Office Furniture Installation Blog

Every workplace has at least one, but usually a handful of them: folks who don’t think twice about lending a hand in the literal sense, because they’re fit, healthy, strong, and probably have a few marathons -- or perhaps several Pilates classes -- under their belt.

And so naturally, when it’s time for your business move, these people are more than willing to haul heavy furniture, trek up and down flights of stairs with loaded boxes, and so on. Well, before you allow these well-intentioned team members to become voluntary business movers, we ask you to keep a simple, single rule in mind: DON’T.

With over 30 years of helping businesses move from point A to point B (and sometimes points C, D and E as well), we think it’s fair to call ourselves “insiders”. We’ve seen every scenario imaginable – and a few that weren’t all that imaginable, and as such required some very quick thinking and incredible teamwork.

And based on our experience, insight and relationships with thousands of clients over the years – from small businesses to large enterprises and everything in between – here’s our list of the 5 “insider secrets” of a successful office relocation:

Life is full of little – and sometimes big – warning signs that give us a chance to avert disaster or, if we unwisely and regrettably choose to ignore the message, lunge head-first into disaster. Ever had a car warning light come on and ignore it? Then you know what I’m getting at.
Well in the same light, there are some clear signs that you’re headed for a business move disaster – one that will likely end up wasting thousands of dollars, weeks of time, and might even put you on the wrong end of a lawsuit (which according to most seasoned attorneys is either end).

Here are the 3 signs that business move is on the way to becoming a horror story:

As you may know from prior experience – hopefully positive, but perhaps negative -- a successful office relocation isn’t just about adhering to schedules and budgets. You also need to ensure that you minimize employee downtime, since every hour that your people can’t be productive means money down the drain.

Fortunately, there are steps and strategies you can focus on well ahead of moving day that will reduce – or better yet, eliminate – employee downtime during and immediately after your office relocation. Here’s what to keep in mind:

There are many key benefits of a business move, including reducing overhead costs, improving efficiency, getting closer to customers or suppliers, improving brand and image, and the list goes on

However, there is another important – yet often overlooked – advantage of a business move that should certainly be part of the plan: how to make the office more collaborative. Below, we highlight 4 ways to achieve this goal:

One of the most important pieces of your office move puzzle is a communication plan. And while this plan obviously needs to cover how you’ll spread the word to customers, vendors, suppliers, couriers and other external stakeholders, be sure to include your employees as well – especially since the change can trigger anxiety and worry.

To avoid this negativity from affecting your team and unfolding in your organization, here are 5 best practices for communicating an office move to employees:

As you prepare for an office relocation, you’ll certainly tap into the expertise and experience of your business moving company. However, you can also benefit from other resources and tools that can help ensure that your experience is straightforward, successful and stress-free. Here are 7 suggestions to put you on the right track: 

1. The Precision Blog

As you may know, we regularly share tips, advice, best practices, do’s and don’ts, and more. Unlike a lot of other office relocation companies, we don’t feel that our blog should be a non-stop advertising channel. After all, it’s about you and your needs – not about us and ours!

66% percent is a great number when looking at year-over-year growth, or the number of prospects in a sales pipeline that are converting into happy, loyal and profitable customers.

Unfortunately however, 66% is anything but a great number – in fact, it’s on the horrifying side -- when the discussion turns to the proportion of employees tasked with managing an office relocation who end up quitting or getting fired within six months of the move. And yet, as reported by the Facilities Management Journal, that’s exactly what research by the International Facility Management Association has discovered!

As noted by Entrepreneur.com, the five most common reasons for a business move include:

• labor and workforce issues
• entering new markets
• upgrading facilities and/or equipment
• reducing costs and/or increasing cash flow
• improving quality of life

If your business is seriously considering an office relocation – or you’ve already decided to make a move – then your reasons and motivations are probably reflected (at least partially) in the list above. 

If you have an office relocation on the horizon, it’s a safe bet that you’ve either focused on – or will soon focus on – issues like space utilization, workflow efficiency, and other layout-related elements and factors. Indeed, unlike a residential move, an office relocation is less about preferences (although these do play a role), and more about functionality.

However, there’s another key piece of the office relocation puzzle that you may have overlooked – not due to neglect, but because it’s less apparent than other considerations like those noted above. Yet, according to INC Magazine, it’s an essential part of a successful and growing business: collaboration.