5 Tips for a Streamlined Business Relocation
Moving is always stressful. And while you’ve probably moved several times in your personal life, this may be your first business relocation. If so, you can prepare to face even more challenges and complexities.
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible or impractical. As long as you plan accordingly, it can be smooth and frictionless.
Here are a few tips inspired by folks who’ve done it before:
1. Declutter and Downsize
Want to instantly make your move significantly easier? Start decluttering and downsizing.
The less stuff you have, the less of a hassle it is to move. If you haven’t already gone paperless, this is the perfect time to bring your office up to speed. You can get rid of printers, scanners, fax machines, and filing cabinets. Upload all documents to the cloud and begin the process of virtualizing every process.
As for your team, downsizing your in-office staff is a good way to lower the pressure of a move. Consider moving some of your employees to remote working positions. This eliminates the need for extra office space (which comes with the need to move more office furniture, desks, equipment, etc.).
Don’t do anything that compromises the success or growth potential of your business, but do look for ways to decrease the size of your footprint. It will pay dividends both during and after the move.
2. Choose a Professional Commercial Moving Company
When it comes to the actual move, we highly recommend choosing an experienced commercial moving company. While residential and commercial moving may seem similar, there are some differences between the two.
A commercial move has lots of challenges. In addition to moving large furniture and equipment, there are complex challenges like moving and setting up IT equipment. And if your business has any fine art, sculptures, or expensive installations, they require special care.
3. Keep Customers in the Know
If you run a business where customers need access to your store or office, it’s important to keep them aware of what’s happening. Let them know when you’re planning to move, where you’re moving, how long you think it’ll take, and any specific ways it may impact them. It’s better to over-communicate the details than to keep them guessing.
4. Consider Financial Ramifications
Depending on the details of your move, there could be some significant financial ramifications. For example, if you’re moving across state lines, your tax rate may change. Then there are factors like moving expenses (which you might be able to write off). Take all of these moving parts into account, so that you make sure your financial projections and estimates are accurate.
5. Give Yourself Extra Time
It’s easy to underestimate how much time it takes to move business locations. For example, you might think it’ll take a weekend to get everything moved over to the new office or store. However, it’s possible that it could take a week or more.
The worst thing you can do is underestimate the amount of time it takes to move. At best, this will lead to lost revenue. At worst, it could compromise your relationship with key customers who are counting on you to be open for business.
As a general rule of thumb, double the amount of time you think it’ll take. In other words, if you’re anticipating three days, bank on it taking six days. If you beat the estimate, great! If you don’t, you can take advantage of the extra “cushion” you gave yourself.
Make Your Relocation Simple
Relocating your business doesn’t have to be as stressful or challenging as most business owners make it out to be. The key is to develop a plan ahead of time so that you’re prepared to face each phase of the process. And if you take the aforementioned tips into account, you’re bound to have a more pleasant and seamless experience.