Moving your business can be a hazard. But with a few careful steps, most of this can be avoided.
Your workplace isn’t just a place for you and your employees to conduct business. It’s an extension of your company. As such, you should be working in a place that feels right for your company. There are plenty of options out there! And on a long-term basis, you’ll find that it’s the right thing to do. However, until you get to that stage, you’ll need to take some steps so that you can get into the right place without it negatively affecting your operations. In this blog, we’re going to run through some useful tips that’ll ensure your move to a new office is as smooth as possible.
Make a Plan
Moving into a new office isn’t something that you can do overnight. Even if you could move into a space tomorrow, it wouldn’t be the right approach. It’s much better to take your time and make sure that you’re moving into the right office for your needs. As such, think of it as a process that should take a couple of months. You’ll need to find the perfect space, figure out what you need, and make sure that it doesn’t affect your business operations (for example, you should move at a period that’s generally ‘low’ for your business).
Make it Right For The Future
You’ll want to ensure that you’re able to hit the ground running once you move into your office. But that doesn’t mean that you should only focus on how your new office will help your business right now. You should also ensure that it’s able to work well for your business in the future too. So when you’re deciding which space to move into, think about how suitable it’ll be for your company several years down the line. If you have plans to grow, then you’ll need to ensure that your office is able to accommodate the new influx of employees that you may bring on board.
Location
It’s not just that inside of the office that you should focus on. You’ll also want to think about where the office is located. There will be some areas that are better than others, and it’s worth remembering that the location can influence how people view your business. There are a few factors that you should pay particular attention to. For instance, how accessible is the office that you’re looking at? You could get a cheap deal on an office, but if it’s in an area that’ll be hard to reach for you and your staff, then it might be more trouble than it’s worth. If you’re not sure where you should be located, take a look at where your competitors are based — there may be one part of town that’s popular with your type of business.
What Does It Need?
You might rent an office that comes with everything that you need. But that’s not always the case. In that scenario, you’ll need to think about what else you’ll need to have. For example, how many desks and chairs will you need? What about kitchen amenities? If the office is essentially empty or wasn’t even previously used for office purposes, then you may consider outsourcing the job of making it ready for business to another company. If you live in a city, there’ll be plenty of office renovation companies that can do the job for you.
Your Company Branding
If this is going to be your office, then make sure that it very much feels like one. You could just have a basic office in which you can do work. But in an age when branding is more important than ever, it’s a good idea to look at decorating your office with your own branding. This will bring plenty of benefits to your business, in quite subtle ways. For one thing, studies have shown that it’s much easier for employees to buy into the ethos of a company if they’re working in an environment that reflects the branding of the business. Plus, it’ll help to make a positive impression on your business visitors.
Saving Money On Energy
It’s not just the cost of the rental space that you’ll need to think about. You’ll also need to think about the energy that’ll make it possible for you to work there. There’s not much that you can do without electricity, after all! This can be expensive if you just take the first deal that you’re offered. As such, it’s a good idea to take a smart approach. Before agreeing to one rate, use a business energy comparison website to check whether there’s a better deal out there. By taking just a little bit of time, you might find that you’re able to save a significant sum of money. Ultimately, that’ll be beneficial to your bottom line.
Employee Input
If you already have a team of employees, then it’ll be worthwhile asking for their input when it comes to moving to a new office. After all, it’s much easier to do anything when everyone’s on the same page and willing to pull in the same direction. Plus, they’re going to be the ones who are working there. If they have a say in the decision-making process, then it’ll be easier to put together a space that enhances their productivity and happiness. And let’s not forget that good bosses always make a point of listening to their staff!
Communicate With Customers
Even if you’ve planned the move well, there’s no doubt that it’ll be a little bit stressful and chaotic when you’re finally making it. Though you will do your best to limit the impact that this has on your operations, it’s worth remembering that it’ll always be a possibility. As such, it’s a good idea to let your team know that you’re planning to move offices and that some of your services may be impacted for a few days. They hopefully won’t be, but it’s best to warn just in case.
