know about this news on time so that they can prepare themselves emotionally as well as mentally especially when you have decided to move to a long distance. After all, you need time to prepare and organize their relocations. Make sure you clear all the dates of the move while providing important information about the move.
Involve your staff in every strategy
Sometimes, providing all the information to your employees will prepare you for an office move. It is a smart option to include them in the relocation process from the beginning. Like, encourage your staff to pack files and documents in an organized way.
Hire a moving company
To make your business move easier for you as well as for your employees, you can hire a state to state moving company to do the task effectively and efficiently.
How to make an office move fun?
Yes, it is even hard to imagine an office move fun but do you know you can make it with these a few tips.
Involve everyone in the moving process
An office relocation is a task that can’t be done by an individual, it is a team’s task. The more people you will involve in the task the more ideas you will have and the easier the task can be completed. Ask all the staff members to take part in the moving process and don’t hesitate to share their ideas. This will help you in having more hands to work for you so you can do it effectively and efficiently. Their ideas can be about anything from the decoration of the new office to the equipment upgrades and so on. Involving the team in the process makes them have more confidence in their work and they will feel an important part of the business.
Offer rewards
Offering rewards does not only make the process effective and efficient but as well as make it more exciting. Set up competitions based on tasks related to move and offer prizes on the same so the employees will put their best efforts.
Host a party
Host a party in your office to make the move more exciting. Let your employees enjoy refreshments when all the team has completed all the major tasks related to the move. This will bring new excitement and energy among employees as well as in your office.
Celebrate the success
In the end, all you want is a successful move to get higher success and all your employees are there for you in the complete process. If you have a successful move just because your employees have put their best efforts then it is time to celebrate the success.
Communication with your employees and involving all your team in moving will make the office move fun and an easier task. Just follow these tips, you will turn a hectic task into a fun and memorable event.
How long does an office move to take?
One of the most important things that you should know before having a business move is how much it will take to move your office. So, here is the answer.
Usually, the time taken from looking new office to unpacking the office belongings will be almost 12 months. The time is long because of a lot of tasks that one needs to perform for successful business relocation.
But make sure you keep your office move smoother by staying organized. Prepare each and everything before time. A delay in preparing a segment of the move can result in delaying the whole month by weeks or even months. So, make sure you focus on every segment of the process.
How you should dedicate time to each task of the office moving process
Complete negotiations with the landlords of the new place (3 to 6 months)
No matter whether you are buying or renting an office property, make sure you have a deal with the landlords before time. Negotiate all the terms and conditions with your landlord. Get all the paperwork signed in advance at least 3 to 6 months before your move.
Design the workspace of the new office (1 to 3 months)
When you decided to move your business to a new place, make sure you design the workspace of the company before the tie. Don’t forget to inspect the property and draw up the new fittings inside it. Bring furniture according to the workspace and the number of professionals you have there in your office. Consider all the health and safety measures and regulations when it comes to designing your workspace. Make sure you approve the design or the layout from the landlord before taking this into action. Make sure you complete the designing process according to your office needs before 1 month than the actual move.
Working on the office commences (1 to 4 months)
Though the complete process of furniture and layout will take time according to the size of your office on average, the process will take 1 to 4 months. The more the number of employees you have, the more time the process of fitting furniture will take. Before you start the refurbishing process, make sure you get an estimate from the refurbished company so you can stay in budget. If it is not in your budget, you can contact another refurbished company to get a better deal. Make sure you get a good deal because refurbishing is not a cheaper task.
Check whether your office is ready before one month ago
As the moving day is approaching near and near, make sure you double-check the new workspace, check whether the place is ready to move or not. An unexpected delay can make the complete move hectic and delayed. So, double-check everything and make sure that the office is ready to welcome its employees.
Book moving services
The process of booking the right long distance movers will take around one week. Your office will possess an infinite number of items that you might be in need of transport safely to your new office location. Therefore, there is a need to book a moving company in advance to deliver all the items to the new business location. Booking in advance will save you from the struggle that you might have to do at the last moment if you don’t book it on time.
Make sure that you have cleared everything with the moving company like the volume of items and moving quote so there will be no problem for both of you at the last moment. This also helps you to know what to expect while hiring moving services.
Have enough time to set up the telephone line on time
Most of the businesses are based on communication and the internet. So it is important to settle down the telephone line and the internet on time. If you do not have a technical team inside your office then make sure you get help from outside professionals. Though the process will take time depending on the number of systems you have in your office. While on average, the process will take around 1 to 3 weeks.
Be realistic with your expectations
Sometimes we think it is just a task of one day while when you take the preparation into action, the expected time is much less than the actual time. Again, if you have a number of employees, therefore, more files, documents, and equipment you will have there in your office and more time the process of unpacking and packing materials will take. So make sure you are realistic with the timeframes you have.
At last, make sure you are realistic with your expectations while relocating the business and always hire office movers for professional help and guidance.
