Moving an entire office can be as stressful as it sounds, especially when you have a lot of items or are relocating to a new state. Plus, the constant pressure of reducing downtime and the unmatched excitement of setting up your office at the new location can be overwhelming.
It is often quite trying for business owners and managers to move their offices. Any unexpected issue results in many local businesses delaying or canceling the move to avoid stress.
A tried-and-tested remedy to ease the stress and anxiety of moving your office is thorough planning. Whether you are moving your office for the first time or you’ve already done a few commercial moves, having a plan is a must.
Here are some essential things to remember when planning an office move in and around Los Angeles and Orange County, California.
1. Start Early
Relocating your business means moving office furniture, computer equipment, appliances, paperwork, decor, personal items, and more. Starting to prepare early gives you an edge and you can be ready to handle any problems.
According to expert office movers at WeMoveU, you should start planning the move at least 4–5 months before the final date. When you start early, you can allocate a budget and create a timeline for the move. Plus, you can prepare a backup plan in case of unforeseen circumstances.
2. Hire Professional Office Movers and Assign a Point of Contact
Hiring a professional commercial moving company eliminates half of your stress. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about packing/unpacking, provided you opt for this extra service.
When you hire a full-service Orange County or Los Angeles moving company, like WeMoveU, they will be responsible for everything, such as packing, loading, transporting, unloading, and unpacking all the equipment and furniture. They will even bring the moving and packing supplies; everything that a successful Los Angeles office move requires (read: 8 Benefits of Hiring Commercial Movers).
Partner with a moving company that understands your unique requirements and is dependable enough to count upon. Since you’ve started early, you can get quotes from multiple moving companies to find one that fits your budget and moving needs.
Finally, to prevent chaos and miscommunication, assign an employee to be the point of contact with the office moving company. The employee should be responsible for communicating with the Orange County and Los Angeles office movers, such as telling them the date of the move, the number of items to be moved, the timeframe, and other essential things that can affect the move.
Comparing different office movers can be a time-consuming task, and might be stressful as well! Fret not, at WeMoveU, we are here to help you smoothly move your office to the new location. Call us at 1-800-742-3070 for a free quote!
3. Do Something About Minimizing the Downtime
The biggest expense businesses bear during a relocation is downtime. The moving process can throw unprecedented challenges at you, which might delay the move or cause other disruptions to your operations.
Many businesses fail to think about minimizing downtime, which creates more pressure and stress during the move. Instead, consider how you can transport all necessary office equipment and which is absolutely necessary to restart your business operations at the earliest opportunity.
4. Inform Your Employees About Their Roles
While professional office movers are there to take care of the moving, your employees should be informed about their roles. It would be great to assign a leader to each team so everyone can stay on the same page.
You should prepare a detailed document to help the employees understand their duties during the move. For example, you can make one employee in charge of making sure the kitchen is packed and moved. The document should also include information about handling any special equipment, such as a list of fragile goods that should be packed and transported with extra care.
💡 Pro Tip:
Assign the employees an inventory checklist depending on their job role. For example, the IT manager will better handle the IT equipment, whereas the HR department can manage documents and employee records.
5. Create an Inventory Checklist of Each Employee’s Equipment
Making an inventory list based on the equipment each employee will handle will help you prevent any substantial losses. For instance, you can provide packing materials and direct them to box their own computer equipment ahead of time, but be sure they list everything they pack. You want to make sure it gets moved to the new space so they have what they need to start working right away.
6. Prepare All of the Paperwork That You Want to Move and Create Digital Backups
Paper is lightweight, but the problem is that it occupies a lot of space. Moreover, moving all the company documents without a plan can turn into a nightmare, as you can lose important files or sensitive information.
At the time of planning the move, prepare all the paperwork that you want to move. Rent durable moving boxes, and pack all the papers in an orderly manner. In addition, assign an employee the duty of personally handling the important paperwork to avoid losing or damaging anything in transit.
At WeMoveU, we also suggest backing up all your important documents. Creating digital backups can minimize the risk of losing essential data.
7. Ensure Everything Is Prepared for Your New Office
Finally, ensure everything is going as planned and that your belongings are prepared for the new office buildings. Pay special attention to Wi-Fi and other network-related components since you’ll need them to get your business into action at the new facility.
Let WeMoveU Help You With Moving Your Office
Moving an office is not an easy task; things can go wrong without proper planning. Besides having a foolproof plan, you need a reliable commercial moving company to assist you with everything.
At WeMoveU, our team has a reputation for providing excellent customer service and professional work. Moreover, we can even take care of packing/unpacking or moving project management so all you need to do is focus on running your business. Whether you are moving a single office within Los Angeles, CA, or an entire company across state lines, WeMoveU is the commercial moving team for you.
Call us at 1-800-742-3070 for a free quote and a customized moving plan from the best commercial movers around.
