Tag: moving tips

Your Office Relocation Timeline

Posted on January 26, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

An important step in relocating your office is setting up a timeline for moving. The timeline will give you a rough idea of how long each stage in the office relocation process will take, and will allow you to schedule sufficient time for both the move and your normal business operations. Without a timeline, your company may not have sufficient time to plan for the office relocation process, causing you to make rushed or uninformed decisions.

Below are the main steps of office relocation and the approximate timeframes of how long they should take you:

Finalizing the lease agreement can take around 8 weeksFinding the new office space: This stage of office relocation involves figuring out your office space requirements, finding your tenant rep broker, and viewing potential office spaces. According to the commercial real estate firm Austin Tenant Advisors, this process should take you about 2-6 weeks but can last longer depending on your market. After those steps are finished, negotiating the terms of your lease with your landlord, and finalizing office lease terms should take about 8 weeks.

 

The legal process: The legal process includes clarifying office lease terms with your real estate lawyer, ensuring you understand tenant obligations, liabilities, and that your interests are protected. This step should take about 4-8 weeks.

Plan for 4 to 8 weeks to furnish your officeSpace planning, office design, and build-out: Furnishing your new office to meet all of your requirements, takes a lot of planning. The actual build-out also takes a while. Allow about 4-8 weeks for this step in the process, and adjust for even more time in the case of larger offices.

Office moving stage: This phase is physically moving your office, and it is estimated that this will take 2-12 weeks, depending on everything you have to move, and if any improvements need to be made.

How long your office relocation actually takes depends on your resources, requirements, and individual circumstances. Having an established timeline beforehand helps ensure that the relocation stays on track, and that the process is easier for you.

New Year Moving Goals for Your Office

Posted on January 5, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation, Office Furniture

The New Year is about setting goals and making a fresh start. This year your business is making a fresh start with a move to a new office. The move is the first step in making some major changes in the way your business is run. You’ll want to make sure the changes start right in the beginning with the relocation so you can carry that momentum through the year.

Here are some New Year goals for your business you can begin working on during your move and that you can carry forward throughout the New Year.

Recycle

Recycle old office equipment Businesses burn through a lot of material, including recyclable material like paper and plastic. In addition, employees of businesses go through their own materials including water bottles, soda cans and sandwich bags. Set up a few recycle bins in the office while you start your move and recycle the materials that won’t be following you to the new location. Once you are in the new place, keep the recycle bins alive and encourage your employees to recycle their materials as well.  Your business will become more earth friendly and you will feel better about your business.

Donate

Donating unwanted office chairs

Similar to recycling, during your move you might find some equipment that you no longer use or have replaced a while back with newer versions. Instead of throwing those items out, donate it to other companies that might need it or to stores that take donated items that will resell it. Just be sure to erase any stored information on the equipment to ensure your business’ safety. Donating these items will reduce how much you have to pack from your current office and store in your new office. Supplies that are no longer being used are always appreciated any time of year.

Relieve the extra stress

Moving is a stressful job and adds more to your already huge pile of things to do. To relieve some of that stress set aside time to relax and to ensure that there is no down time in your business operations, hire a full-service moving company that will unpack everything for you.  This will help you stay calm during the move and the service will remove some of the things you have to worry about. Your employees will be able to walk inand start working Monday morning, as if nothing has changed. Setting aside time to relax during the week is a good practice to keep going throughout the year as well, you’ll feel more relaxed and ready to get to work when you need to.

With the New Year here and your business starting fresh in a new place, take some time to set goals for your business as well as for yourself. After all, the New Year is all about making improvements and there is always room for improvements, even in the business world.

The Team You’ll Need When Preparing for Your Commercial Move

Posted on December 29, 2015 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

An office move is a lot of work, no matter how big or small your company may be. Most businesses only move office every three to five years and therefore are not well versed in moving. Successful moving is a collaborative effort, and requires that you hire external services. Here are people you can hire that will help your move run smoothly.

Tenant Representative or Commercial Real Estate Agent

Getting to the new office with your belongings

An experienced and local tenant representative or commercial real estate agent will find the best office space that meets your needs, and negotiate the best possible deal on your behalf, which will save you money. Be sure to define who exactly will pay the representative or agent fees because the landlord will not always pay them. Having one of these however, can give you significant leverage in the leasing process.

