Occasionally, it becomes necessary to move a business from one location to another. You might feel that your existing office space lacks the space and facilities you need, or you might need easier access to a city centre.
Obviously, it’s worth weighing the costs and benefits before giving the green light to a move. You’ll also want to take steps to minimise disruption. Let’s consider a few key tips for getting it right.
Define your strategy and scope
You’ll want to clearly set out what you hope to achieve. If you aren’t on top of the specifics, then it might be that you’re blind to potential downsides. Like any other business process, you’ll need to define the criteria by which you’ll judge the success of the move later on. Lay down your objectives and budget in advance, and you’ll be able to resist the temptation to move the goalposts later on.
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SubscribeEngage stakeholders & build your project team
An office move is something that will affect everyone in your business, as well as a number of important people and organisations outside of it. It might be that your office staff have their own ideas about how to make the move a success. The same goes for suppliers and stakeholders.
It’s often a good idea to appoint a move manager to oversee the process, and to keep everyone involved informed and onside.
Plan the space, fit-out and infrastructure
You’ll need a good understanding of how you’re using the space you currently occupy. Once you have this, you’ll be able to think about how you can make the best possible use of the new space. The juxtaposition of desks, meeting rooms, storage, and break areas can have a big impact on productivity.
The same goes for the fittings and infrastructure. Where are the Ethernet cables going to be threaded, and will you have the plug sockets you need? Are your fittings going to be efficient, attractive, and cost-effective? This is where LED profiles around key areas can make a big difference. They’ll be able to not only ensure that the space is evenly lit, but that it’s attractive and professional-looking, too.
Manage the move logistics & settle in
Actually getting the move done smoothly means staying on top of inventory and packing. If you don’t have experience managing this kind of chaos, then you’ll want to appoint a removal company, and liaise with them constantly. Make sure that you label everything properly, and that you take care of snagging afterwards. Finally, you’ll need to run through a checklist of notifications for your new address. Everyone who might want to reach you will need to know where you are!
