Category: Moving Preparation

HR Communication During a Company Move

Posted on April 19, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

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HR Can Help You Through a Company Move.

As the HR manager, during a move, your focus is on the staff. Your efforts will go toward giving the staff the right information for the move and making sure they maintain a positive mindset. Check out these tips to be an effective HR manager during your company’s move and ease the staff’s minds into the new office.

Know Why You are Moving

The initial news of the move will be shocking to your staff. Some of the employees may be anxious and some will be excited. Knowing why you are you moving and being able to illustrate this when people come to ask will be key. Conveying the vision behind the move will help ease minds.

Offer Support Channels

Be a part of the planning and communication from the start so you know what is going on and when it will be happening. Knowing each step of the plan will allow you to answer any questions that come your way from confused staff. Be sure to give staff multiple channels to voice their concerns and questions, whether it’s through social media, email, an online forum, or in person.

Map out the new office as part of your HR tasks. Map it Out

Providing maps to staff and clients will be essential to avoiding frustration after the move. Let them know visually and directionally where the new office is and how they can get there. Providing a map of the new office’s layout will also be helpful for staff.

Train Staff

New equipment may come with the new office and may require training to ensure proper use. Schedule out some training time for the new equipment.

Stay Positive

Rumors and bitter feelings may be swirling around the office due to the upcoming change. Staying positive with the vision of the new location and what it means will help dispel negativity. Keep staff updated on news so misinformation is not spread and the move is successful.

As the HR manager, you should plan a celebration after the move. Celebrate

Moving your office to a new location can be stressful so remember to celebrate after the successful move. Celebrating will get your office started with a positive attitude and help people get used to the new place.

Ask for Feedback

Including staff in the move so they know their opinion matters to the company is important. Get feedback from them after the move on what can make the new office more comfortable. In a new place, feeling comfortable can go a long way.

Communicating the right information during the move will benefit everyone and relieve loads of stress. As the HR manager, you can help be a positive influence during your company’s move into a new office.

 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a New Office

Posted on March 22, 2016 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

Anyone who has ever moved knows and understands that a lot goes into choosing a new office. There are a lot of factors to consider in a certain time limit and because there is so much to do it’s easy to make mistakes. Below is a list of the most common ones that people make when choosing a new office and tips on how to avoid making them.

Underestimating Time

If your business doesn’t account for enough time when choosing an office space, you will be forced into choosing something that may not be best for you. Looking for a space and negotiating an office lease time can take a while. If you know you want to move to a new office you should begin the search 6-12 months in advance of your current lease’s expiration date, and maybe even more if your office is larger than 2500 sq. ft. as your space requirements are more likely harder to meet.

Not Considering Future Growth

Failing to factor in future growth of your company may result in your business outgrowing the office before the lease’s due expiration date. This results in staff feeling cramped and unmotivated, and not being able to get any work done. Future growth should be taken into consideration when choosing a new office. It never hurts to have a little extra space or a couple of extra rooms in your office because that space may come handy later on.

Paying the Stated Price and Not Negotiating

All lease terms are negotiable. Settling for the landlord’s initial negotiations will only ensure that they are getting the most bang for their buck, and it will prevent you from looking after your own needs and interests. Be sure to negotiate the terms that your landlord proposes to ensure you are getting what you need in the new office.

Not Having Legal Representation

A real estate lawyer reviews office spaces for their career. When reviewing the terms of your lease it’s beneficial to have a real estate lawyer on your side to review the lease with you. If you were to review the lease and make a mistake the consequences could come back and hurt you down the line. Make sure you have a real estate lawyer that is looking out for you and who will help prevent this from happening.

Choosing the right office space is imperative to ensuring your business is successful. Follow our tips above in order to avoid the most common mistakes made when choosing a new office space. Doing so will benefit you and your business.

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.

Get a Quick Easy Office Moving Checklist

Posted on February 9, 2016 by - Moving Preparation

During a move, ask your employees to label their itemsWhen you’re faced with the stress of moving your office, it can be easy to forget some of the simpler details. Having an office moving checklist will prevent this from happening. It will also ensure that everything is done in the correct order.

Take the time before your move to make sure the following commonly forgotten steps are completed:

  • Drain out all equipment that holds liquids to avoid leakage. For items such as copiers and faxes that use liquid ink, be sure to take extra precautions to safely transport them and any open cartridges.
  • Empty out all of your desks before moving. Arrange for your staff members to pack and label their belongings.
  • Ask your professional moving company to pack paintings, pictures, bulletin boards, etc., with their fixtures so you can easily hang them up in your new office.
  • When you move, alert your cleaning companyGet rid of any old stationary that is labeled with the old office address.
  • Clear out filing cabinets, or if the contents must stay in cabinet and are private, be sure that the cabinets are locked, and the keys to open them are labelled properly.
  • If your new office is separated across floors, it’s a good idea to color-code each floor’s belongings. That way, identical furniture won’t get mixed up.
  • Make sure you notify your office cleaning company of your move. You should also arrange to receive quotes from 3 office cleaning companies, for your new office cleaning contract.

Making a checklist with these steps beforehand will potentially save you some trouble and headaches later on.

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.

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.

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.