Real Estate Lawyer

Hiring a real estate lawyer ensures that all of your interests are fully protected when negotiating and documenting the fine details of your office lease. He or she will make sure that everything you and the landlord agree upon is accurately reflected in the office lease.

Office Interior Specialists

Office interior specialists picking out colors

It’s a good idea to hire a team of office interior specialists when you find your new office. The office interior specialists will help design and build out your new office in a way that is most suitable to you and your business. This goes a long way because your company requires the office to feature everything you may need to operate at maximum productivity.

Office Moving Company

Getting all of your office’s belongings from point A to point B is of critical importance. It’s essential that not only everything get where it needs to go, but that it all arrives on time, and in one piece. A professional moving company will take care of this for you, and help you prepare by packing everything safely for the moving day.

Moving your office can be a daunting task, but these specialists will help you and all your belongings get where they need to go. With a little help, your move will be seamless and your new office will be up and running in not time.

How much space does do I need for my office?

Posted on December 22, 2015 by - Moving Preparation

When searching for a new office for your business, there are several factors that influence your decision. The size of the office, rent, and location are all things considered during the process. It’s a good idea to work out your office space requirements before you even begin to look for real estate.

Office Size

Having the right size office wilA well sized desk for an efficient office l tremendously help in running your business efficiently. Too large of a space is a misuse of capital that could be used for something else. Not having enough room may cause you to outgrow the office before the lease is up, resulting in a waste of money and time.

Business Growth Strategy and Lease

One thing you need to consider is your business growth strategy, which can be determined by looking at anticipated growth throughout the term in terms of employees, and the length of the lease you’re signing. A lease of three years or shorter will be easier to judge because it’s hard to predict where your business will be after that. Your business needs may be very different three years from now than what they currently are. Anticipated industry growth and the economic client, also need to be considered. This gives you the growth density ratio, which typically rangers from up to 175 useable square feet per person for dense, larger offices, and up to 325 square feet per person for smaller, private offices.

Required Meeting Rooms

The number and size of required meeting rooms largely contribute to the space needed. These things can be determined by the total number of employees, how many meetings you have at a given time, as well any technical requirements, such as tools necessary for video conferencing.

Determining how much space you need in your new office will help you narrow down your choices and point you in the right direction for office leases. Be sure to determine what your space requirements are before you start your search to avoid problems in the future and get the best office for your business.

Moving Your Office During the Holidays

Posted on December 15, 2015 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

The holidays bring joy and good will but it can also bring stress. Family comes to visit, stores get crowded and cold and flu season runs rampant. On top of all that, your office is being relocated and it is putting additional strain on you and your employees.

Moving offices over the holidays is never an ideal situation, but business goes on and the move ultimately needs to happen. Forming a plan will help everything run more smoothly and will be the key to a successful move. To avoid unpredicted obstacles, follow these tips and you’ll be in your new office in no time at all.

Getting ready to move while celebrating the holidaysMove during the slow week

Many people take off the week between December 25 and January 1 to travel and spend time with family and friends. That means that week will likely be a slow week for you and your company, and a great opportunity for you to move your office without losing business and creating a hectic atmosphere for you and your employees.

Plan with the holiday in mind

Those few important days that are especially important are the ones that you don’t want to miss out on because of an appointment with the movers.  Start planning the move early so you get the dates you want with the moving company. Then set up an organized day-by-day plan of everything that needs to be accomplished and stick to it.

Tell your clients about the move

Calling and telling the customer about the moveAnnounce to your clients that you will be relocating to a new office. Tell them when you will be officially up and running in the new place so they don’t go searching for you at the previous office. It is also important that you let them know if there will be any downtime on your end while moving so they can plan accordingly to minimize the effects. You can even incorporate the announcement of your move into your company holiday card to give it a festive touch.

Moving during the holidays may not be an ideal situation, but it doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience. Take the time to plan out the best plan for you and your company for a smooth transition and remember to take time to relax and enjoy the holidays.

