7 Steps to Planning an Office Relocation
Planning An Office Relocation - The 7 Step Plan to Success
An office move should be an exciting time in the life cycle of any business because, in most cases, an office relocation can help rejuvenate a company and boost both business performance and staff morale.
Every article you read on office relocations will impress upon you the need for planning and preparation - and they are right - but this 7 Step Plan To A Successful Office Relocation offers a tangible blueprint for you to follow irrespective of the size or type of your business.
- Examine Your Current Office Lease: It is critical that, before you do any office relocation planning, you fully analyse the office lease document on your current office property. When does your office lease expire? What is the mechanism and timeframe for serving notice? What liabilities and obligations will you have when you leave the property?
Action Required: Make contact with a Commercial Property Solicitor and ask them to look over your office lease and provide recommendations for your "exit strategy". - Calculate Your Future Office Space Requirements: Before you even begin looking at any other office spaces you need to consider and establish what it is that you want your new office space to "do" for your business. Factor in any plans that your business may have for the near future (try and look 5 years ahead) and realistically calculate your office space requirements - and make sure that you allow enough room for expansion so that you don't outgrow your office space before the lease term is up.
Action Required: Use the free Office Space Calculator to help work out how much office space you are going to need in your new office space. - Finding The Right New Office Space: The best practice process for finding office space is to instruct your own Commercial Property Agent to take on this key function. They are the experts in your local market and will be able to secure you the most favourable deal possible. Do not short-cut this step - as doing so will mean that you may end up paying more rent (and signing a less flexible and punitive office lease).
Action Required: Make contact with a Commercial Property Agent that specialises in representing Tenants in your local office market. Businesses that that use Commercial Property Agents pay LESS for their office space. - Office Space Planning, Office Design and Office Furniture: Companies need to recognise that there is a clear relationship between the working environment and business performance. Close attention, therefore, needs to be paid to designing and delivering the most efficient, usable and flexible office space. What are your plans to foster teamwork and collaboration in your new office space? What style of office are you looking for? What new office furniture will you need? Paying close attention to office design and layout issues from the outset will always reap rewards throughout the course of your tenancy in the new office.
Action Required: Have a conversation with an Office Design & Fit-Out company to discuss any issue relating to your office interiors. - Planning the IT Relocation: What’s your plan to safely and securely migrate your IT and Communications infrastructure from one office to another? Do you have an IT Relocation Checklist to follow? How robust is it? Have your IT staff ever been involved with an IT relocation before? Are you wanting to keep your current phone numbers when you move office? Do you know the lead times involved with moving all communications systems (phone lines are notoriously slow)? Do you have a back-up plan? Are you wanting to use your existing equipment and systems at your new office or would it be cheaper and more efficient to get new systems (it often is)?
Action Required: Use this proven IT Relocation Checklist to ensure everything is fully working on that all-important first day in the new office – and make contact with IT Relocation Experts to provide additional assistance and expertise. - Organising the Physical Office Move: As soon as you know your target office move date you need to start planning for your office removals (ideally this should begin about 8 weeks prior to your move date ). You must get 3 office removals quotes – and these need to come from companies that specialise in office moves (as opposed to household moves).
Action Required: Get 3 office removals quotes from specialist office removals companies. - Focus on Reducing Your Office Occupancy Costs: Just because you’ve moved office doesn’t mean you can stop there! The final part to a successful office relocation is to now run the most efficient and cost-effective office possible. Savvy companies recognise the fact that their office relocation can provide them with the opportunity of driving down their office occupancy costs by reviewing all areas of costs. The 3 most common areas where quick and simple savings can be made are to: (1) renegotiate business rates; (2) switch business utility providers; and (3) review your office cleaning company.
Action Required: Use your office move as a trigger for renewing and/or switching service and supplier contracts on favourable terms.
HelpMovingOffice is the free resource dedicated to guiding companies through an office relocation. The website guides companies through the entire office relocation process and gives them the information needed to make the right decisions at the right time. They show you what needs to be done and how to do it - and also put you in direct contact with the right companies for each important step of an office relocation.
Planning an office move? Go the office relocation planning resource centre
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With over 20 guides, checklists, tools & calculators the Resource Centre has everything you need to plan, organise & manage a successful office move.
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Office Relocation Directory
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