Moving office? Follow our top 5 tips

If you’ve taken the leap and decided to move into a new office or business space, there’s a lot to think about.

Moving into new premises can be a stressful time, particularly if you are leaving a location where you have been based for a long time. But, relocating can be very rewarding, especially if you find a workspace that’s in a more convenient location or is cheaper or more flexible. 

Here are our top five tips for making sure your office move goes smoothly:

1. Planning is vital

Don’t make the mistake of leaving the planning and organisation of your relocation until the last minute. Estimate how long you think it will take to plan the move and then allow yourself at least double that length of time as it nearly always takes longer than you think.

If you have a team of staff, appoint one person to organise the relocation and get them to create three separate checklists of things that must be done before the move, on the day itself and in the days immediately afterwards. Important things to remember are making sure all your customers and suppliers are aware you are moving, arranging insurance and making sure you have a specialist company to move your computers and servers (if you have any) to the new location.

Our business relocation partners Andrew Porter Limited specialise in commercial of all sizes and can help ensure your move happens without any stress or problems. Bizspace customers also benefit from a discounted rate.

2. Spread the word about your move

Forgetting to tell people you are moving will lead to frustration and lost business. Make sure you give staff, customers and everyone you work with plenty of notice about your relocation so there are no nasty surprises or mix-ups. You and your employees are likely to be out of action while you are moving and you could take a while to get settled and back to business. By warning people of potential disruption, you are reducing the likelihood of ending up with unhappy customers.

Give regular clients a way of contacting you during the period of transition so they feel valued and important. And make sure employees know exactly what is happening during the moving process too, as poor communication and confusion can lead to low staff morale.

And remember to update your business cards (if you have them), website, and any directories you’re listed on with your new contact details. 

3. Be selective about what you pack

Offices and workspaces can often become cluttered with useless items and old equipment. Sorting through everything is time-consuming but well worth it. Taking boxes full of things you don’t need to your new space is counter-productive. Instead, see the move as an opportunity to get rid of out-of-date equipment and items you’ll never use again.

Donate unwanted things to charity or recycle them. Free up storage space by scanning in your documents so you can get rid of the hard copies filling up your filing cabinets. Set up extra bins just before you move to make it easier for your staff to throw things out while they clear out their desks. You can always store any possessions that you don’t want to take with you.

4. Be security-conscious

On the day of the move, your business is particularly vulnerable to falling victim to a crime. With lots of people moving in and out of your building carrying equipment, you may be targeted by opportunistic thieves. Make sure you think about security arrangements on both sites and ensure someone is present in both places who knows what the moving crew look like and who should be entering the building.

5. Focus on getting back to business

Make sure you think carefully about how you’re going to get up and running again as quickly as you can once you are in your new space. Make getting your phones and email sorted a priority so you can communicate with people. Give staff clear jobs to do as soon as they have moved over and try and get the team back into work mode fast.

Good luck!