One of the first steps in an efficient office move is getting everyone on the same page with a team meeting to discuss the move.

Stressed about moving your business to a new location? Follow this comprehensive guide to simplify your business move and reduce downtime. People say relocating to a new home is stressful, but have you tried moving an office? If not, prepare for exhaustion. Whether you’re looking to expand your workspace or hunting for a place with cheaper rent, a commercial move will drain your energy, money, and resources. 

Downtime is your primary enemy here. The more your team focuses on moving; the less effort they can spend on work and productivity. That’s why you want to get things done ASAP to minimize lost profit. This guide will teach you how. First of all:

Discuss the Move with Your Employees

As the boss, it’s your responsibility to inform every one of your decision to move. It might not be well-received by everyone in the company, so it’s better to have things sorted out. Be transparent when answering questions. Listen to their concerns. This discussion will help avoid employee resentment and shocking resignations in the future.

Additionally, explain in detail how this move will benefit and support the company’s growth. It’ll give everyone more initiative to work efficiently during the move. Once you’ve got that covered, the next step is to assign moving-related roles and responsibilities. Have each member of the team focus on one thing so that they can give the task their best. 

Once you’re all set to get the process moving, it would be prudent to leave the job to the professionals. Let movers help you with schedule and other logistics.

Create a Master Plan

Nothing creates more downtime than a move without a concrete plan. It’s like heading to war without guns. Don’t go unprepared! You want everything to be clear and streamlined before the actual process begins. This way, everyone can focus on the task at hand.

Once you’ve chosen a mover, start work on your end by assigning responsibilities for your employees. Who will pack? Who will take care of moving the equipment? Who will label stuff? And so on. Things are better with an organized system. Next, create an inventory. Which items should you pack first? Which things should you wrap with bubble wrap? Will all the furniture move with you?

It’s advisable to pack important paperwork first, followed by basic necessities, then equipment, and finally, furniture. 

Prepare a Contingency Plan

No move is perfect, and things won’t always go your way. Expect delays and challenges to pop up during the process. Knowing this, remember to prepare a contingency plan. Having a backup plan allows you to deal with problems quickly so that you won’t suffer terrible downtime. An unanticipated situation, like the new office space not being ready in time, could mean losing out on income.

Declutter The Office

Before you start packing, make sure you’re boxing up the right items. Decluttering means getting rid of stuff you won’t use in your new office. Try to evaluate the things around you. Does your team really need those ink cartridges that only worked in the old copier machine? Or that outdated clock with a broken longhand? This transition is your chance to start fresh in your new office. Make sure the things you bring along are beneficial for creating a clean work environment. It’s work, not home, after all. That said, you have three options on what to do with the clutter you choose to give up. You can sell things online, donate items to charity, or throw away/recycle unnecessary clutter.

Follow a Schedule 

It’s now time to box things up! Assuming you know how to pack, note that having a timeline for the move encourages everyone to work hard to keep things on track. However, you don’t want to exhaust your employees either. You can pack one section of the office today then the next one tomorrow. It might be tempting to try and finish everything within a day, but honestly, you’ll only lengthen the downtime by doing so. It’s better to divide the workflow, a.k.a staging, set objectives, and let people rest to be more productive.

Documentation

This tip is a small one, but it can save you a lot of time. Remember to take photos of your old office layout and IT systems before you start packing. Pictures can help you set up your new workspace and significantly reduce your time figuring out how to set up things like electronics.

The Ultimate Secret to Reducing Downtime: Hire Movers

Want your team to continue being productive even on moving day? Say no more and leave the job to the professionals! Movers know what to do, how to do it fast, and immediately troubleshoot problems. With a reliable office moving company handling the whole transition, you can let your employees focus on their duties instead of worrying about packing boxes and dismantling cubicles. A professional office mover can work with you to formulate a plan, design your new workspace, then handle all the logistics of the actual move. Many even offer after-hours and weekend services, so your team can get back up and running without interruption.