Moving your business is complicated. You need to get everything to its new location without dramatically affecting your business operations. Making sure that your customers are affected as little as possible is key to keeping your reputation intact throughout your move.
Keeping your move peaceful also involves controlling as many details as possible. These six things are likely to get forgotten as you plan your business move.
Junk Removal
You may plan to move your entire office, but as you box and pack, you will almost certainly find plenty of junk that you don’t need. Some of it can easily be tossed in the dumpster, shredded, or recycled, but large furniture items, like broken filing cabinets or old desks, need a different solution.
Some companies will take care of your rubbish removal for you; make sure to ask if you need to find a different way to get your junk out of your old space. This is particularly important if you’re going to be selling the space, or if you have a rental deposit that you want to recover.
Professional Movers
Speaking of companies that handle the dirty work for you, professional movers are a must when you are moving your business. Movers know how to handle big and bulky pieces, the most efficient way to pack a truck, and the best way to get your items from one place to another.
Your friends that you pay in pizza and beer may be a great solution for moving your home or apartment, but when you’re moving your business, you can’t afford for things to go wrong. Don’t make this common mistake when relocating, trust your professional move to professional movers.
Moving Insurance
One big reason to avoid your pizza and beer moving friends when you’re moving your business is that professional movers are generally insured. If your friends drop a computer or a piece of artwork, there may not be anything you can do. If a mover drops something similar, you may be able to be reimbursed for the damages.
Make sure to ask your movers if they carry proper moving insurance in case of damages, how much they’re insured for, and what situations they’re insured for, and whether they would recommend that you buy additional insurance.
Can All Items Be Moved?
You might assume that every item in your business can be moved by professional movers. There are some items, however, such as a rented piece of equipment like a copier, which can’t be.
These might need to be moved by their own companies; you might even need to rent a new piece at your new location. Make sure to talk to the rental company while you’re planning your move. Check in with your movers about everything you’re planning on moving to avoid surprises.
Customer Communication
Some businesses plan every detail of their move but fail to make any sort of plan regarding how to tell their customers about the move. Businesses that do most of their work through the internet or with vendors may have an easier time making changes; they can have their mail forwarded, update the contact page on their website, create new headers for their invoices, and call it a day.
Retail businesses that focus on their brick and mortar business need to have a clearer communication plan. They need to make sure as many customers as possible know about the move to avoid frustration and confusion. Signs in store are helpful, but posts on social media and email blasts are also necessary. If a company has specific customers who drive a great deal of business into the store, it might be worth sending them a specific mailing or even giving them a phone call.
IT Factors
When you’re planning a move for your business, make sure to work closely with the IT department. Servers need to be moved in particular ways, and your team may be down for a few hours or days while you move. If you host your own website, this can be particularly problematic. IT will also want time to make backups and automation of everything before you move, just in case equipment is lost or damaged. Working together with IT means that there will be fewer surprises. This is better for everyone.
Moving your business can be a smooth, seamless process, or a frustrating one. By planning ahead, considering as many factors as possible, and making sure to involve all teams in your location, you can make sure that your move causes the fewest possible disruptions to your workflow and your customers. Have a list of questions to ask your movers and make sure to get recommendations and referrals before you choose your movers.
