How to Prepare for an Office Move
If you’re a business owner preparing for an office move, it’s important to make a checklist and plan ahead. This will help ensure that the move goes as smoothly as possible, with minimal disruption to your workflow. A smooth office move can also prevent delays and lost goods. Not having the correct power and data infrastructure in place at your new location, for example, can seriously hamper productivity and damage your income.
It’s important to hire commercial professionals who understand your business when you’re moving offices. Both with regards to setting up in the new office and relocation of the existing one.
You’ll also need to meet with employees to discuss the move and any changes to procedures. And don’t forget to contact the appropriate utility companies to turn the services on and off at your new location.
Once the relocation date is set, you should start preparing in advance. If you’re crossing the road or moving a short distance locally, this will be easier. However, when relocating your business on a national scale it is important to plan ahead and make sure everything is ready in time.
Some key things to consider include:
- -Electrical outlets and power requirements
- -Data cabling for computers and phones
- -Wi-Fi
- -CCTV and access control
- -Lighting
- -Mobile phone signal efficiency
- -Incoming services such as broadband and telephone lines
Develop a Timeline
- Develop a timeline based on important dates in the business calendar. This will help you plan out your move and ensure that everything is completed on time.
- Factor in the expiration of your business’ building lease. The property manager should be notified of the expected action date so that they can begin negotiations for a new lease.
- Talk to all employees about relocation dates. Make sure everyone is aware of when they need to move and what their responsibilities will be during the relocation process.
- Inform the team members about the progress of this development as well as their responsibilities during the relocation.
- If you need to keep your company’s data secure while moving offices, make sure you purchase a new server and allow time for installation and setup before your move.
Plan for the New Space
If you’re planning on moving your business to a new office space, the first step is planning out the space. Will your existing furniture fit in the new location? Where will everything go? Do you have enough furniture to cover the entire space? If not, you may need to work with a space planner to get a definitive layout of your furniture. Another option is searching online, there are websites that can help you plan your space. As soon as the layout is in place, you can proceed to assess the existing infrastructure by following these steps:
- Are floor boxes and power in the correct locations for the desks?
- What’s the total number of data points needed for all computers and phones?
- How many Wi-Fi access points do I require to cover the office?
- What is the phone signal like? Do I need to install a booster?
- Which equipment can be relocated and what needs to be replaced?
By planning in advance, these works can be correctly installed before the move. If not, they will be disruptions during or after your office move.
Announce the move
If you’re planning an office move, it’s important to communicate with employees well in advance. Your communication should include the date of the move, the new office address, and any other key information about the move. Employees still need to do something, if anything, before or after the move. You should also let future employees know what to expect when they start working for you. Communicating well ahead of time will help make your office move go more smoothly.
Set Up Your IT & Telecommunications
It’s important to set up your IT and telecommunications systems before you move. Verify that the internet speed you need is available at your new location. If your business needs a specific Internet speed, find out if the provider has that capability. It’s important to make sure you have Internet service before you move, because if not, it could be difficult to set up at your new location. If you have an existing account configuration, you can usually relocate your existing agreement to the new site.
