Whether your business is expanding or simply moving, commercial relocation is not a joke. Moving your office isn’t easy and should not be taken lightly. There are many things that can go wrong from damaged equipment to lost files to security breaches. That’s exactly why it’s important to know how to protect your office during relocation. It may take investing a little more time and effort, but your business will thank you for it!
Protect your office during relocation before it even starts
Moving your office doesn’t just happen in one day. There’s a lot of planning and preparations that come before moving day. This time is a great opportunity to take action and protect your office in advance. There’s a number of things you can do at this point in the process to save yourself the stress later on.
Planning is the key to success
Moving, especially on short notice, can be hectic and stressful. That’s why every successful move, whether residential or commercial, starts with a good plan. You want to get yourself organized as early as possible. Start making schedules and to-do lists as soon as you decide on relocating. This will make the move quicker and more efficient. When it comes to business, time is money so this should be your priority!
And remember it’s not just about how you move, the when is important too. One of the ways to prevent loss of business while relocating your office is to move off-season. So if you can, plan your move for a time when business is slow!
Notify vendors and partners
You don’t really want to advertise your move to the public, but you should definitely let your business partners and important vendors know about it up front. Your bank, for example, must know about your move weeks, even months in advance. And you will avoid any important and sensitive mail getting lost by changing your business’ address ahead of the move. Your financial affiliates and network security providers should also be on the list of people informed.
Set up a moving committee to protect your office during relocation
Someone has to be in charge of keeping an eye on the moving and making sure things run smoothly. For this reason, it may be a good idea to set up a committee of people from a variety of branches to brainstorm, plan and execute together. Several heads are better than one after all!
Do an inventory
No matter how closely you monitor your office supplies and documents, you never really know everything you have lying around until you put it on paper. Doing an inventory can help you keep track of everything being moved and check that it’s all arrived safely once you’re there. It can also be a good way to estimate how long it will take to pack. If your movers charge by the hour or by weight, an inventory can help you gauge the price. Finally, you may need the list for insurance in case something gets lost or damaged. Either way, a thorough inventory is worth the time it takes to compile!
Downsize where possible
Relocation is always a good time to get rid of things you no longer need. Why bother moving it if you’re not gonna use it afterward? So shred documents and clean hard drives, get rid of old equipment and furniture. You can always rent a storage unit for the things you’re not sure where to keep during or immediately after the move. Remember, having fewer things to pack and move will make your move much easier!
How to protect your office during relocation
Your business will be most vulnerable on moving day. There are several things from which you want to protect your office during relocation:
- damage: you will be moving a lot of fragile equipment so you want to protect it from damage
- loss: with so many things to keep track of, make sure not to forget, misplace or lose something
- theft: whether it’s expensive computer equipment or sensitive and confidential data, you want to make sure nothing gets stolen
Hire professional movers
Moving companies are there to make your relocation easier. This holds true when you’re moving offices too! So you should hire commercial movers Florida to deal with your move. This ensures your relocation is handled by experienced professionals who know what they’re doing. You are far less likely to deal with damage or loss of property if you hire good and reputable movers!
Pack smart to protect your office during relocation
How you pack things has a huge impact on their safety during the move. Always use only quality moving boxes Florida for your equipment and make sure to stuff them with packing peanuts or shredded paper if the items inside are especially fragile or especially valuable. Remember to securely tape each box and label it properly before loading it into the moving truck!
Keep an eye out for potential security risks
There will be a lot of people coming and going through your office on moving day. Most of them, you will never have met before. This is perfectly natural! But it’s also a great opportunity for someone to just walk in and steal from you. Don’t hesitate to investigate or even report anything suspicious! If possible, ask your movers to wear ID tags or have the doorman ID everyone coming in. You should also always have at least one of your employees overseeing the moving process just to be on the safe side!
After the move
Believe it or not, the move doesn’t end at your new front door. There will still be plenty to do once you move into your new office. So don’t relax just yet! Treat unpacking with the same care as packing – it’s just as easy to damage something when taking it out of a box as it is when you’re putting it in. And go through your inventory as soon as possible to make sure everything is still there!
