Category: Commercial Relocation

What to Look for in a Commercial Mover

Posted on March 8, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation

After making the difficult decision to move your business to a new office, you have to find the best company to help get your there. There are a lot of moving companies out there, and not all offer the same services and provide the same quality of move. When you’re choosing your perfect moving company be sure to consider the following must haves in a moving company.

   Insurance

Finding a moving company that is insured is very important. You’ll want to make sure your moving company insures your equipment for a range of possible risks during transit or while in storage. This protection will give you peace of mind during relocation.

Estimate Cost

Hidden fees and tacked on costs are common occurrences when dealing with some moving companies. Find a company that lists all costs and be sure to inquire if packing, cleaning, and supplies are included in the estimate. Some companies like The Quality Group operate on a not-to-exceed pricing basis and build every step into their move plan when estimating a relocation. This prevents you from incurring unexpected costs and going over your budget.

Employees

The employees at a moving company will be the key to a good or bad move. Hire a moving company that staffs in-house personnel. In-house employees are more invested in their job than subcontracted employees and will take more care of your furniture and equipment when packing and moving it on and off the truck. Hiring a company that invests in their employees will result in a better moving experience for you.

 

Equipment Care

The proper care of your computer equipment, electronic devices, and data wiring structure is essential during a move. These items are often easily broken and damaged due to their make-up. Finding a moving company that has experience moving sensitive equipment is essential, as it requires extra attention. Look for a company with the necessary experience and packaging supplies to safely relocate your equipment. If you have specific instructions for the care of certain equipment, call a moving company like The Quality Group who listens and adheres to special requests.

Service 

If you are looking for a minimal-involvement moving experience then you’ll need to find a moving company that offers a full-service move. The Quality Group offers a start to finish moving experience that includes the planning, managing, and execution of your move so the only thing you have to focus on is your business. Find a company that helps you through every step of the moving process, even the cleanup of your old office.

 

Picking the right relocation company for you and your office doesn’t have to be a hard decision when you know what to look for. One that is worth their salt will help you through every step of the moving process to ensure your move is worry free. Your new office is not far off so consider each must have and choose your perfect moving company.

Will You Move My Small Office?

Posted on March 1, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation

Your business is unique. It has carefully picked and appreciated employees, special equipment you’ve invested in for optimal performance, and extra items that show who you are as a business and express your personality. You’ve put a lot of effort into building your small business and now that it’s time to pick up and move elsewhere, you want someone who will show the same dedication to your relocation as you do to your customers.

That’s where the Quality Group comes in, because no matter how small your office is, they commit to your move 100 percent.

A Quality Move

The Quality Group dedicates itself to providing a superior relocation experience every time no matter the size of the move. That means it follows the same procedure for every move and dedicates all their resources to you when the move day comes. Your small business gets the same dedicated teams as other businesses including the origin team, the destination team, and the driving team.

We help small businesses move with little down time.Quick Turn Around

We know your small business can’t be out of operation for long because of the time sensitive work you do. We offer a quick turnaround so you are up and running again without noticeable downtime. With our three dedicated teams that are each assigned their own station, each move is executed efficiently. The Quality Group ensures that you’ll never be left waiting for the movers to arrive.

Specialty Focused

We understand that as a small business you may have specific limitations or special equipment that needs extra care during a move. With our commitment to you, we will find a solution for every concern by fulfilling special requests and committing 100 percent of our attention and resources to your small business. We have experience moving all kinds of equipment, from hospital technology to regular computers and can meet the required care your equipment needs. We also have worked within varied timelines and can work out one for your specific needs.

No Cost SurprisesThe Quality Group gives small businesses upfront quotes so there are no surprises.

Sometimes as a small business you have to be price conscious, and The Quality Group understands that, which is why we operate on a not-to-exceed pricing basis. That means you’ll never be surprised by hidden or unexpected fees. The cost of your move will never exceed your quote so you can be confident that your move is affordable.

As a small business that provides unique services in a personal manner, you deserve the full attention of a moving company when you are ready to relocate. Experience that dedication with The Quality Group today, and let us help you move to your new office.

Data Backup During a Move or Company Relocation

Posted on February 23, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation

For any modern company, an important part of office relocation is ensuring that you have secure and up-to-date backup for your data. Studies have shown that 60 percent of companies that lose their data are out of business within 6 months and a full 90 percent are out of business within two years of a total data loss.  It’s easy for data to suffer loss or damage during a move, so it’s important to take preventative measures by having a data backup in place to minimize risk, and ensure that your data is protected during the moving process.

There are different options for you to consider when deciding on how to keep a backup of your data. Consider both options and choose the best for your company, or use both for extra protection.

Having your crucial data backed up before a move or relocation is a must.

Quality Group can store your data off site.

