Business office moves can go from exciting to stressful very quickly. Whether you’re growing your business or shrinking it to make it more efficient, moving within or outside the city, or doing a mix of these things, there are many details to take care of. If you are in charge of planning the office move, we have some ideas that will make your job easier.
Plan your actions ahead of time.
Preparations for a move should start four to six months before the move date to ensure that all the tasks can be done without causing too much stress. As soon as you know you’re going, check out the new office and decide how it will be set up, including where everything and everyone will go.
Hire a moving company and plan.
When moving a corporate office, which takes a lot of time and work because of all the equipment and details, it’s important to get a detailed estimate and hire a full-service moving company 1–3 months in advance. Check to see if they have made commercial moves before and have them give you a quote for the move while they are there. Ask people you know who have recently moved offices for advice.
Find people for the IT department.
The IT department should have three months to prepare to transfer all technical equipment, internet plans, phone connections, etc. They will have to look at the new place of work to see if it needs any changes to its infrastructure or technology.
Do a thorough job of cleaning.
Don’t bring along any unnecessary baggage! Shred any old files you want to get rid of, give away or sell any office furniture you don’t use, and throw away any old technology. If you want a tax break for things you give away, you should talk to your financial advisors about the paperwork. You’ll need to keep track of the money people give you.
When getting new machinery, it’s important to plan.
You should order new furniture and technology at least two to four months before moving offices to have everything you need. But it would help if you were careful not to order too many big things at once because you may have to pay shipping costs for both the first delivery and the next move.
