Businesses move for several reasons. One is growth — they can no longer operate in their current area. Another is the new construction of a headquarters or regional office. The third is downsizing due to several factors.
Approximately 40 million people move each year in the United States. Though business relocations aren’t tracked separately, there’s a good chance entrepreneurs and other business owners are part of this group. If they don’t plan right, those moves can be highly stressful. However, by following a few proactive steps, the relocation can be a breeze.
Plan and Budget
Every project for your business requires a plan, and moving is no different. Stress is guaranteed when a relocation is done without an outline. Thus, everyone involved in the move must be part of the planning.
Not only for the steps required to get from an old to a new location. It also must be done for the budget. You can estimate costs ahead of time but you also need to leave enough room in the budget in case there’s an emergency.
Let Someone Else Move Your Vehicles
If you are moving a few blocks from your original location then there’s probably no need to have others bring your vehicles. In fact, you might be able to use them to bring some of the smaller items. Yet, if this is a long intrastate or interstate move, then you want someone else to take your vehicles.
For this, you want to search the internet for companies like Montway Auto Transport. These types of organizations are subject matter experts in moving cars, vans, and trucks. Needless to say, you still want to get several car shipping quotes before you decide on the auto transport company to use.
Do Not Mix Items
A hugely stressful situation in a home move is when someone can’t find a needed object like a pot. They go through all the kitchen boxes to no avail. Eventually, they find the kitchen item in a box marked for the bedroom.
Don’t let this happen in your business move. Everything should be packed according to the department and its personnel. The goal is to get everything unpacked in the shortest period so production loss is minimized.
Additionally, each packing crate has to be clearly labeled. Information should include the name of the department or person, contents, and location where it goes in the new complex. Don’t let any boxes go on the moving truck without label verification.
Provide Plenty of Time
Moving everyone and everything at once is bound to cause stress. For employees, it’s getting everything up and running as quickly as they can to resume operations. For management, it’s getting everything operational so they don’t lose money.
This is why a move needs to have a large amount of time allotted to it. You can’t complete an interstate move into a brand new office within a few days. When this happens you allow Murphy’s Law to take hold. Moving trucks will be delayed, needed equipment could be lost, and employees won’t be able to find the new location.
Consider a move within the realm of a risk management analysis. Review the situations, determine the possible problems, and come up with the necessary resolutions to minimize their potential.
Work From Home
Relocating personnel and equipment from one location to another is daunting. It can damage the good feelings employees once had about the company if things fall apart. To reduce this chance, management should let their employees work from home during the transition.
This is an especially good idea if the company is making an interstate move. EMployees following the organization to its new location need time to pack up themselves. Thus, they’ll have some breathing room to do this while things are set up in their new environment.
If you follow these tips, your business’ move will be less stressful. Will it be perfect? No, nothing is in this world. However, the risks and problems associated with the relocation will be minimized. To the point that management and employees don’t feel the pressures that go along with a move.
If that happens, then everyone will return to work with elevated happiness and productivity.