Storing Your Data Off Site

Keeping it away from the move is a great option. You should ask your internet service provider if they can recommend a good data storage center.

 

 

 

Using the Cloud to Store Data Store your data in the cloud.

The Cloud is a popular and inexpensive storage facility often used by companies. It’s also easy to restore, and can be automatically updated from any location with internet access.

After you choose how you will back up your data, you will need to plan further. These plans will likely feature an IT Test, and planning for any accidents.

IT Test

When you are organizing your relocation, include a test plan to make sure all your critical equipment is working correctly and to check that nothing has been damaged in the move. This needs to be done when everything is on site, and before your staff arrives, to minimize disruption.

Planning for Accidents

Having a plan set in case of disaster is important as well. Any modern business is extremely dependent on equipment and phones so it is important that they’re working. Failing to have a workable backup plan could cause your business to suffer.

Planning and executing these different steps will take different amounts of time, depending on individual business. Taking these essential steps allows you to make your move much smoother.

Pick a moving company with experience in moving data infrastructure.

Whether you have a back up plan in place or not, it is vitally important that you chose a company who has vast experience in moving data infrastructure. This doesn’t just mean a company like the Quality Group, who is insured but also one who can minimize down time in addition to data loss. When you are ready to move into your new office it’s important that data is not only kept safe but also that you have no operational down time.

If you would like to find out more about how the Quality Group goes above and beyond to protect your data, please give us a call today.

The Last Day in Your Old Office After Moving

Posted on February 16, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

The movers have come and packed all the office equipment up, moved it to the new location and arranged it all in the new building. All your employees are hard at work in the new place and you are eager to be in the new building hard at work as well. The problem is you still need to finish up a few more things at the old place before you can be officially moved into your new office.

To cut ties with your old office building forever, there are a few requirements you’ll need to complete.

Clean

Clean your office when moving will prevent extra chargesWhether you are renting or selling your old office building, cleaning after you move is a must. This means, vacuuming, wiping down the walls, cleaning the restrooms and fixing any damage. Cleaning up will prevent the landlord from having to charge you to purchase the services after you leave. Or if you own the building, it will prevent the new owners from reducing the buying price due to the condition of the office. You can opt to clean the office yourself or hire a professional cleaning service that will clean for you. With proper planning, The Quality Group can offer this service to you as part of their moving services.

Stop Utilities

Another step to complete before you are officially done with the old office is to stop all utilities flowing to that building. Sometimes this will mean talking to your landlord to make sure you are no longer being billed for the utilities, and other times it means contacting your utility provider and switching it to the new location. In either case, you need to make sure you won’t be paying for utilities you aren’t using.

Turn in Your Key

Turn your key in after you move everything out of your officeAfter you clean everything and make sure you aren’t paying for utilities for the old office, you’ll need to turn in your key. Holding on to the old office key after you move will benefit no one, so when all tasks are complete, turn it over to the landlord or new owners. This will help you avoid further rent charges or allow the new owners to start moving into their new office.

Moving is a big process, but you need to make sure everything is taken care of, and that includes your old office building. Making sure it is ready for the next tenants is important in avoiding further complications. After everything is complete however, you’ll be ready to enjoy your new office worry free.

Keeping Your Business Going During a Move

Posted on February 2, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

Moving is a hectic and stressful time for your business. On top of everything being shifted, packed and moved, you have to keep your clients happy and operations running. It can be hard to keep everything going normally when such a big disrupter is in your midst. It is possible however, to keep your business functioning during a move with some due diligence and some helpful tips.

Plan

Planning is the most important thing for your move. Research on what you’ll need to do leading up to the move, during the move, and right after the move to get settled is a must. While planning won’t cover everything, it will help things run a lot smoother. Start planning as early as possible so you and your employees can organize the work that needs doing with the move in mind. Stay on track and try to get as much work done as you can before the move so you have less to worry about.

Assign Responsibilities and Communicate

Moving is a hectic time so it’s a good idea to assign defined responsibilities to each employee so everything is covered. Assigning who does what will ensure the tasks that aren’t a part of the everyday schedule get done. With the chaos of a move, it’s also important to keep in touch and communicate more frequently. Moving is a stressful situation so having regular meetings will help ease concerns and keep everyone in the know so they can make informed decisions.

Schedule for the Weekend or Slow Days

There is no avoiding a little bit of disruption in the workflow during a move, but you can minimize it by moving in your off season. Also, try to move either on the weekend or on a typically slow day. Moving during a time when you’re not busy will prevent your employees from having to disrupt a big project. It will also keep their stress level down and lessen the impact for clients.

