An office relocation may be due to practical circumstances, such as a lease expiry or outgrowing your current location. Moving office can become an exciting opportunity to innovate your brand, renew business, and lift staff morale and productivity.
Upping sticks and moving your whole operation may seem like a daunting prospect, but as with anything in business, a strategic plan in line with your objectives is key to a streamlined process. These tips will help you plan a strategy to inspire your team and minimise disruption:
1. Choose a project leader
A successful office relocation requires a large amount of time and effort. Find the perfect fit with one dedicated individual who fully understands your company’s vision and brief, with the skills to communicate, organise and delegate.
2. Develop your brief
Clarify your objectives for the move, as they will guide your new workplace design and strategy. Whether you are expanding, merging, consolidating or rebranding, your brief should be tailored to your financial and operational objectives every step of the way. This will maximise the benefits of your office relocation.
3. Define a realistic budget
Moving office is a significant investment, and you should set aside a portion of your budget to reflect this. A good guideline is to budget a year’s rent towards office fit out costs. Use a ‘relocation checklist’ to outline your major areas of potential expenditure and draw up a detailed budget for the project.
4. Establish a clear timescale
Planning 12 months in advance for a 10,000 square foot project, plus or minus 6 months per 5000 square foot will provide optimum planning time. Your ‘relocation checklist’ will help you stick to your timescale for each stage of the process, and avoid unnecessary costs.
5. Identify space requirements
You want your new office to optimise space and provide tangible benefits. Start with identifying your key spaces – 2019 is set to see the continued growth of agile work environments, so be sure to work this into your plan. Consider undertaking a workplace consultancy with an external team to establish the most efficient strategy.
6. Choose your furniture and fittings
Is it time to take the plunge and revamp all your old furniture to support your innovative new look? Or are your existing pieces an integral part of your day to day activities? It can often be more cost effective and time efficient to buy new furniture.
7. Minimise digital disruption
Remember the day your office lost internet connection, the sea of lost faces and all work ground to a halt? If you have not coordinated your telecommunications and broadband relocation in advance, you could find yourself in this situation for weeks.
8. Include your employees
We spend 1842 hours a year at work; the office is a large part of our lives, and relocating your work space can cause uncertainty and unsettle employees. Keep everyone in the loop throughout the process, and prepare an orientation booklet for employees.
9. Communicate with clients
A change of address will impact clients too. Remember to inform all clients of a change in address and phone number. This is a great opportunity to reach out to your clients and remind them of the useful service you provided them, and that you value your relationship.
10. Record and review your space
Once you move in, check the space matches up to your specifications and there are no faults. Rectify any problems in the building in the beginning and avoid any potentially costly surprises further down the line. When choosing an office design company, look for a firm with a trusted aftercare team.