Moving into a new office is a big step for any start-ups, whether they’re just getting off the ground or they’re in “Series Z”. Navigating the moving process in a savvy fashion can help a growing business develop momentum growing into its next stage. Businesses don’t typical move around, as there are so many difficult aspects to uprooting an entire office and placing it elsewhere. Businesses don’t know exactly what they’re doing during the process.
Being purposeful and deliberate during the process and planning your every step carefully will make the process much more likely to be successful. For your business’s move, we offer some advice Oz Moving & Storage can offer after 20+ years of learning experiences in commercial and residential moving in New York City and beyond.
Are Your Utilities/ Internet Set Up?
Setting up utilities in a commercial building is much more difficult than setting up utilities in a residential building. There are far more contingencies and factors in play that can complicate matters and make what seems like a simple process far more complicated. Making utility set up a priority and assessing the resources it will take to ensure they are set up in due time pays dividends on move in day.
Internet is a pivotal part of almost any business. Talking to several employees about what went wrong on their previous company moves, they often lament lack of internet access. Trying to be productive without connectivity to the world wide web for even a brief amount of time can seem futile. There may not be any single contingency that is more important to day one productivity in a new office space than having fuss-free internet service ready to go.
Are Your Employees Voices Being Heard?
In all the hassle and stress of moving literally every item in your company’s office to another location, there can be lots of concerns that get lost in the shuffle. Employees’ lives going to be changed significantly by a move to a new office, between their entirely revamped commute and a completely distinct working environment. Employees might not feel comfortable speaking up to their supervisors, and their concerns may go unheard as a result. It should go without saying that the hard work of people behind the scenes makes a company successful, but it may slip a move coordinator’s mind to put them in a position where they are comfortable in their working environment.
Will The Setup Enhance Productivity?
There are several reasons to move offices, whether a company is looking to improve its commuting experiences, eyeing a prestigious address, or they’re trying to make themselves more attractive to potential employees. However, all these potential benefits can be negated by an awkward working environment in a new office. It doesn’t all come down to the office itself, either. A new work space enables a company to set up its layout different, and place employees next to each other or far apart. Office move managers should consider the implications of their choices inside the new office. Do their employees flourish in a collaborative environment, or do they need a retreat to concentrate on a task alone?
If the central reason for moving offices is something other than revamping the office layout, that aspect of the transition can often go overlooked. There may be a temptation to retrofit a new office space in order to meet all the positive aspects of the old layout in the old office. Some commercial real estate enables an “open office” environment, while others can be embraced by employees who like a tranquil, isolated working space.
Is There Enough Space / Enough Furnishing?
No two office spaces are exactly identical. The upsides of the new office space may not match the upsides of the old office, and it might make sense to switch up the layout. That may mean some of the furniture used in the old office space becomes less useful. The layout of your office may make it useful to bring in a new sofa, or cubicles, or some other additional office equipment. Don’t assume your current furniture will fit naturally into the new office. Brainstorm how the layout in your office will look before you pack up your belongings, and assess whether each of your furniture pieces belongs in the new office. If a piece is expendable, it would be best to offload it prior to the move.
Remember the Motto.
Whatever reason you’ve decided to move your business, it almost certainly is because you believe the move will help the company in the future. But productivity in the present shouldn’t be forgotten. Oz Moving & Storage’s commercial movers have made their motto “Create as Little Disruption as Possible.” In other words, try to let the heartbeat of the company spend as much time focused on “business as usual” as possible. Try to ensure utilities are ready to go in the new space before moving in so your employees can hit the ground running. If possible, keeping the moving process to one day are two can prevent delays in getting back to clients and allow employees to respond to requests before they pile up.
