Moving a business is exciting, but also a lot of work. Whether you are moving for a better location, more space, or for other reasons, there is a way to do this and keep your sanity too. A complete office move can be done in three days from start to finish, if the pre-planning is detailed. Follow these steps and adjust them for any nuances pertaining to your personal business.
6 Months Before Move
Prepare the new office space to receive your business. All repairs, signs, painting needs, and upgrades need to be completed.
1 Month Before Move
Have a staff meeting explaining the move, the procedure in which you will do it, the timeline to complete, and the layout of the new office space. Assign each employee with an office a color. Pass out a packet containing the information you discuss, including a diagram of the new office space labeled with who goes where in color code. Post an additional diagram on the office bulletin board for staff to see. Provide boxes and packing tape for your employees to use.
Have employees clean out their offices of any trash and unneeded paperwork to be disposed.
1 Week Before Move
Have another staff meeting to review the moving plan. Answer any questions that have come up. Express the need for everyone to work together as a team, to get this move accomplished decently and in good order.
Finish up any projects for clients that can be pushed out this week. There is no sense in making clients wait when you can get it done. This will encourage employees to continue to push out orders for clients this week and not be lax.
Have employees take home any personal belongings, so they are out of the way for the move. Employees can also begin to box up things they don’t need on a daily basis, and mark them with their particular color to identify to which office they belong.
If an employee does not have an office, you can assign him the copy room or the break room as his responsibility to pack up and set up in the new space. These spaces also need to be assigned their own color. Explain to this person the new layout for the room, and any new equipment that will be added to this space.
Have new phone lines, WIFI, and security installed in the new space. Put up color coated sheets on each door of the new office space, so the movers know exactly where all boxes and furniture go without having to ask. Post a diagram at the entrance of your new space, so the movers will have a map to use.
1 Day Before
This is the only day before your move that no work will be accomplished. Have employees tie up any loose ends in their space. Everything should be boxed, labeled, and ready to go for the movers. All desks and larger equipment, that will not be boxed, needs to be color coded too.
Remove any installation debris from your new office space. It needs to be ready to receive the movers tomorrow.
Moving Day
All employees are exempted for the day. You will need 2 monitors only, you and one other. The old office is now ready for a move, and the new office is ready to receive.
1 Day Post Move
All employees are required to manage their space, organize it, and make sure everything is ready to work for the next day. Any personal touches are welcomed back.
No work will be accomplished on this day for any clients. All energy is directed to making sure your staff is completely ready to resume business as usual for the next day. This will reduce excuses of why things are not getting done the following week, and increase production.
So there you have it, an entire office move with only missing out on three days of production.
