How to make your small business office move go as smoothly as possible & keep staff happy
As a removals company ourselves, we’ve read quite a few guides and checklists on what businesses need to think of when moving offices. And, while they are certainly useful for those who have nothing else to do other than organise their office move, they’re not exactly helpful for those who still need to carry on with their usual workloads.
When your business grows, downsizes, changes or needs to relocate for whichever reason, it can seem like a lot of weight on your shoulders, but it doesn’t have to be. Our guide below focuses on the important things you need to manage to make your small business office move. We’ve also cast our eye over some of the things that get overlooked with a move too.
In the months leading up to your move
Weekday or weekend move?
Now, this decision may already be made for you – in which case, great! But, for everyone else this is a really important point to consider. Of course, not all offices run Monday to Friday, but in general there are several points to consider on whether you move on a weekday or weekend.
Moving on a weekday means you could keep costs down as you won’t need to pay overtime for those who help over the weekend.
Moving on a Friday might be your best bet if you need to move on a weekday. Let’s face it, Friday’s can sometimes be a bit of a wind down day, which means that it can be a great time to move offices allowing for a fresh start on Monday, but with time over the weekend for any potential mishaps.
However the obvious drawbacks are that your business will probably have some downtime that it can’t avoid. One way to overcome this is to prepare for some staff to work from home if they can.
Weekend moves are traditionally difficult to get help from staff. It’s their weekend after all so you may have to pay overtime for their help. On the plus side if your busy periods are during the week then you can avoid having the amount of downtime on a weekday move. As an extra tip it’s worth bearing in mind that if you do choose a weekend, that all your support is available. Make sure you make a note of your internet provider customer support opening times.
Contact an office removals company
I know, of course we’re going to say this, but you should get in touch with a removals company who specialise in office moves. Obviously we know a good removals company in London.
The sooner you do this, the more accurate and cost effective your quote will be. Not only that but you won’t be relying on Dodgy Dave’s Clumsy Removals if you leave it 2 days before. Trust us, we’ve heard too many horror stories from smashed computer monitors to unloading desks at completely the wrong address. Discover why hiring man and van service can save you money.
Talk to your employees about the move and find out any issues
Your office relocation could have a considerable impact on your staff, whether it involves greater travelling time to the new location, the hard work of the actual move or their resistance to change.
Sometimes you can’t control those reactions and there may be some who find it a little more difficult to move than others. There could be several things at play in their lives that makes the move more difficult for them. Little touches can help make the move as smooth as possible.
- Before your move, talk to your staff and understand what difficulties they might have. There may be some simple changes you make you might not have considered.
- On the day, get rations in – Cakes, sweets, sandwiches, drinks
- After the move – have an office party and treat everyone to say thanks
- Change your culture with your move – Your move to a new office may mean that you finally have space for a pool table!
Create checklists for each department or employee
Draw up an individual checklist for each team or employee so everyone is aware of what they need to do to be organised. Your checklist could involve the following:
- Backup the files on your computer
- Sort all paperwork and bin/shred unwanted files
- Clean out draws
- Tidy all cables
- Set an out of office on
- Inform direct customers of the move
How to let your clients know
Often the reason for moving offices is to upscale, so be proud of that. Tell your customers that due to your increased success you need to move to bigger premises.
Once isn’t enough to let your clients know your moving location. Here are a few ideas to keep getting the message across:
- Call them!
- Email them through your email marketing platform. You may want to add in some simple automation such as those who don’t open the first email are then sent a second a few days later
- Add your new details to the bottom of your email signatures
- Have a party at your new location – People love a party and combining your move with a celebration is a great excuse to strengthen the relationship with your customers.
Let your suppliers and postman know
Your next step is to contact all your suppliers and let them know your office is changing, like all of the following:
- Internet provider
- Bank
- Institutions/memberships
- Insurance providers
- Software providers
Even after all of that it still might be wise to set up forwarding of your post from the Royal Mail to ensure that anything sent to your old address is sent on to your new location.
Update your online presence including Google & other directories
Make sure to update your Google address details in case anyone wants to get directions for your new office.
Not only that, but while your premises might not be a storefront, your address could still form an integral part of your Search Engine Marketing. In other words, if you’re moving from one town to another this may have an effect on the keywords you are ranking for in Google. So be sure to keep an eye on how this affects your results.
There’s also a chance that you have several directory and profile listings around the web. While these may not be as popular they are still necessary to update.
In the week of your move
Do you really need all that paperwork and extra stuff?
Depending on how brilliantly organised your admin team are there may be files and files of out of date paperwork stored in your cabinets. Go through them and discard anything that is out of date or not relevant any more.
Ditch the junk before you move – as with a home removal, you don’t want to pay or spend time moving items that just aren’t required in the new office. It is possible to donate office equipment (including phones, photocopiers, printers, computers, redundant office furniture) to charity or to recycle them?
Use specialist crates when packing
We’d always recommend using specialist plastic crates for commercial moves. They are quick to load and light but strong enough to hold all heavy paperwork. They come in a range of sizes from standard crates to computer screen crates and stack very easily in vehicles. These are much better than cardboard boxes due to the protection they can offer your equipment. Good removal companies should be able to provide these for you!
Internet and phone lines
While the new office is still empty, have all your broadband and phone lines put in ahead of your move to make the switch even more seamless.
Moving your office to a new location needn’t be stressful as everyone makes out. While preparation in advance is key, don’t let that put you off as something that only people with enough time can do. Instead, your office move should be cause for celebration for your business and your customers too. It’s a good thing, so make it feel like that!
JamVans are a modern and WHICH? Trusted Trader removals company serving homes and businesses in London and the surrounding areas. From short one man and van moves in London to international carriers to Australia, JamVans are London’s leading removals company having completed over 4000+ moves in 10 years.
