Relocating is an exciting time in a business’ journey, as it is usually a sign of success or expansion. But this doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful, so we’ve put together a few suggestions to help you enjoy a smooth move.
- Hire professionals
Even for a small business, you will likely have acquired more equipment that needs moving than you might think. While you will certainly want to be involved closely in your business’ relocation, it will save you a lot of trouble to hire office movers who can help you move your stuff to your new location. If your business is slightly bigger or requires complex equipment installation at either end, you might also want to think about hiring a company such as BCI worldwide to help you with that.
- Leave more time than you think
Even the most tightly organised move is bound to run into some problem or another, and some aspect of it is bound to take longer than planned – for example, remember that desk it was so easy to disassemble and you were so confident you’d be able to throw back together in a jiff? Turns out it’s taking you quite a while, and now you’re behind on everything else. No matter how smoothly you are expecting your relocation to go, don’t try and squeeze it into the tightest time available – make sure you schedule a couple of extra days to give yourself some breathing room and avoid added stress.
- Be organised before you arrive
Though it is easy to get caught up in the bigger problems of organising a move, such as packing up in general or organising your employees, don’t let the finer organisation fall through the cracks. Don’t stop at packing up; have your packed boxes separated and organised for easy unpacking once you reach your new destination, for example. Make sure you leave any important documents separate, don’t let them get lost in a box – and make sure you have communicated clearly with the new tenants or owners of your old location to ensure transition goes smoothly and avoid extra stress.
- Prepare new stationery before you move
As always, the devil is in the details and this is true of running a business. Even small missteps can make you seem unprofessional or disorganised – for example, if you move locations and are still sending out emails or physical mail with the old address in the letterhead or signature. This is one of those important details you have to make sure is prepared ahead of time so your transition is seamless.
- Make sure all your clients know
Before you get into the nitty gritty of relocating, it’s important to make sure all your clients know where you’re going. Even if your business is conducted remotely, they still may need to send you something in the mail – or you may even need to have a parcel delivered and don’t want it going to your old address! It’s important to have a reachable, recognisable physical headquarters that your clients can recognise and rely on. You might want to consider sending out a mass email or letter before the big move to ensure the information reaches everyone.
Organisation and thinking ahead is paramount when dealing with a complex event like a relocation – hopefully these suggestions will help you have as low stress a relocation experience as possible.