Your business has outgrown its current office space, or you want something smaller. It’s time to move. Whether you’re cutting back, rolling out new services, hiring additional employees, or want to be closer to your talent pool, moving to a new location is a chance to solve operational challenges and signal success to your customers.
Determining how to move a business to a new location can be tricky. This is especially so if you’re moving a business to another state. You may have a lot of items to take from one location to another, including: furniture, appliances, computers, inventory, and special equipment.
Planning ahead ensures that your office relocation goes smoothly, reducing downtime for your business. Follow these office moving tips for a successful transition.
1. Make A Timeline
Every business’s move-in timeline is different. You may only have a few months to relocate, or you may have time to plan over the next one to two years.
Much of your time will be spent searching for the right location. If you need a larger office space of 10,000 square feet or more, you need to start searching up to 18 months prior to your lease expiration. Sometimes even small spaces will require 3 to 6 months to find.
Once you’ve found the right real estate, you need to create a timeline to prepare for the move. Set at an obtainable date for your move-in day and work backwards from it. For each month, set a goal for what you need to complete.
An example timeline could look like this:
Six months before: You review your lease, get quotes from moving companies, and start planning other factors of the move.
Three months before: You notify your employees and begin notifying your clients. At this time, you assemble a move-in team, and review the items and equipment you’ll be taking with you.
One month before: You obtain the floor plan from the landlord to visualize the office layout. During this time, you schedule your phone, internet and IT installations.
A few weeks before: You begin labeling inventory and reminding your employees of the deadline to pack up their personal belongings.
2. Review Your Current Lease
Before you make concrete plans, you should review your current lease and speak to your landlord. The terms of your current lease will state what you need to do before your business can relocate.
Leases may include provisions for restoration and maintenance, holdovers, and the landlord’s right to show the space. Restoration clauses may require you to revert any alterations you made to the space before you move out. Other terms may deem you responsible for repairing damage to the property.
After you’ve reviewed your old lease, you’ll want to review your new lease, too. It will state any rules for moving into the new building, like only being able to move in during non-business hours. Reading through both of your leases will keep you from encountering an unexpected surprise down the road.
3. Create A Moving Budget
Moving costs money. Not only will you want to make sure you can afford your new rent, but you will want to make sure you can afford to move. Start allocating money toward your office move and create a budget as early as you can.
Keep in mind that you may need more than a moving company to assist in your office’s move. You may need someone to install equipment, clean the building, or plan the layout.
Your moving expenses may include:
- Moving service
- Packing supplies
- Phone, internet and computer installation
- Cleaning service
- Interior designer
- Landscaping
- Security installation
4. Assemble A Team
A successful move relies on good communication and a team of employees willing to take on extra responsibility. This team will keep other employees informed and involved in the moving process.
Assigning a team leader provides a point of contact for all things related to the transition and helps you stick to your timeline. Being a point person for an internal office move is a substantial time commitment. The team leader may need to delegate their normal responsibilities to someone else while they complete tasks for the move.
The team leader needs to receive clear goals and instructions from the decision makers involved. With a clear understanding, they can relay information and assign employees tasks as needed. Businesses often choose a CFO, general counsel, head of facilities or an office manager to spearhead the process.
5. Contract An External Team
You have your internal team. Now, you need an external team. As you approach your move-in date, you should hire people for the services you will need.
Do you need full-service movers, who will pack, load, unload and set up? Do you just need a moving company to take your furniture and equipment? Call a moving company and schedule your moving date in advance so you’re ready to go.
You may need someone to properly disconnect your equipment and technology from your current office, as well as connect your systems once you change locations. Contact your network, systems and security installers a month before your move-in date to get set up in the new location as quickly as possible.
6. Review the Floor Plan
Now that you’re moving into a new office, you have the opportunity to update the layout of your lobby, cubicles and open workspaces. Most landlords can provide you with an architectural floor plan. Having this on hand will help you plan where to place teams in the new space.
It can be difficult to imagine how your current setup will translate into a larger (or smaller) office. You can manipulate a floor plan on an image editor like Adobe Photoshop to give you an idea of how to set up your furniture and teams in the new space. You can also take a floor plan to an office equipment dealer, who will lay out the office plan for free in hopes of earning your future business.
If you want to change the style of your office, you may need to hire an interior designer. They can set up the floor plan, order new furniture and create a space you, your employees and your customers will enjoy.
Do you need a smaller space? Have you outgrown your current location? Are you searching for a new office space?
Contact Commercial One Brokers today. We can help you find your next office space in Branson, MO.
