Planning an office move can be a difficult and stressful time, but it doesn’t need to be.
Flexible office specialist, Workthere offers 6 tips business owners should consider for a successful and hassle-free office relocation.
Ensure you have chosen the appropriate space
When planning to relocate, you need to be confident that your new flexible office space is right for you, your business and your team. Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you ask yourself the following three questions: Is this move and new space going to help my business grow?
Is this move and new space going to create a better working environment for my team? Will the new office be more cost effective for the company in the long term? If you can confidently answer ‘yes’ to these questions, then you’re making the right decision.
Create an office ‘one-pager’
Once you have settled on a new space, create a handy, digestible one-pager with all the relevant details of your new office including key dates such as lease termination, preferred moving date, new lease signings and final date for completion.
Also include key contact details at the new office and office dimensions/blueprints including electrical outlets, storage space etc. Having all of the relevant information stored in one place about the new space will ensure a smooth move. Be sure to share the details with key individuals within your business to ensure everyone is kept up to speed with the logistics of the move.
Estimate your relocation budget
An office relocation can be incredibly costly, therefore it’s important to estimate your relocation budget. Create a spreadsheet with all anticipated costs which you can review and update throughout the move. By doing so, this will help you to decide what you do, and don’t have the budget for, to avoid any hefty and unnecessary charges arising.
Consider a project manager and planning team
It takes more than one person to ensure a smooth office move, therefore you should consider recruiting an internal project manager to be in charge of the move. The nominated person will serve as the office move coordinator and should be organised, have authority within the business, and be capable of making decisions when necessary. Once you have chosen your project manager, you should then decide on the rest of the project planning team.
Together, the project manager and planning team will help ensure all bases are covered and nothing is forgotten throughout the process. Again, this team should be trusted, and you should be confident that they’ll be 100% onboard with the move.
Scope out an initial project plan for your project planning team. The plan should include a list every task that must be taken to complete the move, who will be responsible for each one, and when the task should be completed. You should also ask the team to pull together a list of questions, concerns, or considerations and you should work with your project manager to answer all of these questions/concerns and produce a handy FAQ guide for the rest of your employees who aren’t as involved with the move.
Create a new floor plan
It’s important to draw up a floor plan for your new office space ahead of the moving day. The key is to completely familiarise yourself with the new office space and its surroundings.
Things to consider include:
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Measure the dimensions of each room and find out if/how all existing and furniture fits in
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Identify where electrical outlets, storage spaces, and broadband routers/cables are
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Consider what new furniture or equipment you may require
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Think about the requirements of your team and where to place them
As you create a detailed floor plan, include key operational areas, such as meeting rooms, board rooms and kitchens, as well as staff workstations, storage and IT and phone systems too.
Maintain productivity
Maintaining productivity during an office move can often be difficult, however, it’s important to keep spirits high and provide reassurance where necessary. Tips to keep productivity high during an office move include:
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Start to pack non-essential items early on, ahead of the moving date, and devise a detailed floor plan of where everything will go in the new office to ensure that these key tasks aren’t left to the last-minute
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Bring in external experts to pick up jobs you can’t easily do to minimise risk and ensure your employees aren’t spending too much time away from their actual jobs
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Keep everyone informed throughout the entire process and give them the opportunity to ask any questions/address any issues,
Cal Lee, head of Workthere, comments: “An office move can be stressful, but our top tips should help reduce the stress of an office move and help guide employees and employers through this often-difficult time. As long as you have a firm plan in place, everyone is aware of the logistics of the move, and the small details are all ironed out beforehand, your flexible office move should be easy.”
