For businesses, company relocation or an office move can be quite a task. Office moves are quite different to domestic ones as there are a range of other things to think about. However, we’ve come up with a number of tips to help.

Planning

It’s best to plan an office move around three months in advance, as this will allow you to prepare your employees for the move. Businesses will need to ensure that there is a minimum of disturbance during the move; as if a move isn’t well planned it can cost time, money and also inefficiency.

What to do

Firstly, find an office removal company, such as http://happy2movelondon.co.uk to help – check dates and whether they will work at the weekend. Most removal companies which perform office removals will do so at the weekend to limit the amount of disruption.

Always try to be 100% sure that the company you are using can handle the work at hand and will have no problems with workstations or electronics – this is a common fall down area.

Before the removal visit the new office and take measurements of the new area to ensure that the equipment and furniture you are moving will fit into the new area. Then create a floor plan of the area. Always remember that items need space to perform their functions – so give drawers, cupboards, printers and chairs the room they need. It’s often a good idea to show the floor plan to other employees beforehand to get their approval.

Just Before

Before the relocation, show staff a copy of the floor plan and also send some to your relocation company as this will ease disruption. Make sure to label where each item goes clearly to ensure the relocation company know what to do. Also, remember not to forget to showcase furniture you won’t be taking.

Inform staff of what they will need to do before the move and whether they need to pack their own files or oversee certain aspects of the move. In addition, it’s also worth considering a computer company to reconnect your computers to ensure it’s done quickly.

Moving Day

When moving it’s a good idea to ensure there is no staff in the office for health and safety reasons. This is important and something some businesses fail to do, leading to issues. Don’t allow staff to lift heavy items and leave everything that’s in the contract to the relocation company – nobody wants to end up having a lawsuit.

Take extra care with confidential documents and always ensure that anything that’s obsolete or sensitive and no longer needed to be shred. Your removals team may deal with this or may outsource this to a contractor – ask beforehand.

Ensure your employees have access to the new office and its facilities and also ensure they know about things such as parking arrangements and other things that may cause difficulties.

Finally, arrive in Monday and celebrate the new move and the continuing success of your business.