An office move is often a source of stress for employees and management. According to a recent study, moving is the 3rd most common cause of stress after grief and layoff. Organizing the move of your company, no matter the size of the company and its sector of activity, cannot be improvised. Here are a few tips to help you organize this important step in the life of your company.
- Inform your partners, and your staff, of the implications of such a choice. How much time do you expect between the end of operations at one location and the move to the new location? What do you expect from them before, during, and after the transition?
- Give your partners and employees a tour of the new location, of course, if their numbers allow. This will help their sense of belonging and stimulate their desire to work there soon by allowing them to get their bearings.
- Creating a transfer committee can help with the distribution of tasks, and also answer questions that will arise during the process. And believe me, there will be some! Make sure each member of your staff knows their role, whether they are packing their own belongings or all the files from the accounting department!
- Plan: Depending on the size of your business, a move may or may not be done on the same day. How much time do you want to allow for the move? Will you remain in business during the work? If so, partially or completely? This will determine, among other things, what to move first. Good labeling will make the move easier, and thus make it easier to find the boxes when they arrive. Also, plan for the necessary services of disconnecting/unplugging particular equipment or taking care of fragile equipment/furniture. This is also where you need to anticipate changes of address and negotiate services for your future premises in terms of telephone, internet, electricity, insurance, etc.
- Anticipate: does the future location require any work before you move in? What will you have to do to restore your current premises to its owner? Find the contractor(s) to do it and decide on a schedule according to your needs.
- Storage: you will have to empty your space and the new one will not be ready to receive you. Or do you have the idea of painting or refurbishing X portion of your space that you never thought you’d touch? You don’t have to be tangled up in your furniture and equipment to do it. Worry-free storage is possible. For example, rent an Aluminum Cube in Montreal. This is probably one of the simplest and most user-friendly solutions since the storage cube(s) are delivered to the chosen location. You fill them up or they take care of it, so you manage your time. Then you keep the cubes, and an eye on them, or they store them for as long as you need.
During
Let the movers do it! They are equipped and trained for this task. Instead, play foreman by directing them to the right place in your new space according to the labeling you’ve done. You and your staff will find your bearings more quickly.
After
Depending on the size of your business, there are probably several boxes left to unpack! The time has come for you to make these new spaces your own. Remember to make any address changes that could not be done before Moving Day.
And to prepare yourself even better, here are a few tips that can be applied to a corporate move. Keep these in mind:
Packed and identified, the boxes will be! This is the golden rule to find your way around afterward.
The waste, to the garbage! Clean up and get rid of anything that’s lying around for no reason.
From the biggest to the smallest, always! This is probably not your first move. Just as we put the electrics in the bottom of the truck or a storage cube first, we’ll put the machines and furniture there before anything else. Easy! It’s easier to fill in the gaps with boxes and another medium to small items.
So, are you ready to move?
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