business

Moving office: A step by step checklist

office
Written by C Wolsey

Companies can outgrow their office space in the same way that a family might outgrow their home. Businesses relocate on average every seven years, whether for commercial expansion, relocation, or simply a change of scenery. Moving offices may have a significant influence on your employees, so we’ve compiled our complete office relocation guide to help you run your office transfer smoothly and minimize the negative consequences of transition.

Consider Why You Are Moving Offices

Before you undertake a major relocation, it’s important to evaluate your company’s requirements. There are several causes for changing workplace locations, but determining the reasons for moving early on in the process can assist you in creating a more strategic, well-thought-out office move procedure.

Some of the reasons as to why a business might decide to move are:

  • Business expansion – As your company develops, you’ll need to anticipate future expansions in terms of your physical space. Relocating might help you personalise your workplace design to fit the needs of your staff on a practical level while still reflecting your organisational ethos. Choosing a new office space that will meet the demands of your team over time is an important consideration for today’s companies seeking the ideal office for development.
  • Attracting clients – As a “shop window” for your business, your office space must demonstrate what you stand for as a corporation. It’s critical to feel proud of and at ease inviting your clients to an office location. The area in which you operate as a company may have a long-term influence on those who work with you. Selecting an office position in an attractive situation might add gravitas to your business and, in some cases, help you attract new clients.
  • Increasing productivity – Choose an office space that will allow you and your employees to be more productive. Staff wellness is critical to productivity and morale, so consider work/life balance and health when selecting a new office location. Is there a gym in the neighbourhood? Is there plenty of greenery around? Are there locations nearby where employees may buy lunch or snacks? Even minor details such as natural light and open plan design might have a significant impact on staff morale and productivity. Moving a company office is one method to improve motivation among team members, as well as encourage collaboration and employee engagement.

Plan Your Move

In any transition, whether you’re switching to a new phone system or relocating to a different office, having a well-planned office move strategy is essential.

Make sure you follow these guidelines for developing an office relocation plan:

  • To make things easier for yourself, create a timetable for your office move with due dates on when new technology and systems must be implemented.
  • Analyse your new location to ensure that you understand its IT capabilities, amenities, and utilities.
  • Blueprint your workspace and consider any modifications you’ll need to make to workstations, IT infrastructure, or fixtures.
  • Consider how your move will influence any current projects you’re working on.

Prepare Your Equipment

What do you intend to do with your physical hardware once you relocate to a new location? Whilst you are transitioning from one place to another, it can be a good idea to store your equipment somewhere securely while you are getting organised. A spokesperson from Cubic has said “storage units come in handy for a lot of business owners who are looking for a place to store all of their equipment during transition periods”. If you intend on migrating to cloud communications or already have a hosted system, all you have to do is move your desk phones and other endpoints. If you’ve built a full business communication system, it’s worth considering whether it’s time to upgrade or save it for later.

Plan Your Budget

Moving offices, like any other business decision, can be expensive and disruptive. It’s vital to consider all of the possible expenses associated with moving your office before putting a budget together. This way, your office relocation project manager will know what proportion of the budget should be spent on different things.