Tips for Moving Your Commercial Office Out of State
Moving your business from one state to another can be extremely overwhelming, however, these 7 tips will help make the transition smooth, and ensure continued productivity during this hectic time.
Start Planning Well Ahead of Time
When relocating a commercial space, planning should begin several months in advance. Large office moves may even require years of planning for a successful relocation. The first step is to notify your employees early on in the planning stage to ensure they remain up to date in the entire moving process.
If the packing will be completed by yourself, or if you are trying to save money by doing it all on your own, do not wait until the last minute. It is easy to underestimate the amount of time it will take to pack your entire office building.
If the office building is large, packing several weeks, or possibly a month in advance will help. As always, begin with the items that are not used, or are hardly ever used, as you can quickly clear out quite a bit of space.
Inventory Purging
Since you are moving, this is an amazing time to consider reducing office content. This involves getting rid of and selling items that are not used, items that you do not need, or items that you do not want. These items can be sold on local yard sale sites, donated to charity, or donated to a small business in your current area to provide a serious boost for them or reduce their deficit.
Small, up-and-coming businesses are in need of the following:
Old phones
Printers
Copiers
PCs
Office Furniture
Office supplies
Power cords and other cords/adapters you had on reserve, but do not need
The best part is, no matter where you donate these items to, you can get a serious tax break. If you sell them to up-and-coming businesses, you get the tax break and the peace of mind that you are helping others who are struggling to build success due to financial difficulty.
Contact Property Managers for Both New and Old Buildings
It is important to schedule the move with both buildings. It is very likely that both will require the move to occur after regular business hours. This can be extremely inconvenient and make your moving process that much harder. By checking with each building about the various requirements, you can find out a lot of information, such as:
How much time you have to use the loading docks
Prerequisites to moving things in and out of the building, like adequate floor protection and whether you must reserve elevators to bring up heavy items
If you are moving in the middle of summer or winter, it is wise to find out if the HVAC system can be turned on during the move, as many companies shut the unit off after hours. Others have a manual shut off, or temperature alteration outside of business hours
Set Up Your Network Early
During your move, ensuring that your existing IT equipment is unloaded and set up first is extremely important. This allows your IT department to have your network ready and the business equipment up and running before the final day of your move.
If it is possible, all computers, data cables, and other equipment should be tested completely before the IT team arrives. This reduces the financial impact of paying the IT department for extensive work.
New Address Material
Arrange for all your printed documents, materials, letterheads, business cards, envelopes, and digital signatures to be changed in correspondence with your move.
It is also important to make changes on websites, social media pages, and make a formal announcement of the move so that regular clients can follow you and still utilize your company and the benefits it offers on a regular basis. Make these changes on social media, online directories, and other sites that your business is located on. Updating them now will save you a lot of time, and headache, later.
Schedule your move with www.usps.com. You will be able to change your company’s address and set the date you wish it to come into effect.
Packing Cables, Computers, and Electronic Devices
The best way to move computers is to begin unplugging each cable, from each end, one wire at a time. You can place each one in a plastic bag with descriptions of what it is and which computer it is from. This will help prevent loss or damage with the shuffling of moving boxes. You can wrap computer monitors in bubble wrap or blankets and place them in a secure area where they will not fall or be crushed.
When dealing with other delicate external hardware such as printers, scanners, copiers, and fax machines you should remove any cartridges or loose pieces. Tape down any moving parts and make sure to follow any warranty stipulations that may void the items’ warranties. These devices can be broken due to a lot of jostling – so pack them away securely.
Finally Settling In
If you enjoy having art, infographics, small billboards, and other displays in your office, hiring a professional decorator can save you the stress of making these choices. They will know exactly what to place next to your glass office walls to make them stand out. The office will be aesthetically ready to move into before you ever carry a box into the building.
Although the hustle and bustle of moving into a new office space can often be unorganized and hectic, try limiting your stress by recalling these moving tips while you pack away the whole building.