Yes, moving office is really an exciting time. You may be moving into your first office space and preparing to launch your business, moving to a company owned space-like moving from a rented space. Or, your company has grown and developed and now you’re looking to change locations too.

Whatever level your business is at in its lifecycle, moving office is a key milestone which can be stressful too.

To help make your office move a little easier, here are few essential information you need to consider for a smooth, stress-free move.

Why are you moving?

Before you even contemplate a move, you need to think about why moving office is necessary for your business.

If you run a start-up and you are moving into an office for the first time, your needs are likely to be different from an existing business that may have moved once (or more) before.

It’s essential for you to carefully consider the move to justify the upheaval, possible effect on the overhead, and ensure the moving process is as focused as possible.

Create a plan and timeline

One of the very important steps towards getting things done is by making plans. Planning may take longer than you anticipated but understanding what the move will entail, along with when tasks are expected to be completed, is essential. Making a clear plan and drawing timelines would answer all other hidden questions and these would also go a long way in reducing to the barest minimum the stress that could possibly be associated with the move. Without accurate planning, the move could end up with items in the wrong place or the wrong time at worst.

Use a task checklist

There can be a lot to remember when you’re moving office. To get this done properly, you can make a list of Dos and Don’ts which serve as guidelines towards how to get things done.

Planning the budget for your office move is likely to feature high up on your office move checklist. You need to have a good look into the potential cost of moving by carefully putting into consideration the basic office fixings such as redirections, internet and other utilities.

Consider equipment and furniture requirements

Moving equipment or obtaining new ones is a big part of moving office. If the move is into your first commercial premises, then you’ll need to consider which equipment you’ll need. For those changing locations on the other hand, there is need to think about transporting your existing equipment into your new space before considering other things to added.

Some of the equipment to be added could be Furniture, IT equipment, Telephone equipment and confidential paperwork.

Effective Communication

Effective Communication is very important to ensure the office move goes as smoothly as possible. This means every team player needs to know where they need to be and when.

Considering your staff members in terms of keeping them informed with as much notice as possible ahead of the move. Your employees will need to think about their new routes to work, and while the move takes place, you’ll need to consider how to keep your business operating.

Prepare for moving day

When moving day comes around, understand that it’s going to be busy, stressful and frustrating, but it’s worth it in the long run. You need to realise that this is not like changing apartments. So, it could bring in a lot of doubts. If you’re finding it difficult, think about when your business is set up and operating from your new office space.

You’ll also have to factor in which day of the week the moving day falls on. If it’s a work day, will your business continue to run as usual, or will you close for that day? Whichever you choose, be sure to inform staff and customers, as well as key suppliers and other groups, in advance.

Moving on a day your business is close, or a public holiday should be a good Idea. Whichever way be sure to inform your staffs, customers and suppliers to maintain a great loop – while planning, weigh up the options (and costs) for alternative move days and figure out which suits your business’ needs best.

Double-check the moving times, as well as contact details for anyone you may need to reach on the day. Do a final check of your old office space, if you have one. Make sure your team members and the removal company are up to date with the moving schedule too.

What are the next steps?

From this article, you’ve learned a few points to consider when moving offices, including a checklist for moving office premises, to ensure your plans stay on track. So where do you go from here?

The next step is get your plans into action and proceed with your move. While it can seem daunting, moving offices is a kind of milestone for your business, and it’s an exciting time too – good luck!