Office Moving Mistakes: Major Don’ts To Avoid

If you’re starting out a completely new business venture, expanding your current organization, or switching locations to better serve your company, it’s likely that you’ll need moving help. Moving can be extremely complex in any circumstance, but businesses have additional considerations many homeowners do not. That’s why so many companies will hire commercial movers to help ensure moving day goes off without a hitch. But in addition to hiring office movers, you’ll also need to avoid making the following mistakes leading up to your move.

When You Move Offices, Don’t…

• Fail to make a moving budget
  Simply put, a move can be quite costly — especially if you aren’t paying close enough attention. As with any other task related to your business, it’s important that you stay on budget to ensure you aren’t spending more than you can feasibly afford. Otherwise, you may end up paying for services you don’t need or for costs that could have been avoided. For instance, you may think you’ll save money by having your employees handle the move themselves, but you could end up paying a lot more in overtime costs, lost productivity, and potential worker’s compensation claims (should someone get hurt during the process) than you’d pay commercial movers. Work with your financial department to create a comprehensive budget before paying for any aspect of your impending move.
• Forget to empty out desks
  When it comes to moving office equipment, you should empty out most furnishings. The lone exception is a vertical filing cabinet, which can usually be moved with documents inside. Desks, drawers, shelves, bookcases, and other storage containers should be emptied out prior to moving. Not only will this keep important files from getting lost, but it will also lighten the load for your commercial movers (which can subsequently save you time and money).
• Neglect to measure furniture
  You might not have any plans to change your office decor when you move into your new location. However, space restrictions might derail your plans. Be sure to measure all furniture (including desks, chairs, appliances, copiers and other large technology, and any other substantial pieces) before you actually move it to your new office. That way, you’ll know beforehand whether or not something will fit. If you find there are pieces you cannot use, you can sell them, donate them, or rent a storage unit to keep them safe for the future. This will ensure you won’t have to pay extra to move them and then end up not being able to use them.
• Leave it to the last minute
  Failing to plan ahead can be a huge error in any move, whether it’s commercial or residential. Not only can scrambling to pack be extremely stressful, but forgetting to take care of important details could have massive consequences. Forget to submit your change of address 14 days before your move, for instance, and your mail (and business or personal info) could fall into the wrong hands. Your employees will also deal with unnecessary anxiety trying to ready your business to change locations, which can have a big impact on your daily operations. Finally, you may not be able to find an office moving service available to help you — and that could throw a real wrench in your plans. By planning well ahead of time, you’ll gain valuable peace of mind and will ensure everything goes smoothly.

Moving offices can be hectic, but there are things you can do to make it less so. By avoiding these mistakes, you can streamline the process and plan ahead for unexpected situations. And of course, hiring local commercial movers will further eliminate stress and ensure everything goes smoothly.