Businesses relocate for a wide range of reasons. Some factors for relocating a business include proximity to the workforce, adequacy of facilities, presence of customer base, and tax regulations. But regardless of a business’ considerations for changing address, one thing is sure – it is a challenging period that entails disruption, chaos, and loss of productivity.
However, you can mitigate the impacts of this transition process by having a thorough business relocation plan and following some best practices. Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts when moving your business.
Don’t delay relocation
Many businesses delay relocation until their current workplace is not anymore capable of meeting their operations. If individual workstations have become too limited that productivity, health and safety are sacrificed, you definitely need a new location. Don’t wait until your physical facilities begin to affect your revenue and growth potential.
Postponing your relocation can have an adverse impact on your business’ bottom line, such as reduced productivity, poor employee satisfaction, and loss of clients. As such, it is something you should not procrastinate on.
Do check your workspace
Regularly check your physical facility making sure that it meets your current operational needs and future growth plans. When space runs out, you can either plan to reorganize the layout or add extra space to ensure operational efficiency.
However, in many cases, moving to a space with larger floor area is the best way to meet your business’ needs. While this entails added costs, it could boost business productivity, improve worker performance, and increase revenue. As mentioned above, you don’t wait for your operations to suffer before you decide to move.
Don’t overspend
Although relocation is worthwhile business expenditure and investment, you should keep the costs to the minimum. Determine an amount that you can invest in real estate and the entire process. This is an important factor that can help you choose the most suitable location, as well as, payment arrangement, whether you are to buy or lease a new space.
Consider associated expenses such as utilities, maintenance, insurance, moving costs, and renovations. If moving to a different jurisdiction, know about the costs of setting up a business.
Do explore options
When looking for a location, be sure to look for several options. Aside from budget, some factors to take into account are the accessibility to customers and suppliers, proximity to public transport, availability of parking space, zoning issues, tax considerations, the general safety of the area, etc. When deciding, it would help to get input from your workers and clients.
Don’t forget to plan ahead
According to Toronto movers at TorexMoving, one of the most common problems they encounter with businesses is the lack of a solid relocation plan. Many businesses develop an idea but not comprehensive enough to cover all essential aspects. As a result, they encounter numerous glitches and problems during the day of the relocation.
It is crucial to develop a plan that specifies the tasks at hand, the responsible person, and the implementation timeline. Make sure everyone knows what will happen before, during and after the move. Specify the dates and communicate with every employee, customer, and supplier, so that they know what to expect and what to do. The planning process should start several months before the intended date and it should involve everyone.
Appoint a project leader who will oversee the relocation, making sure that nothing is missed out. Each department should also have a point person so that everyone is aware of what’s happening and what to expect. There should also be a transition team whose role is to ensure smooth operations during the relocation. They help see to it that service delivery and productivity are not affected even with such major change.
Do hire professionals
An important part of the planning process is hiring movers and cleaners. These are experts in this field and they can guide you through the transition process. Although your employees can help with minor relocation tasks, professional movers are well-equipped, trained, and experienced in handling commercial relocations. Necessary insurance policies also cover them; hence, you don’t have to worry about any liabilities.
Aside from ensuring your stuff are properly packed, carefully handled, and safely transported, reputable moving companies can help you in every step – from planning down to actual moving day. Do practice due diligence when looking for a provider and research the best companies in your area.
Don’t relocate on a single day
If you have a massive inventory or a one-off deal would stall your operations, you should consider a staggering move. When you relocate in tranches, you can maintain both locations without actually hurting productivity. This helps minimize the impact of the relocation on the workflow.
If you are embarking on a staggered relocation, you should have more thorough planning. You will also need sets of transition teams to ensure that everything runs smoothly without a hitch.
Take note that transitions don’t happen overnight, especially with large companies. Be patient as it can take longer than expected. But once everything has settled, the operations will get back to normal like nothing happened.
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