Working Through a Business Relocation

By Andy Kocemba

Calhoun Companies has been in business since 1908. Needless to say, we've had our share of offices, and with that, our share of office moves. Trends and preferences in physical business space change whether you occupy office, retail, or industrial buildings. Through the years, your business will change spaces with these trends. It might mean moving to more collaborate spaces, different locations, or simply increasing or decreasing square footage. Whatever your reasons and motivations, a business relocation is a hectic, stressful, and time-consuming operation that often disrupts business. But it doesn't have to. Here are a few tips for keeping your business on track through a move from a company that just moved to a sparkly new office.

  1. Enlist your team of experts: There are aspects of your business that you don’t know how to move, and shouldn’t be stressed out about. Items like IT, phones, and websites/search engines are very complex. There’s no sense in a business owner losing sleep wondering how the details of moving their server and computers will come together. Leave that to your IT crew. How do you update all the online directories to make sure they point to your business? I don’t know, but the company that updates my website sure does. Draw in these experts as soon as you know you will be moving. Having them involved along the way will take pressure off your day to day routine, and enable you to stay in control of both the move and your business. 
  2. Keep your staff focused: Only involve the people in your company who absolutely have a role to play in the move. Admin staff might have crucial ways to assist in the relocation project, but keep the staff members who keep the business humming - like sales, customer service, and production staff - focused on what they do best. They don’t need to be preoccupied with the move.  They need to keep the business productive. 
  3. Hire a reputable moving company: These people know what they are doing. From the bins and shelves they use, to the staff and systems they employ, commercial movers are all about maximum efficiency and minimum down time. Through the couple of office moves I’ve been involved in, the speed at which it gets done has always amazed me. And generally, these crews are paid by the hour rather than the objects they move. As long as they are there, you can have them do whatever is helpful in getting you back up and running, whether it’s moving boxes and furniture, hanging tv’s, or more.

Remember, a move is important, but making sure your business continues to perform its primary function is more important. Don’t take your eye off the ball by being too distracted by moving tasks. Enlist a team to take things off your plate, ensuring that as you come out the other side of your move your business will be thriving.

Takeaways

  1. A business relocation should not mean disrupting your business operations.
  2. Only some of your staff need to be involved in the move. Employees who are essential to your business operations should stay focused on what they do best.
  3. Enlist experts to help you move, including a moving company and your IT professionals.