How to Plan a Corporate Move
Moving from one home to another is considered to be among life’s top five biggest stressors. And, while moving office buildings doesn’t involve things like switching your children’s schools or dealing with the changes in your daily routine while all your clothes and kitchen supplies are packed away, a corporate move can also be incredibly stressful, especially if you are the one responsible for planning it.
The best way to ensure a corporate move goes smoothly and is as headache-free as possible? Proper preparation. We’ve moved hundred of businesses (and even factories!) — here’s what we’ve learned in the process.
1. Start early. There’s no such thing as being too prepared for a corporate move. If you sign a lease for a new office six months from now, now is the time to start preparing for the move. It’s never too early to book a moving service for a corporate move, since they are often all-day or multi-day affairs, requiring more than one or two trucks.
2. Make a list. The first thing to do when you plan a corporate move is to make a list of everything that needs to happen to get from point A to point B. No detail is too small. Then, divide these tasks up into a timeline. What needs to happen a year out? What needs to happen two weeks before the move? Include everything from hiring a moving company, to deciding which office supplies and equipment will be making the move, to arranging use of the building’s elevators on move day (or days).
3. Delegate. Whether you’re moving 20 people to a new office or 2,000, having a few designated helping hands will go a long way. Arrange a meeting with department managers to fill them in on the timeline and process for the move, and leave it to each manager to relay the necessary information to their teams.
4. Lay out the new space. Assigning each department an area of the new office–or even assigning each employee a specific desk in the new space–will be immensely helpful on move day. Distribute a map or diagram of the new space with each area clearly labeled to both employees and your moving service. Not only will employees know exactly where they’re supposed to head, but movers will know which boxes go where.
5. Label everything clearly. The easiest way to have employees pack up their things for a move is to provide everyone with a standard box or bin a few days beforehand. Have employees pack their things, clearly mark their box with their name and department, seal it up, and leave it by their desk on the day of the move. Anything that doesn’t fit into the standard box size should be up to the employee to take home and bring with them to the new office. The same should go with any computers or equipment being moved by each department. Label anything being moved with the person’s name and department.
Need more help with your corporate move? Contact American Movers. Our team of experts is happy to walk you through the entire moving process, and offer tips and suggestions for making the event go as smoothly and stress-free as possible. We manage corporate moves in New York City and the surrounding areas, as well as throughout New Jersey, Long Island, and Connecticut.
