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Relocating your business is a lot more complicated than a personal move from home to home. You have employees to think about, expensive equipment to secure and a financial bottom line to consider. Here are a few areas to focus on when moving your business headquarters.
1. Clean the Clutter
Do not wait until the last minute to start packing. Once the decision has been made to relocate, planning out the physical work is just beginning. Consider developing a moving task force for each department in your company. Department managers can easily delegate different parts of the plan and report back to you about their team's progress and the inevitable setbacks involved in the move. There are going to be many decisions about what to keep and what to throw away, so it might be a good idea to check out services such as Bin There Dump That's dumpster rental prices. Also investigate document retention regulations and shred what's out of date. Costs associated with full-service moving companies are always based on overall weight. This is always a great time to recycle any of your printers, phones, PCs and furniture that you will not be taking with you and donate it to a charity of your choice. If the charity is registered, you will qualify for a tax break. Resale stores are another possible recipient of your extra tables, lamps and mini refrigerators.
2. Pack With Care
Aside from the desks and chairs, much of the equipment in your office will need specialized packing. Electronics, lab equipment, manufacturing tools and even copiers could require specialized vendors to move them. Be sure to call at least one month in advance for quotes and ask for proof of insurance, including the company's proof of workers' compensation coverage. On the last day before the move, remove all of the cables from the electronics and put them in individually labeled containers. This will ensure that the cables will not be damaged or lost during the move. To protect your data, purchase a removable hard drive or use an online service to back up all your information before you move your computers.
3. Let the Public Know
One of the first things you should do once you settle on a new location is make a public announcement through the traditional media and your website and social media platforms. Get your advertising account reps involved so they can inform their customers that the move is happening. You will also need to let the postal service know that you are moving, as well as your bank. If you are billing clients, it is important that they know where they can send their payments. Be sure that all letterhead and stationery has the new address correctly displayed. You will also need to update your listings on Google, Yelp and other review sites. And do not forget to let the government know of your move. This includes the Internal Revenue Service, your state employment office and your local Secretary of State's office.
4. Get Employees Involved
Your employees will face a huge adjustment when the decision to move is announced. Is the move across town or across the country? This will have a big impact on the number of workers that follow you to the new job site. Even if your new location is nearby, they will have to adjust to a new commute, new parking considerations, etc. If the move is across the country, you may encounter a large number of staff who decide not to make the move with you. It is important as an employer that you give your workers some say in the moving process, such as individual work spaces and orientation of furniture. If you see that several of your employees decide against moving with you, you need to be ready to mine the local workforce for replacements.
In every move, something always goes wrong. Don't sweat the small stuff. But if you have prepared your move far enough in advance, it will go smoothly.
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