Office relocation is a key stage in the life of your business. This type of relocation must be prepared rigorously and meticulously. Moreover, stress should never be your companion during these few weeks. Organizing and coordinating your office relocation cannot be improvised and requires expertise, time, and methodology. For this new start to be a success, you need an experienced moving company like Number 1 Van Lines. With a great company carrying out your move and a great moving plan, your office relocation is destined to be a triumph. Moreover, to help you out with managing your office transfer we have created an office relocation guide. Consult our step-by-step guide so that your office relocation becomes synonymous with serenity.
Step one for coordinating your office relocation: First things first
The best advice anyone can give you when it comes to moving an office is to start early. Start planning your transfer as soon as you can. This plan will help you stay on track and make sure you don’t forget any important steps. The first thing you need to do is to set up a budget. According to your budget, you are going to decide which moving company fits your needs and what changes you can make to your new office space. Furthermore, having a budget will prevent you from overspending. Get at least three moving quotes that you can compare before you choose one. After you hire commercial movers Toronto to conduct your move, you need to determine if you need moving coverage. If you have a lot of expensive equipment you should definitely consider getting coverage.
This is the moment you should designate someone who can help you manage the office transfer. You can designate one person per department. This will make the process smoother and you will have more time to deal with other important moving tasks.
Step two: Communicate internally and externally
The first person to notify about your move is your landlord or a property manager. Once you give an official notice, gather your team and announce the moving date and the new address. Give a brief explanation of why you have decided to relocate your office and present to them the benefits of this transfer. Moreover, if there are any changes you want to make, this is the perfect moment to announce them. Also, during this meeting, notify your staff about their responsibilities during the moving process. Furthermore, contact your suppliers and give them your new address, and tell them your official moving date. Schedule all the deliveries that you can for after the move.
Next on the list to notify about the upcoming move are your clients and partners. Send them your new address and your new contact information. Notify them about any project delays that can happen due to your office transfer. Â Other places you need to notify about the office relocation are:
- Service providers and suppliers
- Statutory bodies
- Any accounts departments
- Your Internet service provider
- Banks and financial institutions
- Insurance companies
- Telephone Company
- Service companies for photocopiers or printers
Step three: Moving preparation
All the office equipment and furniture are going to be handled by office movers in Mississauga. However, your employees are going to take care of their desks and files. They can start packing early, one drawer at a time. For this task, you will need to provide them with cardboard boxes, tape, and markers. Make sure they do the inventory of all the things that are going to be relocated. Moreover, this is a perfect moment to get rid of any unnecessary papers. Tell your employees to pack all their personal belongings and take them home. If you decide to change some pieces of furniture contact a furniture company and place orders for your new premises. Before the moving day, send your movers a floor plan of your new office space so that they know exactly where to place each piece of equipment.
Make sure to back up all your important documents and data. You never know what can happen during the transfer. In case anything gets damaged your data will be safe. If you need a storage unit for the belongings that you cannot bring to your new office space, this is the time to rent one. You need a secure and safe storage unit, to which you can have easy access. Before you move anything there, you need to pack your items properly, especially fragile items. Make sure to research how to pack fragile items for storage or better let your moving company deal with it.
Step four in coordinating your office relocation: Check everything
Go around the office and check if everything is packed and ready before the movers arrive. See if you missed packing any items that need to be relocated to your new space. Once the movers are there go over the floor plan, and notify them of changes if there are any. Furthermore, check with your IT coordinator if phone, internet, and IT systems are fully connected.
Step five: Unpacking stage
Verify if everything has arrived at the new office. For this use the inventory list that you have created before the move. Take a close look at your equipment and see if there are any damages. After you finish the checkup of your equipment and furniture start unpacking boxes. Start putting all the files and office supplies in their designated place. The sooner you do this, the sooner your business can get up and running again.
To sum up
Coordinating your office relocation can be a stressful and complicated task only if you don’t prepare.  Give yourself enough time to prepare all the steps of the office relocation. When you prepare well and stick to the plan, everything can go smoothly. And remember, your moving company can help you with your office relocation, so don’t hesitate to contact them and ask them questions. They are here to help you and to make your moving experience trouble-free.