Relocating an office can be complicated, and since many people who are responsible for an office move haven’t done one previously, downtime has the potential to be costly and heavily damage the finances of small and medium-sized businesses. There are seven helpful office removal hacks to help ensure your change of location happens without a hitch and is within budget.

Appoint a project manager or team responsible for the movement

It is crucial to appoint someone to head the project with strong capabilities of designing budgets, setting and fulfilling deadlines, and recruiting others to complete the job, which could be the most critical aspect of the operation. Having a team to help during an office move is highly beneficial. Every person in the office should know their role in the move to ensure a smooth transition. It would be beneficial if the IT department would take care of the technical details, such as data backup and migration, in advance. Additionally, assigning someone responsible for the furniture and equipment in the shared office area is essential.


Define the moving services you will need

Once you have established what the business demands regarding the move, you can determine the required services. This could include an estate agent, comm transaction lawyer, and furniture seller. Bringing in an experienced office relocation enterprise and an IT moving professional is necessary. Then get multiple quotes from firms in each area. When speaking with the office moving firm, ask what extra services are available. Many good firms have joined forces with IT moving experts or even have them employed in-house. They can also help the project executor devise the move.

If you are looking for experienced moving labor in the Chicago area, we recommend opting for Move4U Movers services. This full-service moving company will handle all of your moving tasks: packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking, so it’s a perfect solution for a business move.

Set a budget

You can ensure you are not spending too much on your relocation by establishing a budget in advance. There can be numerous costs when it comes to moving your business to a new location, such as rent, legal charges, insurance, furnishings, and extra safety requirements. Take all anticipated and unexpected expenses into account when creating your budget. Afterward, develop a budget plan to allow you to contrast the fees at different stages of your move. We recommend setting a baseline cost for any element of the enterprise that requires cost analysis.

Inform your employees & clients about the relocation

We bet you don’t want your workers to spend hours preparing to move. Nevertheless, if they label their belongings before the move, it can really benefit the office removal company. This will ensure all their records, documents, computer screens, office supplies, chairs, and other items are put in the right place after relocation.

As for clients, notify them about the company moving so they can contact you if necessary. Secondly, take it as an advertising or sales opportunity. It’s a nice way to notify people how quickly the organization grows without sounding pompous. As well as you can use it as a reason to give your customers an exclusive proposition. You can offer them a special deal on the occasion of the new location.

Create a checklist

You should utilize the Office Moving Checklists provided by experts to detail the elements of your move in the listed categories. As a helpful recommendation, we advise dividing the checklist into three parts. Breaking down the office relocation into pre-move, during the move, and post-move phases will make the lists more concise and easier to comprehend.

Pack your office things

Most individuals prefer to pack their belongings by themselves, but if you choose, a moving company can do it for you. To prevent any hiccups on a moving day, be sure to organize and carefully box up your items. That way, it’ll be simpler to reach for whatever is needed in a rush.

Here are some helpful tips:

  • Before beginning the packing process for your move, take some time to go through and get rid of all the things you don’t need. This can be the perfect opportunity to start anew. Discard any mail and paperwork that haven’t been touched in some time. This way, you can start off your move with a clean slate.
  • Once you’re ready to start packing all your documents, make sure to have a folder or other organization system. Do not just throw them in a single box, as this risks them being damaged when traveling or possibly even misplacing them. Label your files in the same way that you labeled all the packing boxes.
  • If you have different duct tape colors, you can use them to tag each box, eliminating the need to write which room each box is for. For instance, you can attach a piece of green duct tape to the box containing the supplies in the supply room. You should also create a legend associating each color with its correct room.
  • Bubble wrap is a must during relocation; make sure to get plenty of it to ensure that your monitors and television display screens remain undamaged.
  • Nobody likes to see what they have unpacked to be cracked and useless. Are you packing something that may be delicate like glass pieces? Remember to label the box indicating that it is fragile to protect it from any potential harm. It may take a bit extra time, but it will ultimately save you a lot of trouble.
  • When you are packing electronic items, make sure to consider your cables so nothing breaks or goes missing. Before beginning the task of packing, take out all cables for the equipment and put them in special cases. Put the appropriate number on the computers and cables to keep track of everything. This type of organization will be most beneficial in the end. When you are in your new location, make sure to check all wiring connections.
  • The kitchen boxes should be packed last since they are needed until the move is finished, and you want to preserve the plates. To safeguard them against damage, you can place plastic dishes in between the ceramic plates, providing a buffer between each plate. This technique will protect them as they are moved.

Use a color coding

Moving companies often use structured systems to manage staff and differentiate departments when transitioning to a new office. Utilizing a color-coding system is often an effective solution for corporate relocation. Your moving provider may provide you labels to assist in organizing your items once you reach your new building. It’s also essential that your team members be well-versed in the system.

Contact utility service companies

Reach out to all utility service companies to get your office serviced in your name. Have all the setup ready for the day you take possession of the office, even if you don’t plan on moving in until some other time. This way, you will be prepared if you want to visit the space earlier to check it out or stock the fridge.

Discover your new area

Take some time to explore the area near your new office. Figure out the important places you need to know, such as local convenience stores, parking, and the top lunch spots. Besides, explore the office building – looking through floor layouts to spot essential elements like doorways, power outlets, storerooms, and air conditioning and heating ducts is a good idea.

Protect your data

It is essential to protect your data during the moving process. Accidents may occur, leading to the destruction of essential files or servers. For example, major paperwork could be misplaced due to problems with servers and hard disks. Therefore, backing up and protecting your data during relocation is essential. A secure approach would be incorporating a visitor management system to track guests’ and employees’ details. Transferring your data to the cloud could be helpful to ensure their management is easy. Additionally, you will be capable of displaying loyalty with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as you will not be missing any details concerning customers that have previously visited your organization.

Relocating your office doesn’t have to be stressful. By planning out the process in advance, keeping clients, vendors, and personnel appraised of the changes, and ensuring your data is backed up, you should be able to effectuate a hassle-free move. Follow the steps above, and your moving will go smoothly and fast!