Every year, many entrepreneurs consider a change of place as a promising path to growth. They pull up stakes and move to a more profitable place than their previous location. In fact, almost every business owner will, at some time, consider relocating as a way to expand.
Business relocation is an exciting time as it means your company is growing. For many business owners, this excitement fades at the realization of the costs of moving.
The only way to reduce these costs and even save money is with adequate planning. Whether your reasons for moving are labour issues, lower costs or increase revenue, planning is key.
Here are good planning tips to help you avoid wasting both time and money when moving.
Create A Timeline
Planning a move can be a struggle with all the equipment and furniture in your office. Assess the current situation in your company's office to see how you want the new office to be set up.
From 4-6 months before you move, creating a timeline for packing and when the move will take place will help keep you on track and make sure your staff are well aware of what should be done.
Declutter
Moving offers the opportunity for you to look at your office equipment, and keep only what you need. After sorting the office items, you can move on to the next step.
Donate The Office Equipment You Do Not Need
This is the best time to part with old phones, office furniture, and office supplies you no longer want. Donating the items is one great way to save resources.
You don't need to move them when you can get a tax break when you donate to a registered charity.
Determine The Best Course Of Action
Next, you need to decide if you'll handle the move yourself, or if you want to hire a moving company.
Both of these options have their benefits and drawbacks, so you're going to have to see what works best for you.
The main drawback of moving yourself is it takes more time. You will have to pack up, hire a moving truck, and transfer the things to the new location on your own. You can save time if you ask for help from your employees if you have any. This can make the process more fun and assist in team building.
Hiring a professional moving company will cost you, but save you valued time. Your choice should depend on the size of your operation.
If you will move often, it is advisable you make a more permanent decision of getting your own trailer for use.
Hire A Competent Moving Company And Call Ahead Of Time
Hiring professional movers helps you concentrate on other aspects of your move.
Even as a small business, choosing the wrong moving company can cause a lot of headaches. Before you hire, do your research for reliable movers around you, weigh their prices, and go with the best.
Be sure to contact the moving company at least one to two months in advance to avoid any appointment issues.
Get The Right Insurance
It is important to get insurance coverage whether you are moving on your own, or using a moving company. Make appropriate findings on what insurance you will likely need. Some moving companies may offer their own insurance, so you need to check the policy to see what it covers.
Finally, if you hire day labourers, make sure they are covered by insurance. You may be liable for injuries if you fail to do so.
Be Available To Inspect Packing Yourself
It is important you are available to oversee the entire moving process. This helps to reduce risk and maintain order. A moving company may not be able to understand the importance of your company's gadgets the way you do.
When a moving company is doing the packing, you should remember they will pack just about anything. To avoid cases like them packing garbage cans with garbage in them, you should be available to supervise.
Communicate
Good communication with employees, customers and suppliers is key throughout the move. Talk to them early on about the move, so you can get away from any issues before they disrupt your business.
Make sure you update plans and be as transparent as possible about what is expected along the way.
Update Your Contact Information
You'll have to update your address, business cards, and your website once you have moved. The most important (and usually the cheapest) thing you need to update first is your website. As with personal changes, you would need to inform your creditors, and the bank, etc.
If you bill clients, remember to update all necessary contact information so they make payments to your new address. You should also spend time updating referral directories where your business is listed.
An effective way to keep clients updated is by creating a contacts list. A contact list helps ensure that everyone you do business with knows you're on the move. It's a good idea to assign this task to one person to oversee to prevent contacts from being skipped.
Make Big Plans
If you foresee the nature of your business may need a lot of moving, you can search for helpful info to help you buy a good-value trailer that will help you save money in the long term. So, rather than having to hire moving companies, you can use your trailer to move to your new location.
Prepare For Downtime
Planning ahead ensures your move goes smoothly. Yet even the best of plans can still go awry. Factor in a potential downtime for your company, and what you're going to do for income during that period.
Companies move for many reasons, whether it be financial and professional.
It is up to you as a business owner to take all the necessary precautions to move your offices. It is a good idea that you follow these steps to save money, time and avoid any unnecessary damages to your equipment.
