18 September 2014

Moving office can seem like an incredibly daunting task if you've been put in charge of coordinating it! So here's a small guide on how to go about it without pulling out your hair and shredding those nails to pieces. Time scaleIt is essential to first of all consider the time scale for your move. When is your lease up on your current property? When is the earliest you can move into the new premises? Plus there's a huge range of things consider on the business side itself. Do you have a gap in work deadlines coming up that you can use to move within without disrupting your work flow? How long will you need to move everything over?First, draw up a timetable for yourself and for the different areas of the business. It may be necessary to move areas and people in stages. If it's essential to move over one group before another, draw up individual time tables for each group so that everyone is clear on what is happening and when. You may also need to be judging when to shut down phone lines, internet service providers and other services you are paying for. You'll need to be cancelling them leaving enough time for use up to the move, and you'll also need to be booking in these services at the new premises too. It's best to have them up and running before moving in to allow for extra tie if there is a delay or issue. There's nothing worse than everyone turning up in the new office on the first day and none of the phones are working! Plan ahead and time table each course of action in clearly.Packing up equipment, machinery and paperwork will also need to feature on the timetable. It would be advisable to begin this process as early as possible for items that are not used every day. Old paper may need sorting and filing before being packed and moved, so allow extra time for this if necessary. You need to hire in extra help for this is your work force is stretched thin, so you'll need to plan this into your moving budget if necessary. This leads us on the next essential thing to think about:Moving budgetBusiness relocation can cost a lot of money, but if you're smart and plan ahead, you can find great deals and make your investment an invaluable one. The things you'll need to consider include:•    Moving van hire – You'll need secure, safe and insured transport for your items. You can either hire a van and use your own drivers or there are many man and van services available for offer a fully comprehensive service to help with loading, driving and unloading.•    Packing boxes and materials – It's always worth investing in top quality cardboard boxes to carry your items. In order to protect your items in transit and whilst being loaded and unloaded, strong double-walled boxes will serve you well and prevent breakages. You may need other items such as cables, ropes, padding and bubble wrap if you are transporting delicate, movable or large items.•    Office fit out – As well as unpacking at the new location, you may be bringing in new furniture, new equipment and therefore need a new layout. Connecting up cables for electronic and networks can be a tricky business and if not done correctly can be detrimental to your work flow. Call in the experts and have them fit up the office so that's fully operational in time for your colleagues to begin work immediately.