Relocating your office or business can be a tricky process that requires a lot of careful thought and planning. There are many aspects that can be easily overlooked or that you may not even think to consider. Preparation is essential when moving from one location to another, so here is a list of eight important things to remember when relocating your business.
1. Set up a time frame
Staying organized and on schedule will reduce a lot of stresses of moving. Make a timetable of when you want to be out of your old location and into your new and have a schedule of tasks you wish to complete by what day for the move. Being well prepared for moving day will allow you to dive right into your new location so you won’t lose business.
2. Inform and involve your employees
Your employees should be up to date on your relocation plans and understand any responsibilities they may have regarding the move, such as packing up their own office.
3. Inform your customers
It is also important to keep your customers in the know about your move. There are many simple ways to do this depending on what type of business you are running: hang up signs in the front of your store with details of your relocation, send out an informative email, or update your social media letting followers know where your new location is, when it will be open, and how the move is going.
4. Update information
You will want to update any and all information regarding your location across many platforms. Your website, business cards, social media, email signatures, etc. will all have information based on your old location. Preorder business cards with updated contact information so you have them once your business is relocated and be sure to update your virtual information with your new address, phone number, fax, etc.
5. Packing
Packing is one of the more time consuming aspects of moving. To make this part a little less stressful, take a look and see what things you can pack up in advance to get them out of the way and determine what needs to be packed last. Make sure you have proper packing supplies, including the appropriate boxes. Labeling boxes with where they will go in the office and what it contains will also make your move go much smoother.
6. Forward your mail
Don’t let your bills and fan mail get sent to your old address! USPS offers a free change of address service that you can fill out online or in paper form from your mail deliverer.
7. Contact service providers
Ensure that you contact all of your service providers and inform them of your relocation. You should also be sure that new service providers are aware of installation dates.
8. Inform surrounding businesses
During your move, at the new location and old, you will most likely be blocking entrances or taking up extra parking spaces. Let other businesses around you know and if you can, give them a time frame of when your move will take place so they can be prepared and inform their employees.
About the Author: This article is by a contributor from Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), a coalition dedicated to helping new businesses start and existing businesses grow.
