Congratulations on your company move! Relocating to a new office space is a huge accomplishment, one to be proud of as such a milestone in your business. Despite this exciting transition, a corporate relocation can be extremely stressful with so many moving parts (no pun intended) to coordinate. As you work towards the move, you’re likely to experience some stress and anxiety in anticipation for the impending move-in date, possibly feeling like it’s impossible to get everything done in time for the big day. Luckily, your business move doesn’t need to be nightmarish. Instead, it can be smooth sailing with the right steps in place. If you’re looking for tips to make your relocation easier, look no further – we have nine easy steps to make your office move simple and manageable!

1. 1. Plan in advance

Perhaps most importantly, you will benefit from giving yourself ample time to plan and complete your move. By working in advance, the process will be much improved and less stressful because you’ll be able to smooth out any issues that come up without worrying about having enough time. It’s best to create a checklist of all the upcoming tasks you’ll need to complete in order to stay on track without letting anything slip through the cracks. You should also create a schedule or a timeline that highlights any time-sensitive responsibilities to take care of. By starting your moving process this way, you will be able to organize things better for you and your employees.

1. 1. Declutter the current space

After years of being in an office, you will inevitably accumulate clutter. This tends to happen over time as we get more items, sometimes things that we save in case we need them long term but we, in fact, don’t end up requiring. Because of this, we hold onto way more than what we actually want to bring to the new office. Doing a deep clean of your space will make it much easier to pack and unpack your items, and it will also start your new office on the right foot to be much cleaner from the very beginning.

You will likely have old files or paperwork that have been kept around for a while. If you can have the files digitally backed up, then you can ideally shred the remaining paperwork to save space. Since this will likely be a big job, you can delegate this task by department to have each group of workers go through their own files. You also may have old electronics that are no longer needed or have since been upgraded.

1. 1. Make a budget

As with any other business decision, creating a budget will allow for the best possible outcome as you can plan the most effective way to allocate your funds. A move is a major overhaul, and understanding the amount of money you’re working with and the goals you want to accomplish for the relocation is crucial to your success. This can be especially helpful as any unforeseen expenses make themselves known to you throughout the process. With a budget, you’ll be equipped with extra funds for any last minute costs because you’ll already have a solid idea of what you’re paying for and hopefully have left some leeway for extras along the way.

1. 1. Communicate with employees

Your staff are undoubtedly the backbone of your company. Without dedicated employees coming to work day in and day out, your business simply couldn’t run. Because of that, it’s important to acknowledge their significance by keeping them in the loop every step of the way. Rather than letting the move become a topic of conversation along the grapevine, notify your employees in a timely fashion to ensure the most accurate information is reaching them. You’ll want to keep an open line of communication to ensure your staff is able to voice any questions or concerns as they go through this transitional period. Additionally, keeping them updated is a great way to continually show that you value their time and energy.

1. 1. Notify external parties

Aside from your internal audience, you also likely have plenty of external parties that play a role in your company’s day-to-day schedule. This may include vendors, contractors, and clients, among others depending on your company’s unique circumstances. Since these people also have an impact on your business, it’s important to keep an open line of communication with them so they aren’t blindsided by the move. Even if it seems like the move won’t affect them much or at all, giving some notice shows transparency and consideration. Plus, you never know how it will potentially impact aspects of these partnerships that you hadn’t considered.

1. 1. Pack by department

The best way to handle your move is to divide responsibilities by department in order to most accurately and efficiently complete tasks. After all, these employees will know their own departments best, making this the most effective solution possible. Each department should start with their non-essential items that they won’t require for everyday usage. Once those items are packed, the essential items such as computers and other daily needs will have to wait until the move is closer.

If you are moving furniture from your office rather than getting new furniture delivered to the new space, these items will need to be disassembled as much as possible to move them most conveniently. Everything should be properly labeled and packed in a way that leaves them protected from sustaining any damage in transit.

1. 1. Source outside help

Packing and moving an entire office space can be extremely overwhelming, and the larger your office is, the harder it can become. Because of this, it can be wise to invest in outside help from professionals. Although this is something you’d need to budget for, it can have an excellent payoff as it saves you a significant amount of time and energy that you would rather use on your daily work. Rather than allocating your work hours to the moving process, you can focus on your already full schedule. Without this, much of your day can come consumed with the move instead of the tasks that would otherwise be taking priority at your place of work.

Hiring a commercial moving company for your relocation can be helpful in a variety of ways. You can reap the benefits of having a professional team to move your office items from point A to point B. You may choose to invest in a temporary storage option or a portable moving container from one of these services to gradually fill this unit as you pack up for the move. Alternatively, many moving companies provide packing options, where their experts can help to get your office packed for the move.

1. 1. Create a floor plan

Your new office will undoubtedly be a revamped and refreshed version of your current space. You’ll want to have your new floor plan mapped out before you bring any furniture or other items into the new place. Once you have the dimensions of your space, you can then get the dimensions of any furniture items you’re bringing in and figure out where everything should go without having to physically move everything around. This saves you plenty of time and effort in the long run.

Creating this blueprint also makes the moving in and unpacking process much simpler, as you will know exactly which rooms and spots everything should be brought to. You won’t need to struggle with moving things around a bunch because you’ll already have the details worked out.

1. 1. Set up utilities

One final consideration to handle, ideally as far in advance as possible, is your utilities. You will need to contact your providers to let them know when your current services will need to be deactivated. Doing this with ample time will ensure that you don’t incur any unexpected costs. You will also want to contact your new service providers for the new space as early as possible to schedule when your utilities will be turned on there. Among these providers will be internet, water, gas, electricity, phone, and trash pick-up. Making sure you have these utilities ready for move-in day will be extremely important, as arriving at an office without electricity or internet will put a wrench in your plans! Be sure to schedule these with plenty of time to spare and follow up about a week before your move to ensure everything will be ready on time.

Business moves, simplified

When it’s time to move your business, the task doesn’t need to become a source of stress. With our simple tips and tricks, you can make your relocation worry-free and manageable. Seeking help from a professional moving service? Depend on Able Moving & Storage. As a company who truly cares for our customers, we have been providing reliable, high-quality moving solutions since 1987. If you’re interested in finding out how Able can help you, get your free commercial quote today!