Tips for Your Onsite Office Relocation

Posted on October 27, 2015 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

 

Office buildingA new building in your office complex just opened up, and it’s going to be your offices’ new home base. You’re excited about this new venture for your business, and mostly because it’s not a far move. You’re moving right around the corner. You don’t even need a car to go from your old location to your new location.

You might think you can plan the week of for this move because it is short and quick. But, the risks are great when you decide to wait until the last minute. We want to make sure you know that it’s not as quick and easy as you think. So, to save you from stress and any problems, we’re going to give you some tips.

First things first. As soon as your company is officially moving to the new location, begin planning your move logistics. The biggest mistake you can make is to leave planning your move to the last minute. Just because your office building is next door does not mean that it takes less planning. You’re still going to have to move all of the stuff that occupies your current office, into your new one. And although you’re not going far, it still has to be moved.

You might want to have your employees just move their own stuff because of how close your new office is. You may even think that commercial moving companies don’t do moves like this because it won’t require a truck. Well, you may want to re-think that decision. Commercial moving companies, like The Quality Group, will move your business no matter how close you are to your previous location.

Office space with IT equipmentWe suggest a commercial relocation company for many reasons. One, so that you’re not stressed out planning the move yourself, and two, so that none of your equipment gets lost or broken in the process of the move. Believe us, it’s worth the time and effort spent researching for a quality commercial moving company so that you don’t incur any unexpected business costs, or stress.

With a professional relocation company, you can ensure that your important files, IT equipment and furniture will be handled with care and securely packed so that nothing gets damaged. You may just be going around the corner, but that still leaves time for accidents to happen. The risk is too high so we do not recommend doing the move yourself.

As a commercial relocation company, office relocations are our specialty. We have office moves down to a science. We do them quickly, safely and securely so that your company loses no operational down time. If you have your employees carry their stuff around the corner, it’ll take a lot longer than you think.

So do your research on commercial relocation companies, and plan ahead for your onsite office move. You’ll be glad you did.

Work with The Quality Group

At The Quality Group, we’re your commercial relocation specialists. Founded in 1987 in New Orleans, LA, The Quality Group serves the Gulf States with comprehensive commercial moving services from move planning to furniture installation. No other company puts in the time or preparation that we do to make your move stress and hassle-free.

 

10 Tips to Keep Your Commercial Move on Track

Posted on April 20, 2015 by - Moving Preparation

Whether your company is expanding or restructuring, moving your business can be a challenge. Planning, communicating, and working with experienced movers can ensure a smooth transition and successful relocation.

Plan Your Space

Once you choose your new location, begin planning your space. With the help of a space planner or architectural firm, plan your furniture arrangement to optimize your new office for accessibility and productivity.

Establish a Move Budget

Prepare for both expected and unexpected costs during your commercial move. Click here for your budget planning guide.

Ask for a Firm Price

So there won’t be any surprises after the move. “Not-to-Exceed” pricing is a good phrase to look out for.

Put the Right Person in Charge

The ideal candidate? Someone who is very detail- oriented and has a take-charge personality.

Hire a Professional Moving Company

CoordinateWVendors

Make sure to hire a company that specializes in office relocation – call their references and ask about the on-site project team managing your relocation.

Coordinate Vendors

Bring all of your vendors together to identify the time for their part of the move and outline the move schedule.

Label Property for Location

PlanYourSpace

Removable color-coded labels will help distinguish between departments and speed up both removal and installation.

Coordinate Packing of Personnel Items

State very clearly your expectations for your employees. Do they need to pack their own things, or will the moving company take care of it? Give employees notice of their responsibilities as soon as possible, and read more about how to help your employees through the move here.

Purge before You Pack

Now is the time to reduce the things you’ve accumulated over the years, and with an electronic data plan for scanning and storage, you can communicate well in advance to your staff what is staying and going.

Finalize Your Plan

Schedule a walk-through with your office moving company to finalize details and make sure your staff is ready for the move.

Print this Helpful Guide to Keep Everyone on the Same Page during Your Commercial Move

Work with The Quality Group At The Quality Group, we’re your commercial relocation specialists. Founded in 1987 in New Orleans, LA, The Quality group serves the gulf states with comprehensive commercial moving services from move planning to furniture installation. No other company puts in the time or preparation that we do to make your move stress and hassle-free.