If you are planning on moving offices there are plenty of things to consider. Before doing anything, consider the following questions:
- Why are you moving?
- Where is the best location for your business?
- What is your budget?
- When do you want to move?
- Have you checked your break clause if you have one?
Take your time to find the right property – rushing into a decision could give you unnecessary costs in the long-run. When negotiating leases and checking conditions, you should also ask for professional advice at the start – this will help you get the best solution for your business.
Once you are definite that you want to move offices and have found the right office space (which of course we can help you with!), you then need to plan the logistics. Below are our top tips on what you need to do.
- Plan early – it’s simple, but so often we come across businesses that have left everything to the last minute. Moving premises can often mean ‘down-time’ – you want to make sure this is minimal and doesn’t impact your business so planning is essential if you’re going to get it right.
- Prepare a budget – make sure the budget is realistic and that you have the funds available from the start of the process. Ask the experts to advise you on any hidden costs that you may not have considered.
- Consider your IT – communicating with clients and their information is vital for any business. Have a plan to ensure your systems will work in your new premises and the switch over is seamless. You want to minimise the down-time as much as possible.
- Get in the moving experts – don’t make the mistake of thinking you can do everything yourself. Businesses that think they can lift crates and pack boxes into their hire van often find they are phoning removal companies last minute as they’ve run out of time and resources. Be realistic what your team can achieve and budget for the experts at the beginning.
- Communicate – have a plan to keep staff informed of the move so they can plan their work around it and feel positive towards their new location. Let your clients know in advance of your new details and keep them informed of the moving day!
Lastly – for any successful move, make sure you delegate someone to bring the cups, milk and teabags! Or at least budget for a coffee pick-up to keep staff in good spirits when they are unloading their crates to their new office space!
If you need help in searching for your commercial space, or moving offices let us know. We are operate in the North London area, including, Northwood Hills, Perivale, South Ruislip and the surrounding areas, and are experts in finding you the right property and negotiating. Call us now.