If your business is growing and getting bigger, there’s a good chance you’ll need to relocate your facilities at some point. This is a good thing! Growing demand for space and updated facilities shows that you’re on the path to success. The only downside is the moving process, which can be disruptive to your business. When it comes to commercial office relocation in NYC, there’s nothing simple about packing up your operations and setting them up fresh in a new facility.
To make the transition as smooth and stress-free as possible, and to get your business back up and running quickly, we’ve put together a quick commercial moving guide below. Follow these important steps to address the needs of an office move and ensure everything is handled with precision.
Pre-planning a commercial move
The single most important part of any commercial relocation is the pre-planning that goes into it. Businesses need to do as much as possible before moving day, so when the time comes to actually relocate, they can execute swiftly and get to their new location as quickly as possible. Here’s a look at some of the pre-planning items any business can and should take the time to handle:
- Delegating tasks and responsibilities to employees and stakeholders
- Packing and storing non-essential business items
- Minimizing operations to pack up assets and equipment
- Cleaning and preparing the old facility
- Making checklists and task lists for getting up and running in the new facility
In addition to items you need to do before the move, pre-planning also needs to include items you can do at the new facilities. What can you do to prepare your new facilities? What should you be doing at the new facilities to expedite the setup after the move is over? Look ahead to what happens immediately after a move to figure out what you can do right now to ease the transition.
In addition to considering what you need to do before leaving old facilities and getting into the new space, also consider how you’re accomplishing these things. Specifically, what kinds of services do you need to hire and who are you delegating these tasks to? If you need to hire professional packers or movers, make sure those services are booked on the dates you need them. If people within your company are responsible for certain tasks, make sure the expectation is set and those individuals know their role.
When everyone is on the same page before a move, the relocation itself will go smoothly—even when you’re moving an entire company!
Handling important assets
Every business has assets—whether it’s a copy machine or a piece of heavy equipment, computers and even office furniture. It’s important to consider these assets as you plan for an upcoming move. Namely, how are you going to ensure the smooth, safe relocation of these assets from one place to another.
Assets are often delicate—whether physically or because of complex electronics—and can be either oversized or numerous: think one big copy machine versus the dozens of computers you use. In any case, there needs to be a consolidated plan for relocating each and every asset safely.
The key to moving assets safely is to identify them ahead of time and develop a strategy for moving them appropriately. Often, this means working with professional movers. Movers can handle oversized, delicate, awkwardly-shaped items with ease and will ensure they’re given the specific attention they deserve. Likewise, they can handle the transport of many smaller assets without losing track of them or putting at risk.
One more consideration any business needs to make before moving assets is from an insurance standpoint. Call up your business’ insurance company and either purchase additional moving insurance or check your policy to ensure it includes the assets you’re relocating. Remember, these are the items that make your business run smoothly each and every day—make sure they’re protected against anything and everything that could happen during a move.
Consider IT requirements
Every business has IT needs. Whether you have your own data storage network on-site or your sales force uses dozens of computers, it’s vital to consider the scope of your IT operations. Often, the best way to think about this is as a move within a move. You’re moving all of your equipment from one facility to another; now, you need to shift your IT infrastructure as well.
Often, IT moves aren’t as simple as taking it down in one place and setting it up in another. New facilities come with new challenges and obstacles, and have new opportunities for setting up your IT infrastructure. In addition to pre-planning as much of your IT move as possible, have your tech department get into the new facilities first to work on establishing infrastructure. Your people can’t work or execute normal business operations until the technologies they rely on are up and running.
Also, be aware that you might need to expand your tech after a move. This is something any business should plan for as part of setting aside time and cost to adapt their new facilities. Whether it’s additional cabling, Wi-fi expanders or the services to help you get these systems installed, make sure you’re considering all your IT requirements—including the ones you might need as part of a new move-in.
Coordinate your people
Most businesses think about their commercial relocation from the standpoint of all the stuff they’re relocating. But actually, the biggest component of your move is likely going to be your staff! People are going from a facility they know and are familiar with, to one that’s brand-new to them. There’s an adjustment period to consider, but one that you can shorten with a little attention to detail.
- First, coordinate departments. That means delegating someone in each department to oversee the move for that group of people. They should have an understanding of the entire moving process and where their team fits in during the relocation.
- Second, create an easy-to-follow moving checklist and process for individual employees. People should know what they need to do to get ready for the move and what their responsibilities are when moving day rolls around. The fewer questions your employees have, the smoother the move will go.
- Finally, put a timeline on everything. Employees should know where they need to be at any given day or time, so there’s no confusion during the moving process. This will also prevent disruptions and complications that might otherwise lead to extra costs.
The best way to coordinate people and get everyone on the same page is to be as transparent as possible. Keep your employees informed about the move at every phase and make sure their questions are answered. Moving is only as complicated as you make it, and the best way to decomplicate it is to bring a sense of transparency to the entire process.
Hire professionals for commercial relocation
If all of these steps still sound overwhelming, keep in mind that you can always call commercial moving professionals! Commercial moving experts can help with each phase of planning and coordinating moves, and take important tasks off your plate to focus on the tasks your business needs to accomplish in-house. For example, if you don’t need to worry about packing and moving important assets, you can focus on coordinating employees.
Take the time to consult with professionals who are willing to collaborate with you, and who can offer advice for how to make your business’ move as simple as possible. There’s a lot to consider and many moving parts to keep track of. Find a moving partner who can help you stay on top of it all, so you can get your business back up and running again in its new facilities. It won’t be long until your growing business grows right into its new home!