Sanjeev Thakur
The ways of traditional office management are changing, and post-pandemic, these changes are more evident than ever with companies adopting flexible ways of working and including remote and hybrid work models in their work policies.
This has resulted in organizations actively looking to change their physical working premises to accommodate the needs of their employees and adapt to the current work culture while taking advantage of the benefits that come along with it, such as reducing unnecessary overhead costs, increasing their reach, and hiring promising candidates across the globe, to name a few.
Hence, businesses are no longer tied to a fixed physical location as in the past. This has allowed them to expand globally into new areas and offer more interactive and productive work environments to their current and potential employees by setting up local offices at different locations.
Although transitioning to new locations can be a challenging task, a comprehensive office relocation checklist can help a lot to avoid any company assets or financial losses. The key is to break down the office relocation process into smaller steps and cause minimal disruption to the company’s day-to-day operations and overall productivity.
For businesses contemplating relocation, this blog highlights the major factors to consider when making decisions regarding the move and preparing months in advance for a seamless transition.
So grab your pens and take notes as you go through these helpful tips for a smooth transition to your new workspace.
Relocation Checklist for B2B and B2C
B2B businesses use online platforms to sell their products or services to other businesses. While B2C businesses target personal consumers directly. A company selling software or furnishings to another business would be an example of a B2B company, while a T-shirt brand selling T-shirts online would be an example of a B2C company.
B2B, being research-heavy, tends to be more complex than B2C. However, despite these differences, there’s one thing that holds them together: the need for office spaces and expansion in different locations to reach their customers alike.
With the working culture changing, these companies have also adapted to trends in remote or hybrid work models and opened offices at various locations to keep up with the changing market and the needs of their employees.
Below is a checklist that looks at the factors that could help companies relocate their businesses.
Step One: Understand Your Business’s Needs
Once you finalize the decision to move office spaces, the first thing to consider is the type of space you require. Office spaces come in all sizes at various locations with different terms of agreements, so you’ll need to find the one that suits your business needs the best. Some key points to remember are:
1. Your Future Business Plans
Office relocation costs are not cheap, and the entire process can be logistically difficult too, so it becomes crucial to choose a space that not only fits your business plans and needs today but also in the next three or five years. For instance:
- Why Are You Moving?
Are you relocating to get closer to your clients, to expand your business, to improve productivity, or to downsize based on hybrid and/or remote work policies?
- What Type of Office Layout Would Suit Your Team the Best?
With a vast number of working spaces available with different floor plans, which of the layouts (open-plan, cubicle, low partition, traditional, etc.) would suit your team the best?
- Do You Plan On Hiring New Employees? If So, Then How Much Space Would That Need?
It goes without saying that as your business expands, the need for hiring new talent is sure to increase. Will your new space be able to accommodate this requirement?
If you have answers to questions similar to the ones mentioned above, you get a better understanding of your requirements, and the process of office shifting becomes much easier.
2. Attracting New Clients
After considering all your business needs, the next thing to consider is your clientele. Relocation is the ideal time to seek out, inform, and attract new business. It is a chance to review and research your new target audience. Whether B2B or B2C, do the customers have different priorities or requirements in your new location?
It is also a good idea to consider your competition and check out their offers to identify where you stand. Promoting your business values and coming up with marketing strategies for your new target audience can help your business stand apart from the rest.
3. Attracting Talent
Office spaces play a crucial role in employee retention and recruitment. So, if your new office is difficult to get to or in an undesirable area, it could have a direct effect on your ability to hire new employees and talents and also keep the workers that are an asset to your business.
4. Better Work-Life Balance and Increased Productivity
Work-life balance is an aspect that cannot be overlooked. Employees’ well-being greatly affects their productivity, engagement, and morale. So, choosing a place with amenities like relaxation zones, cafes, nutritious food, and natural elements such as plants and natural lighting can help influence overall team productivity and happiness.
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Step Two: Start Planning the Office Move
The next step after finding a space that checks all your boxes is the important business of planning the office move. These steps come after you’ve signed for your new office space and confirmed your moving date.
1. Review Your Current Lease and Give Official Notice
A rental lease agreement is a binding contract requiring you to pay a fixed amount for a specific period. Understand your lease agreements and whether you need to pay for any property damage before relocating.
Also, notice periods can greatly vary based on the terms in your agreement, and you can be expected to give anything from one month to six months’ notice based on your agreement.
2. Identifying Costs and Setting a Budget
Moving forward without setting a budget might end up costing you more than expected, so it is necessary to set a budget for your office move at least three months before your moving date.
There are some obvious costs included in your office relocation checklist, such as moving costs, IT and telecom equipment relocation, rent, deposits, and new furnishings, to name a few. However, there are also some hidden expenses that might be overlooked but could have a significant impact on your budget. These include:
- Dilapidations for your previous office space
- Cleaning
- Temporary storage expenses during the move
- Insurance
- Administrative fees
It is best to revise the final amount a few times over to firm up the figures for your budget.
3. Inform Employees of the Upcoming Move
It is essential to give your employees plenty of time before the moving date. This way, they’d be able to make any necessary arrangements and prepare themselves for the move. You should notify them about any changes in their work schedules caused by the relocation.
Communicating with your employees and involving them in the planning and execution process would ensure that everyone is on the same page.
4. Create an Internal Planning Team
Creating an internal planning team will help speed up the relocation process. So, forming a team with clearly assigned responsibilities such as setting a budget, contacting the moving company, communicating with the employees, and more will be beneficial to the entire relocation planning process.
5. Finalize a Floor Plan
Visiting your new office location beforehand would help you map out a floor plan of the new office area in order to organize it efficiently.
You can analyze the IT capabilities, facilities, and utilities and decide on any changes that might be needed in the infrastructure, workstations, and fixtures before finalizing the floor plan.
