5 Tips for Relocating Your Business Office

Relocating your office can sometimes be more difficult than finding your first office. Your business has grown, and logistics have become a lot more complicated. You have more employees and equipment than you did when you started, and you have a whole host of customers who rely on you for your products and services. Relocating your office will always be stressful, but arming yourself with a checklist can help keep that stress down to a bare minimum.

1. Start by Making a Pro and Con List

The last thing you want to do is move into an office and discover it’s only marginally better than your previous location. Before you start scouting for locations, make a list of pros and cons about the office you’re in now. Knowing what works and what doesn’t and having those things listed in clear terms will help you determine exactly what you need in an improved office environment. You may not find a space that’s all pros, but you’ll ideally want one with as few cons as possible.

2. Calculate Your Space Requirements

Moving is complicated and expensive, so you want to do it as little as possible. Your new space needs to be able to accommodate all of your current employees, as well as the employees you suspect you’ll add over the next several years. If you intend on changing the way you do business once you’re set up in your new location, consider the impact that will have on your space requirements. Do you want to hold more meetings or events in your office? You might need a few dedicated rooms.

3. Find a Location That Works for Everyone

You’re probably not moving right up the road. You’ll want to pick a better location than the one you’re in right now. An ideal location won’t make everyone’s commute a lot more complicated. If you have employees that travel an hour to get to work every day, they’re going to be understandably upset if you double that commute. Find a radius that will work for everyone, and check Gumtree for office spaces within that radius. This will help you narrow down the list of workable locations.

4. Use This Time to Upgrade

If you have furniture or equipment you’ve been meaning to replace, do this while you’re moving locations. You won’t have to deal with all of the old stuff twice, and you can have replacement essentials sent directly to your new location. Some of the things, such as back stock of supplies you no longer use, can be donated to educational institutions that need them. Don’t throw everything away when some charities would be willing to come pick them up for free. It’s a win-win situation.

5. Update Your Customers or Clients

Customers and clients have a tendency to get stuck in their ways. Moving is not only a change for you and your employees – it’s a change for them as well. If they need to visit you at your office, make sure they’re given plenty of notice that a location change will be taking place, and update them as new information becomes available. If there’s going to be any lapse in service during your move, make sure you’re giving them plenty of time to prepare.

Moving can get frustrating, but don’t let that frustration get the best of you. Once you’re established in your new location, you won’t know how you ever lived without it. Change is good, and it helps us become more productive.