Relocating an entire company is not a task that can be easily accomplished. Granted, something simple as a change of location can result in new and exciting business opportunities and end up being the best business decision you’ve ever made. But that doesn’t make the very act of relocation any less stressful, especially when you start thinking about all the different things that could go wrong before, during and after the move. Here are some tips that should help you relocate your business without having to experience any unpleasant or stressful situations while doing it.
Set a budget and stick to it
Relocating a business is not only more complicated but also far more expensive than you might have imagined. You have to hire a moving company, cover the travel fees, pay various legal fees and employee overtimes all while your company is offline. This means that you’ll be bleeding money left and right unless you set up an appropriate relocation budget and actually stick to it. However, have in mind that you’ll probably experience some unexpected expenses so alongside the main budget you should also set aside some additional funds to cover those costs.
Since business owners are those making the decision to move, it’s often they who are planning and overlooking the relocation process. Not to mention that most businesses are open literally until the last possible second, which can result in business owners overlooking some vital part of the move by accident. If you already have too much on your business plate, then your best option would be to hire a professional moving company that has had the first-hand experience orchestrating and overseeing relocations on such massive scales.
Establish a relocation timetable
Once you’re absolutely certain that you want to relocate your company and have already made the necessary arrangements regarding the budget, it’s time to start working on the official timeline for the move. Organizing and executing a relocation without the appropriate timetable can quickly turn into an absolute mess. On the other hand, you have to realize that not everything goes and will go according to your plan. Your attorney might be experiencing a flight delay, the office furniture and equipment might not arrive when they were supposed to or your new space might not be finished by the time you arrive. This why it’s important to add a little wiggle room when planning out the timetable or simply plan for an additional couple of days just until everything settles down.
Provide your employees with plenty of notice
Relocating a whole company means that you would also have to talk to your employees about it. Some of them might be willing to put their old lives behind them and bravely walk towards a bright future inside the company but have in mind that a vast majority would rather choose to stay with their friends and families and enjoy their already established everyday routines. Every employee contract has a mobility clause which states exactly how much notice you’re obligated to give your employees. This allows you to avoid experiencing any legal issues with your workers while you’re preparing for the move.
Take the time to review your company’s lease
Leasing an office space includes numerous legal issues you need to consider before moving your company. Terminating your contract early often involves paying penalties, fees and you could potentially lose the right to sublease that space. Schedule a consultation with your attorney and go over every little detail regarding the terms and conditions of your old lease. You should also go over the new leasing arrangement in order to ensure that you don’t experience any legal nightmares when you sign the document. Additionally, the majority of leasing contract includes making a security deposit which might no longer be available if you break early from your contract.
Make sure your vendors are updated in advance
Missing out on rather important amenities such as the electricity, cooling, and internet can quickly result in revenue loss that you might or might not recover from. Contact all the different vendors at least a couple of months prior to relocating your company and make sure you’ve updated them properly on the whole situations. Letting the vendors know early on helps them make the necessary adjustments to the billing and shipping addresses while leaving you with more than enough time to order all the things you will need for your new office.
Don’t forget to update your contact information
This is the single biggest mistake made during a company relocation. Business owners often remember every single aspect and little detail regarding the move, but they often forget to change all of their contact information and end up with missing materials, disgruntled customers and issues securing the adequate amount of revenue during the first couple of months in the new location. Updating contact information should ideally be done a few weeks before the actual move and includes making updates or updated versions of business cards, letterhead, websites, etc. Don’t forget to update the NAP (name, address and phone number) information displayed by Google in the search results.
Consider your storage options
Just because the entire company is relocating to a new location does not mean that every single part of the company has to relocate with it. It’s not that uncommon for new and refurbished office spaces to already be equipped with furniture and all the necessary equipment, which means you can significantly decrease the transfer fees. Whatever you plan on doing with your old equipment and furniture, throwing it away is not the answer. Instead, try to sell it if it doesn’t show significant signs of wear and tear and if you don’t have the time do deal with it at that moment, you might want to consider the different storage solutions scattered throughout the greater city area.
Relocating a company is a task which requires a lot of patience, planning ahead and remaining collected in the event something doesn’t go as planned. It is an exhaustive process that can be made a lot easier simply by creating a plan, forming a budget and creating a dedicated timetable with all the little details neatly organized and divided according to their specific schedule. Not all business relocations end up with a happy ending, so make sure you’ve thought this through all the way.
