4 tips to make your office move stress free

We have all at one time in our life had to move home which can be a stressful process what with packing boxes, sorting out logistics to unpacking to find out there is just not enough room or you simply can’t find the kettle for a much needed cuppa! Moving office can be just as challenging and in some cases even more so due to the added complexities of numerous staff, transferring of utilities and ensuring that your business can still operate during the transition.

1. Plan the Moving Date

   It seems an obvious one but you would be surprised how many companies choose to move at the most inconvenient time. If you are not a large company consider if the office could be packed away on a Friday afternoon, arrange for a few key people to work the weekend to move all the items and then unpack Monday morning to be back up and running with limited impact to the business.

   If you are a larger business look to split the office move. Get certain people to move into the new office and whilst they are getting up and running the people left at the existing office or working from home can hold the fort. Once the new office is operating effectively the rest of the team joins them. A seamless operation and your customers won’t even know you’ve moved.

2. Plan your utilities

   Ensure that electricity, gas, water and internet is connected to your new business before moving. By having your documents and telephony hosted in the cloud your staff can work from virtually anyway with WIFI access. If they are going to be in-between sites, you can simply transfer the landline number to a mobile phone – no one needs to know that you are waiting in a corridor for your handsets to be set up.

3. Tell Your Customers

   People worry, especially in challenging economic times and inconsistences in company information can make people panic. As soon as you start the office move change your address on your company literature, website, social media sites, Google Company Page, and of course write or email all your customers informing them of the change of address. After all we don’t want them to think that you have done a moonlight flee or have been taken over by another company.

4. Consider the Logistics

   Yes you could move the office yourself using staff vehicles and borrowing a van but first consider if you are insured. What happens if a member of staff hurts their back or drops a valuable piece of equipment? Sometimes calling in the experts can be a more cost effective solution and less chance of breakages and damages and can often be done more efficiently.

   Before grabbing the keys to your new offices, take some time to plan the move carefully. Remember failing to plan is planning to fail. The team at Advantage Services Ltd can be found at their new home at 4 Mitre Court, Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B74 2LZ.