How to Plan an Office Move on a Budget

How to Plan an Office Move on a Budget

Learning how to plan an office move and actually moving to a better place is a great accomplishment.

It gives you tons of more opportunities to grow your business. However, it comes at an expense you cannot ignore. But with the right planning and ideas, you can set a budget for moving your office and stick to it with zero hassle.  

Besides avoiding the big expense, planning your office move can also help you transition smoothly.

No matter how small or big the place is, there are several factors you need to consider before you are ready to move. After all, you don’t want your day-to-day transactions to be affected during the transition.

The following are top tips that would help you plan your relocation without cutting corners.

How to Plan an Office Move

1. Plan Before Time

A small to medium-sized business should plan at least three to six months before the moving date. For larger firms, it could be anything between 10 and 12 months.

The earlier you plan, the more details you can look into.

If you choose a bigger time bracket between your planning and the actual move, you will have more time to think through multiple aspects of the moving process.

A strategic office moving plan is not only ideal for saving thousands of dollars in expense but will also ensure a smooth move. You can start planning by obtaining several moving quotes to get the general idea of the required budget.

After you have finalized the new place, a detailed survey is necessary. A little mind-mapping can help you take some important decisions.

Planning before time also gives you the opportunity to deal with one thing at a time and complete all your tasks before the moving day arrives. Making a checklist could help. It will also help you stick to your deadline.

2. Consider Changing Vendors

When learning how to plan an office move, use this as an opportunity to review your current expenses. Find out more about your current vendors, their services, and cost.

Find out about other available services in the market and compare prices. This is the perfect time to negotiate with your current vendors for better services, lower cost, or both.

After all, you have the chance to switch to a more cost-efficient vendor.

3. Prepare a Checklist

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Prepare separate checklists for tasks that should be completed before and on the ‘moving day.’

Some tasks that should be taken care of earlier include buying required packing material, boxing up items, labeling boxes, and getting rid of all the unwanted documents.

On the day of moving, take care of tasks like checking inventories, key placements of new and old staff, and ensuring that everything has been transported safely and smoothly.

Assigning tasks earlier will save you from last-minute expenses of buying more packing material.

If you don’t need something from your old office, there’s no point in carrying the load all the way to the new location. Decide earlier to avoid the trouble.

4. Work According to the New Layout

To avoid last-minute complications, plan the new office layout beforehand.

If you are planning to take your old furniture and equipment, think about where you will place them. Similarly, if you will buy new furniture, make sure you have a plan in hand.

If budget is a major concern, think about selling off items you do not need for your new workspace. You can auction them on social media or put them up on websites like eBay. This ensures extra cash goes into your pocket.  

Speak with your staff about any concerns related to the new workspace. Resolve any issues such as furniture placement and cubicle arrangement before the move to avoid the hassle later on.

5. Run a Skeleton Operation

Moving your office means compromise on work.

The tasks and activities related to moving can affect the productivity and efficiency of the staff. You are also likely to give them one or a few days off until the new space is workable.

To avoid wasting time and money, be more efficient with your planning and consider running skeleton operation. This is to check and maintain the vital functions of the new space while the move is underway. Also, this will ensure your business operations are running smoothly regardless the transition has been completed or not.

6. Involve Your People

Take help from friends, family, and even your staff. Learn how to plan an office move together.

Communicate your office moving plan and ask them to volunteer and take part in making the transition smooth.

You can even assign office moving duties to your staff, where they are responsible for packing their stuff, clearing their tables, and even labeling boxes.

The purchase and sale department can take care of the inventories during the move. These little tasks can be easily taken care of by your own staff without incurring an additional cost of hiring professionals to do each and every task for you.

Making The Most of Your First Office

As an entrepreneur, selecting the first office space for your business may be one of the most challenging decisions you will face. This is true whether you are a solopreneur, in a partnership or manage a handful of staff; choosing the right business base – and knowing what to look out for – can be difficult.

When you begin looking, you may be tempted by the range of high-tech serviced offices, or dream of some of the world’s coolest office spaces like Google’s headquarters, but how do you know what type of office is right for your business venture?

Obviously, one of the most important considerations when renting an office is price. However, in addition to affordability, there are also a number of other factors that must included in the decision-making process, such as:

  • Can the space cater for business growth and development?
  • Is it in the best location for employees and clients?
  • Are there good transport links and amenities?
  • How long is the lease and does the price include any additional services?
  • And what sort of layout does your business require?

Finding the Right Office is Essential.

The right environment will not only provide a stable base, but it could also help your business to flourish. For example, if your business relies on team work, an open glass office space can foster creativity, communication and collaboration. Or, if your business is still finding its feet, a startup incubation unit could be the best choice.

Essentially, the right office can boost staff productivity, impress potential clients and serve as a platform for growth.

Renting Versus Owning.

While the idea of owning an office may be exciting, most startups and small businesses lack the capital required to buy their own premises.

Renting an office comes with a number of perks, such as: convenience, flexibility to scale your business and upgrade premises, and being able to afford a more high-tech space.

Furthermore, renting also provides a sense of security that owning cannot match. For example, when you buy office space you must be prepared to: pay for repairs and maintenance, sell before you can move to new premises, and meet monthly mortgage repayments which may limit working capital.

Choosing the first office for your business can be a daunting task. But if you take your time and do your research, you can select the right office to support your venture and foster growth.

Final Word: Hire Professionals!

When seeing how to plan an office move it is important to note that certain tasks cannot be taken care of on your own, especially if you are moving to another state.

You will need professional office movers for lifting expensive and heavy items, disassembling and assembling of equipment and furniture, and taking your belongings from one location to another.

It is best to hire people trained for this job instead of doing it on by yourself. This could, in fact, become more expensive if something goes wrong. The key is to compare your options and choose the most reliable and cost-effective firm for this task.

As mentioned earlier, there is a lot to consider before moving your office.

Trying to do everything on your own from the moment you ask yourself how to plan an office move can cause more trouble than relief.

Set a budget, plan early and seek help from professionals wherever necessary to make your office move smooth and hassle-free.

About The Author

Jenny Harrison is a passionate lifestyle and technology blogger. She loves to get engaged with the readers who are seeking for home, lifestyle and tech-related information on the internet. Currently, she is associated with a New York-based moving company All Around Moving Services

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