6. Inform Clients, Customers, and Service Providers of the Upcoming Move
It is important to communicate your relocation plans early on with your customers, clients, and any service providers. This transparency in communication will help build and maintain customer relationships and trust.
You could set reminders on your social media platforms, reminding the clients about your moving date and about any discrepancies it might cause. It is also necessary to inform service providers like your bank, insurance company, post office, etc. about your upcoming relocation date.
People Also Read: What is Hybrid Model and Why Employee Desire it
Step Three: Prepare for the Big Office Move
With the planning of the office move done, you can focus on the logistics of moving into your new office space. This planning should be done in the month leading up to your big move.
1. Inventory Check and Arrange Utility Changes
The inventory will consist of everything that goes with you. Coming up with a standardized labeling system so you know exactly where something needs to go would help ease the unpacking process later.
It is necessary to contact the utility providers in advance and set up appointments to switch your services to the new location before your actual move-in date. This can include the internet, telecommunications services, and so on.
2. Finalize the Moving Details
Make sure there are plenty of packing supplies, such as boxes, packing tape, labels, and crates. This will make the move and future unpacking easier. Label and tag the office items to avoid losing them during transit. You can also book parking permits beforehand to avoid any unnecessary delays.
3. Prepare Your Employees’ Equipment
Inform your employees when they should pack their desks and the procedure for doing so. Also explain to the employees their working situation on the day of the move so they can make the necessary setup for it.
4. Brief the Moving Team
Keys, access codes, parking permits, and other security information, along with the floor plan of your new office space, should be made available to the moving team to avoid any hassles on move-in day. It would be helpful to provide them with the details of someone they can contact in case of an emergency.
Step Four: Settling into the New Office
If you’ve followed the above checklist to this point, your big move day should go off without a hitch. And once that is over, you’ll be ready to settle down in your new office and get back to work.
1. Test Phones, Computers, the Internet, Cable Connections, and It Systems
Test your technology and telecommunications to avoid any delays and to make sure your business is back online and you are available.
2. Double-Check Your Inventory
With everything set up, you can take a final look at the inventory. Check for any damages, tally all the items with inventory, and make sure all the IT equipment, machinery, and furniture have made it safely to the destination.
3. Announce the Move
Announce your big move on your company’s official platforms. Uploading a few pictures of your new space on social media would be perfect and a blog post can provide some more information for your customers. Hosting an office warming party would be a great way to thank everyone for their hard work and also show the clients that you’re back to business.
Planning to Relocate Your Office? Stylework Is at Your Service!
Although the above office space relocation list is comprehensive, it doesn’t cover all the aspects of relocating to a new corporate office space. Thorough planning and organizational skills are pivotal to a successful relocation. And every business has different needs that need to be fulfilled for a smooth move-in experience.
It might sound like a lot of work, but don’t worry; we are here to help because Stylework specializes in just that.
If you’re looking for office spaces for rent, our team of experts is always ready to help you find a working space that fulfills all your requirements and fits you and your business the best.
With our tailored coworking membership plans, managed efficiently by our Corporate Product Suit, you get to choose between fixed and multi-locational plans that specifically suit your needs at an affordable and beneficial subscription.
Stylework’s Corporate Product Suit is an office space management software that optimizes offices and helps improve productivity. It enhances the member experience while benefiting employees and employers alike.
With its user-friendly mobile application, CPS offers employee tracking, billing control, scheduling, and reservation features. It comes integrated with HR software for better workspace control and improved community collaboration.
Our motivated staff and easy-to-use CPS application guarantee to make the process of finding your perfect working space easy and fun.
People Also Read: Build Your Ideal Workspace Solution With Stylework
Relocating an office is a tough feat and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It requires great planning to ensure a successful transition to your new office space. Make sure that your business has a comprehensive and top-notch office relocation checklist just like the one above for a smooth experience.
Before you finalize your moving plans, it is important to find a working space that is meant just for you and your business. But you don’t have to worry about that part because Stylework will help you find that space. Just tell our staff what you are looking for or select from a wide range of options available on our website, and then you can just sit back and enjoy the ride while we do all the work for you.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What to consider for office relocation?
Having a defined budget for your relocation plans is of utmost importance, followed by creating a floor plan of your new office space so it fits all your needs. It is also necessary that you communicate the plan of your move to your employees, clients, and service providers at the earliest possible time in order to avoid any hiccups down the line.
Also, make sure to contact your service providers regarding the relocation of electrical equipment (desktops and mechanical equipment), telecommunications, and internet connections. Lastly, it is imperative to plan all the resources you might require during your relocation for a smooth and hassle-free move.
2. How do I create an office relocation plan?
Before you get all geared up to begin your move, it is essential to create an office relocation plan for a smooth move. For starters, identify the primary person who’d be in charge of the office relocation project. Create an internal office relocation planning team with clearly divided responsibilities among the members. Make sure to circle out all the important dates related to your move. Prepare documents or spreadsheets listing the budget, the services required, and the tasks to be completed.
3. How would you coordinate a team move to a new office?
Coordinating with a team for a new office move means involving the team members in the relocation process from the beginning. It is necessary to clearly outline the reasons for the move and what the changes would mean for them. Keeping the members in the loop and providing them with a clear timeline, along with communicating about important issues regarding the move, is also an important aspect.
4. What is important when choosing a new office location?
A plethora of factors should be kept in mind while choosing a new office location, such as accessibility, client and team needs, brand image, local and in-house amenities, opportunities for team building and networking, flexibility, and most importantly, your future growth plans.
5. How long does it take to relocate an office?
On average, it can take anywhere from a month to a year to successfully relocate to an office. This includes the time spent planning for the relocation, searching for your new office space, the negotiations and legal process, the fit-out, and finally the move.
