Moving the Whole Office? Make Sure You Use This Office Moving Checklist
Whether you’re expanding rapidly or the old space is no longer meeting your san francisco moving company needs, sometimes an office move is that natural choice. And while deciding to move can be a long and arduous decision process in itself, the act of actually moving is a whole different ball game. Not only do you need to move an entire company, but you also need to maintain a level of work efficiency throughout the process. Talk about stressful! We understand this process up and down, so we would like to offer our two cents on how to move an office efficiently.
Designate Your Point Person
Too many chiefs, not enough … well you know the saying. When planning an office move, there’s a lot of decision making, so it’s best to designate a point person for communicating to san francisco movers and developing the moving plan.
Moving is a major
decision that can impact brand reputation, long-term business goals and
productivity, so naturally company leaders will want to be involved. But
moving can be a major distraction as you try to keep up with actual
work in the meantime. It’s better to designate a moving manager that
company leaders can check in with, rather than handling all the details
themselves.
This point person may not be the manager or person who is regularly in charge -- it all depends on how much time everyone has and who is willing to step up. You never know, your receptionist or sales associate may have a knack for project management and raise their hand to help out!
Select a Moving Date
Selecting a moving date seems simple, but it actually requires a lot of forethought and planning. Look ahead at the next year and see what big events you may have coming up. If you’re planning to launch a new product at a conference in April, for example, moving in the spring may not be the best idea. Consider all the time and effort needed to do your regular work, then consider the time and effort needed to move.
If possible, choose a moving date during your slow season so your team likely has more time to help out.
Communicate With Employees
Oftentimes company leaders jeep employees out of the loop during moves, with the intention to minimize distractions.This often backfires, since employees naturally want to know what’s going on and would like to be in the loop so they can make necessary arrangements for their own move.
For example, if you are moving their office across town, employees will have to shift their morning routines to accommodate for a change in commute time, pick up and drop off times for their kids, and even gym memberships. You don’t want to have to deal with start employees quitting because they had to switch up their entire lives on short notice.
Communicating with your employees is not only a respectful decision for their well-being, employees may have resources that you would otherwise be unaware of. Maybe they have a cousin with a professional moving company or access to a bunch of moving boxes. Talk with your employees and make sure your point person leaves room for plenty of open communication.
Design Your Moving Plan
An office move is incredibly complex. The best way to move your office is with a clear, bulletproof plan. Spend time designing a plan that accounts for the fact that work will need to continue during this process. Some items to add to your plan include:
Create your moving budget. Moving expenses can get out of hand quickly if you don’t have a clear and strict budget to follow.
Develop a communications plan. Now how often and through which methods you will be communicating with employees. This is also important for determining which information to share and what is better left out to avoid overwhelm or distraction.
Create a moving inventory. Before you begin packing, make an inventory of office furniture, documents, equipment and appliances that you plan to transport to the new location.
Hire a professional moving company. ONce you have decided your moving date, begin vetting moving companies. We recommend working with a company that has experience moving offices, specifically. The moving company should also be able to help you out with a moving day timeline.
Finalize Moving Day schedule. Have an hour by hour game plan for moving day. You should know where employees are expected to be stationed and who is leading certain aspects of the move.
Consult with architects or interior designers. If you have a new plan for your new office, make sure to meet with the right professionals about preparing the space before moving day. Ideally, you should have walls painted and a layout determined before you begin hauling all your stuff into the building. This also includes a seating plan for employees.
Order necessary moving supplies. Once you have a budget and an inventory list, you can safely estimate the supply needs for the move.
Schedule utilities off/on days. Overlap your old and new office utility turn on and turn off days so you don’t miss a beat when you arrive in your new office.
Update company contact information. Make sure all print and digital collateral has updated contact information. This includes business cards, brochures, and the website or social media platforms.
Perform a final sweep of the old office. You don’t want to leave anything behind! Make sure the old office is completely empty. It would be a shame if a small slip of paper was left behind that had private information on it!
Final Thoughts
Moving day at the office is a hectic day, but if you have the right plan in place and you prioritize communication with your employees and the professional movers, all this hard work will certainly pay off. Good luck to you and your team during your move, and we look forward to helping you soon.
If you’re still looking for a professional moving company, give us a call! We can send over a free quote for vetting purposes .
