Businesses move offices for a number of reasons; it could be that they’ve outgrown their current space or perhaps they need to relocate to an area that’s more in-line with their brand identity or industry. Whatever the reason, the actual process of moving office can be stressful, especially if you’re the one who’s been tasked with organising everything.
Planning the practical aspects of an office move can feel like a colossal task with many moving parts. As well as the logistics, there’s the emotional side of things too – making sure the team are happy with the new space and acclimatise to it quickly.
The following top tips making your office move a smooth one are designed to help you be better prepared.
1. Move into a flexible workspace
Obviously we’re biased, but one of the best ways to ensure a fast and straight forward office move is to opt for workspace in a serviced office. At Pure Offices, all our offices are ready-to-move into so that you can “hit the ground running” from day one.
Having a dedicated Centre Manager on hand to help out and answer any questions on move-in day (and every day afterwards) makes life a lot easier. Part of a Centre Managers job is to make sure you settle in well, introduce you to other occupiers and show you the ins and outs of the building and how everything works.
2. Keep your team in the loop
Your office can be an incredibly powerful recruitment and retention tool, so it’s important to choose one that everybody is happy with.
Before you even start the search for a new office, aggregate data relating to where people in your team live so that the areas you look in are within a reasonable commuting distance for everyone. It’s also a good idea to involve a couple of employees in the search process to get different perspectives.
Second opinions are always valuable – other people might identify potential problems that you’ve missed. Take a couple of employees along to viewings too – after all, they might know the team even better than you and be able to identify what would be a good fit.
As soon as you’ve made a decision, tell the team so they have time to adjust. Similarly, when it comes to arranging new seating plans, listen to people’s suggestions or concerns.
3. Keep stakeholders informed
Depending on the nature of your business, it’s likely that you’ll have several partners who’ll be affected by the move, from suppliers to clients. Don’t wait until the last minute to tell them – keep them informed and send reminders so that they’re aware in advance. Posting on social media is also a good way of letting people know.
Once you’ve moved, post about your experience on your blog and share images of your team in their new home on B2B platforms like LinkedIn and B2C ones Instagram. Be sure to update your business address on your company website, comms, email signatures and with official bodies like Companies House.
4. Promote the positives
Your move might be a big change that requires a shift in mindset – for example, if you’re going from an office lease to a flexible workspace. To help prepare people for the change, explain what’s going to be different and be honest, but focus mainly on the positives.
For instance, perhaps your team will be sharing amenities such as kitchen facilities and breakout spaces with other companies. This might prove a bit daunting for some people, but explain that it’ll open up opportunities for networking and collaboration, and they can speak with other occupiers as much as they want – or not at all!
If you move into a serviced office, it’s likely that you’ll have access to some exciting new features that your team can make use of such as smart business lounges and break out areas, social and charity events and maybe even lunchtime activities such as yoga or running clubs. Again, communicating these selling points can help to motivate the team.
5. Ensure tech is sorted
Let’s face it: it’s pretty impossible to run a business without tip top tech nowadays. Make sure that tech-wise, everything is covered in advance. So, if you’re moving into a serviced office, check what services are included in your contract and if you’re organising it yourself make sure it’s in place for when you move in.
Moving office is a good time to reassess whether or not your business’ technology could do with updating or replacing. For instance, perhaps it’s time to invest in some new monitors or purchase that software you’ve had on the backburner for months.
Related articles: How To Choose The Right Office For Your Team