Hire Professional Movers

Professional movers will reduce your stress by making sure everything is moved correctlyThe best thing to keep your business moving as it should during relocation, is to hire a professional moving company. Hiring a moving company will allow your employees to focus on what is most important: their work. Professional movers will take the stress of moving off of you and your employees and move everything for you. If you hire a moving company like The Quality Group, then they’ll set up everything in your new office as well, so you can jump right back into work. Professional movers will take the stress of moving off of your business so you can focus on just your business.

Maintaining your workflow during a move can be a challenge but it’s definitely not impossible. Remember to plan, communicate and schedule for slow times when moving and to make it a seamless transition, call The Quality Group. We’d love to help you move with no noticeable down time.

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.

Should I Hire a Moving Company or Move Myself?

Posted on January 19, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation

In this increasing do-it-yourself world, moving your office someplace new by yourself might seem like the perfect solution. You’ll save money, make sure everything is packed the way you want it to be, and stick to the schedule you’ve planned, right?  Think again.  There are many things that can go wrong during a move and you’re probably not equipped to handle some of those things the way professional movers are.

Hiring a professional moving company can prevent many headaches and strains, not to mention stress.

 

Cost and Time Organization

Professional movers organize your costsMoving by yourself doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll save time or money. It just means the costs will be spread out through different pieces of the process and that you have to schedule everything yourself. You’ll have to keep track of all those different pieces to ensure a smooth move. Scheduling and paying for the daily use of the moving van, moving within a set time frame and paying for the gas to do it, securing the packing supplies on time, paying for the insurance and managing any unexpected surprises can be overwhelming. A moving company will wrap all your costs together with a custom quote and simplify your list of things to worry about with a comprehensive schedule.  

 

Heavy Lifting

Professional movers have know how to pack everything securely Making the decision to move by yourself also means you’re making the decision to pack and load everything up as well.  Getting the right equipment and enough people to help you move can be a hassle in and of itself. Moving all your computer equipment safely and maneuvering all your furniture without damaging your walls can be nearly impossible by yourself. A professional moving company has done this thousands of times though, the experienced movers know exactly how to turn your desk to fit it through doorways, and on the first try too.  All computers will be packed securely as well, so you won’t have to worry about remembering which way the screen should face to avoid breaking it.

 

Security   

Professional movers are prepared for emergencies Do you have a plan in case there is an emergency during your move, for instance are you prepared if you drop your equipment and it breaks or the moving truck breaks down during the move? Things happen on moves that you weren’t planning for and if you don’t know how to handle the problem then your whole schedule might be altered and your business operations stopped. Professional movers however, are insured for your equipment and have extra trucks in case the first one does break down. A moving company takes into account all manner of possible incidents and plans for the worst so you can have peace of mind knowing that your office equipment will arrive in tact and on time.

 

A professional moving company can make your move smooth and seamless and relieve you of a lot of undue stress. When searching for moving companies, consider The Quality Group’s specialized team. As a full-service moving company, they will have you set up and in your new office with no down time at all, plus you won’t have to worry about anything but your business.

The Quality Group Takes Care of Your Furniture Needs

Posted on January 12, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation, Office Furniture

Here at The Quality Group, we take care of your furniture during your move, no matter what stage of its life cycle it’s in.  We make sure all your furniture needs are taken care of so there is no extra work for you.

Recycle

We donate unwanted furniture You’ve taken a look around the office and noticed that your furniture is not what it used to be. It has some scuffs and scrapes, it’s a little out of date and not all of it even matches anymore.  With the move coming up, you decide to throw out the old and bring in the new. The problem is you don’t know what to do with the old. The Quality Group however, knows exactly what to do with your old furniture and they will even do it for you.

When your office moving date arrives, The Quality Group will take the furniture you no longer want and donate it to Habitat for Humanity, on your company’s behalf. You get to free up your space for new furniture without extra work, and Habitat for Humanity gets to use your old furniture for a good cause.

Store

It’s come to your attention that you don’t quite know where to put some of the office furniture in the new office. The new office has a different layout and while you’ve discussed where it can go, you’re still not quite convinced. You don’t want to put it there yet and you don’t want to get rid of it yet either.  Not to worry, during your dilemma, The Quality Group can store your furniture until you are ready to make a decision. Once you’ve decided, just let The Quality Group know and they will help you carry the decision out.

Sell furniture

We sell you furniture perfect for your new officeYour company doesn’t have any furniture for the new office you are moving into because of the different space requirements.  You can’t have your clients sit on cardboard boxes when they come to visit and you can’t expect your employees to sit on them either.

If your new office is going to be looking bare, then let The Quality Group know during your move. They will consult with you about your furniture needs and make suggestions from their assortment of office furniture that they sell. They will ensure that everyone in the office is happy and comfortable with the new furniture.

Furniture is one of the biggest things to worry about during a move, whether you are getting rid of it, keeping it or even if you are unsure about what to do with it. Whichever stage you find yourself in with your furniture during your move, The Quality Group is happy to help.

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.