How to Prepare and Pack for Your Company Relocation

Change is inevitable. This is true for any business of any industry or size.

At some point, there’s going to be a time where you need to move on to bigger or better things. There also might be a time where you need to downsize should things take a turn.

No matter what the situation, company relocation is something to take very seriously. Most of the work of a move needs to be planned out ahead of time if things are going to go properly on the day itself. 

How should you go about preparing for such an event? Read on and we’ll walk you through some key tips and tricks you should be familiar with.

Make a Solid Plan Ahead of Time

Moving your office is going to require a lot of moving parts. Your entire team is going to need to get coordinated and you will be responsible for keeping everyone on the same page.

Thus, having a precise plan in place will be essential for a smooth transition. 

One of the easiest things to do that can help this process along is to create a timeline for your move. Obviously, you’ll have the date of the move marked out in red. You’ll also want to produce plenty of milestones along the way to the actual date. 

You don’t want the whole process of the move to get bunched right before or on the date of the move itself.

First, set out important dates for your company that is occurring between the present day and the anticipated date of your move. Ensure none of these events are so close to the move that one will seriously disrupt the other.

Set dates for when your team should have their personals packed up, when their data should be backed up, and so forth. The more heads up you can give your team, the better.

Your move will impact their lives in some ways, altering their commute and daily routine. Giving them as much time as possible to account for these things can be important.

You’ll also likely want to set aside time to go through all the paperwork and potential junk in your office. There’s no reason to kick the can down the road when it comes to getting organized.

There’s never going to be a more sensible time for your office to do a bit of spring cleaning. Make sure you set this for enough time prior to your move that you can get through it all without feeling stressed.

Prepare the New Space

You don’t want to get so focused on all the work that needs to be done at your current office that you forget to prepare your new space as well. There a lot of things that need to be done ahead of time to ensure your arrival goes smoothly.

First, you’ll want to ensure that you transfer your utilities to where your new operations headquarters will be. You never know what dealing with your utility company might be like, so you’ll want to do this ahead of time.

If you think you’ll be using both spaces for some time, you may want to talk to your utility company about overlapping services for a small window of time. 

You’ll also want to speak with the building owner about how your load-in should go. There might be specific instructions you’ll need to follow so as not to disrupt the work of other businesses in the building or area. 

You’ll also need to ensure that your entire team will be able to park and access the building with ease during the move itself.

You’ll want to visit your new space a few times in the lead-up to your move. Make sure to take plenty of measurements so that you’ll know you’ll be able to fit all you plan to bring.

Also, make sure to note any repairs that need to be made to the space ahead of your move-in. Make sure to bring these up to the building owner so everything is ready on the day you relocate.

Plan Your Physical Move

With much of the planning finally out of the way, you can turn your attention to how you’ll handle the move ahead of you. Moving your entire office is going to require a great deal of work. It is likely something you won’t be able to handle on your own.

It’s also something that your team is likely not qualified to do, nor should it be expected of them. 

As such, you’ll likely want to hire one of the commercial moving companies in your area to take on the task for you. A professional team of movers will be able to properly evaluate your space, provided the needed manpower and equipment, and get the job done in a reasonable timeframe.

This will keep your team safe from any potential injury (and it will probably make them a lot happier as well). It’s also keeping your bottom line safe, as an injury sustained in moving offices could get dicey as far as worker’s compensation and employer liability is concerned.

If you’re going to hire a local moving company, make sure to do plenty of research first. If you know other businesses of similar size that have moved locations recently, reach out and inquire about their experience and who they worked with.

Read reviews and don’t hesitate to ask for references. You don’t move very often in the lifespan of a business and it is important to ensure you are getting your money’s worth.

Handling a Company Relocation

If you have a company relocation on the horizon, it’s important to commit a good chunk of time to properly preparing for your move. The above tips and tricks can ensure you’re set and ready to go come moving day. 

Need more business advice and information? Keep scrolling our blog for more.