Critical Things to Consider When Your Business is Moving

It is not a regular occurrence, but businesses do have to move to another location from time to time. Perhaps there has been an increase in business volume or staffing and space requirements have changed. Whatever the reason, you have a lot to think through before relocating your company, whether it is in the same building or to another city. Here are 4 critical factors to consider when your business is moving:

1. Costs May Be Higher Than You Estimate

Like most major projects, a move will likely end up costing you more money than you anticipated. Make a budget for your move and get quotes from reliable and knowledgeable vendors.If you're moving long distance cost can vary between moving companies so get a few quotes and make sure the companies come to your location and take an inventory. There are usually last minute items needed that you didn't count on like extra packing supplies etc. Don't leave things to the last minute, make a check list and make sure you are thorough. Waiting until the last minute can cause delays and cost you money in the long run. 

2. Prepare Communications ahead of time in Order to Avoid Down Time

Down time is costly, make sure you work with your vendors on a plan to coordinate your move. During a move, you don't want your clients to call you and get no answer or an our of service recording. Moving a traditional business communication system can take some time and planning. If you use a Hosted VoIP system the process is much easier, you can typically log in to a portal and forward your number temporarily so you don't miss calls and all you need is an internet connection at your new site, plug in your phone and your back up and running. This can save costs on downtime and keep your business in good standing by not dropping off the grid completely while you move. Make sure you talk to your vendor ahead of time. We constantly get calls from customers who are moving and on the day of the move they realize they forgot to call the phone and data vendor, sometimes they thing the moving company will re install their systems and this will cause more unnecessary pain. Make sure your new space has the appropriate cabling for both voice and data and don't forget to run wires for wireless access points, printers, faxes and credit card machines. Keep these things in mind and your move will be smooth. 

3. Consider hiring teleworkers or Leasing Additional Space vs Moving the entire company

If expansion is the reason for your move, you might want to consider other options before relocating. Look into nearby or adjoining spaces that can be leased to increase your office space. There is also the option to rent out offices in other cities if you are looking to expand your business in different geographic locations. You can start small in a shared environment and if your business grows in that geographic location you can expand when the time is right. Moving on the other hand makes sense when a company is planning expansion on a large scale or there is a significant cost savings in rent or even tax advantages. The cost of moving takes years to recover, the build out of the new location, purchase of new furniture, moving your existing belongings, it also takes time and is a major distraction to any business, make sure you plan. 

4. Inform everyone ahead of time and don't forget about your old location

An important factor to consider is that you will likely need to inform customers and vendors and don't forget to inform the Post office and all the carriers you do business with such as UPS or FEDEX. Do this in advance of the move so your not running around trying to do this last minute as this will delay deliveries of mail and packages. Put your new location on your website as well as in your email signature. This will help keep people informed of your new site. Once you move you will be busy getting your new site up and running. Unpacking may take a few days and getting settled will take you a week or so. Make sure you go back and clean out your old location and make sure you left it in the same condition you took the space from your previous landlord, this will ensure you receive your security deposit back. It is important to set up a communications plan to let suppliers, customers and other relevant parties know about the move in advance.

Overall moving is sometimes necessary. I have highlighted some critical things to think about but these are just a few things to keep in mind. If you need help moving your communication system or you are looking into an upgraded system for your move you can look at our product catalog.