There comes a time when you may outgrow your office space. Maybe you’ve seen incredible growth or the business is relocating? Either way, a new office is on the cards, which needs a good amount of planning.
If not done correctly, moving your office can become a headache. Business operations may be halted and money lost. This office relocation checklist helps you avoid all the pitfalls, making your move as smooth as possible.
The Complete Office Relocation Checklist
1. Establish Your Budget
Establishing a budget for your office relocation is essential. Any successful business keeps hold of the purse strings to minimize loss. Make a list of all expected expenses. These may include:
- Re-location/moving company
- Any rent owed
- Fees for breaking a contract?
- Storage fees for office equipment
- Cleaning and services charges for the building
- Connectivity and communication fees
2. Plan Your Office Relocation
Make a plan or plan to fail as the saying goes. Planning is key to a smooth office move. Plan dates, times and schedules for everyone involved. Follow these steps:
- Create a schedule and office re-location deadline
- Asses your new office location capabilities. What needs to be done eg: IT connectivity, facilities and equipment?
- Make a plan for all the new changes that need to made
- How will existing projects be affected?
3. Assign an In-House Office Move Manager
As a business owner, it’s hard to coordinate an office move on your own. Assign an in-house office move manager to shoulder the strain. They can liaise with the move company and ensure plans are executed.
4. Hire a Reputable Office Move Company
A professional office decommissioning and re-location service is needed to move all equipment to your new venue smoothly. Corporate Interiors specializes in disposing of redundant items in an environmentally friendly way and moving your good equipment safely. Here’s what to expect:
- Disassembling of furniture to be decommissioned
- Furniture and equipment packing for re-location
- Data destruction – file storage and shredding
- Remove IT cabling and ensure code compliance
- Completed inventory of excess office furnishings
- Storage of equipment offsite for the buyer or seller
- Green disposal or repurposing of redundant office equipment
5. Prepare Office Equipment for the Move
Preparing your office equipment for the move is an essential step. If you already have a hosted system, your desk phones and end points need to be moved to the new location to reduce downtime. If you use a complete business communication system, maybe upgrading could be cheaper than moving the whole thing? Use this checklist:
- List the IT and telecommunications you’ll take with you
- Determine whether these work proficiently in the new office
- Consider costs and whether upgrading might be a better option