No matter how successful your business is, there will come a time when you need to expand. That usually means finding new office space and hiring new employees to accommodate the growth. But what if you don’t want to disrupt operations by moving to a new location? Here are some tips for expanding your business without disrupting day-to-day operations:
Plan Ahead
Before you start packing your stuff, you should thoroughly plan the move. Make a list of all the things you need to do and give yourself plenty of time to do them. This way, you can avoid last-minute scrambling and make sure everything goes smoothly. You would have to assign someone to oversee the whole move. You can’t do everything yourself, so delegate tasks and make sure everyone knows what they need to do.
You should also plan with everyone what your new office layout will be. It would help if you could map out where everything will go so you can have a more efficient moving process. This is especially important for your employees. They need to know where their desks are and their responsibilities during the move, so they can hit the ground running on day one.
Label and Pack Appropriately
When you’re packing up your old office, be sure to label everything clearly. That way, you’ll know where everything goes when you’re setting up in your new space. It’ll save you time and frustration in the long run. Have your employees pack their belongings and label them with their names. As for the rest of the office, you can label boxes with the room they’re going in or what’s inside them.
It will help if you separate boxed items per room so that when you’re unpacking, you can immediately take them to the right room. That way, you won’t have to search through various boxes to find what you need. You can also color code the labels to know which items are fragile and must be handled with care. You should also invest in suitable packing materials. Get sturdy boxes and wrap fragile items carefully. The last thing you want is your things to get damaged during the move.
Move by Sections
If you can make a move over the weekend by hiring a moving company, this would be the best option as it would give you more time to set up your new office space without interrupting your weekday workflows. However, if you’re moving with the help of your employees, it would be ideal to do so within working hours and days. You can do this by following your business’ divisions. That way, someone will always be available to take care of the day-to-day operations.
For example, you have a customer service team. You can divide them into groups to ensure the continuity of operations. A few members will move first while the rest manages customer service. Then once the first batch is settled in, the rest can move as well. This will minimize disruptions and help keep your business running smoothly.
Prioritize Your Unpacking
The fastest way your employees can return to work after a move is to ensure that everything they need to work on is unpacked first. This includes desks, chairs, computers, and phones. You’ll also have to ensure that your internet is up and running. Once they have the essentials, they can start unpacking the rest at their own pace.
New Furnishings
If the reason you moved is to expand your business and accommodate more employees, you need to have new furnishings to go along with the new office space. This includes desks, chairs, and filing cabinets. Since you’ll be getting more furniture, you might want to consider their size, functionality, and style. You can get functional office desk furniture that can suit all your needs and fit your budget.
However, before you buy new items, ensure you correctly measure your new office space. You don’t want to have too much or too little furniture. You can also set them up in advance. This would also ensure that you already have some furnishings before your electronics and other supplies arrive from your old office. This would give you less to worry about and contribute to speeding up the moving process.
Moving a business can be a daunting task, but if you plan ahead and take things slow, you can minimize the disruption to your operations. You can move your office without too much stress by making necessary preparations and ensuring the smooth execution of plans.