Tag: business moving

Moving Your Office During the Holidays

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Joe DiGiovanni - 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.

Move 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

Announce 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.

Considering Moving your Office? Read this first.

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Joe DiGiovanni - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

You’ve been in your current office for quite a while. You’re comfortable there and know all the tricks to avoid the traffic to get there. Everything is set up perfectly, but lately you’ve noticed a few things that may be a problem in the future. It’s a tough decision deciding whether or not you should move to a new place, so when making that decision consider the following factors.

Your lease

Open office for lease

If your lease is expiring soon, then it’s time to review your options. Research current market conditions and look around for different pricing options. You might find something more suited to your company for a lower price and if your lease is up for renewal it will be the perfect time to make the switch. Talk to a real-estate agent who is an expert in your marketplace to help you figure out what’s available.

Square footage

Blue prints of office space

Your office is a defined space. You want your office to look full, not sparse, and definitely not overflowing. If you look around and find there are empty corners or your employees are competing for space, it might be time to look elsewhere. Make a note of rooms not being used or that are being used to serve multiple functions, then decide whether your office still meets the requirements it did when you first moved in.

Location

Better office location in the center of town

If clients are constantly asking to meet at a mid-point for appointments, you might have a problem with the location of your office. Convenience can be a major aspect that your clients consider when doing business with you, especially if your business requires a lot of face-to-face meetings. Consider the prospect of moving closer to your business partners and clients when debating a move.

Employee accommodation

Happy employees with their own work space

If you have big accounts that are requiring additional employees to maintain and are being hampered by your current office, you should consider packing up and moving your office elsewhere. Your office should never impede the growth of your business and staying in an unsuitable office space will cause chaos you can live without.

While you may feel comfortable in your current office space, it may not be the best space for you and your company. It’s not an easy decision and will take serious thought, but remember to consider the factors above and to look into all your options.

Finding the Right Moving Company.

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Joe DiGiovanni - Commercial Relocation, Facility Installation, Office Furniture

When My Business Moves, Can You Set Everything Up in the Right Place?

When planning your commercial move, there are a lot of things you have to worry about. But, walking into your office with boxes and cords everywhere, and furniture in the wrong places, shouldn’t be one of them. So, how do you know if your commercial mover will set your office up correctly? Well, we’re going to give you some insight on what questions to ask and how to know if your office will be fully-functioning on Monday when you walk into work.

Make sure your commercial movers are familiar with your office furniture brand. Knowing a lot about a furniture brand, how to move it and how to put it back together can help make the moving process a lot easier. You wouldn’t want a mechanic that knows nothing about Corvette’s to work on yours, would you? Same goes for office furniture. Talk to your commercial moving company to make sure they know the ins and outs of your furniture. You want to make sure they know how to safely move it, and effectively set it up with no hiccups.

Additionally, ask your movers if they’re going to set up your computers to be fully-functioning when you get back to your office after the move. If they are, make sure you ask them if they’re familiar with the software your company uses and the types of computers you use. Your computers are vital to your business operations, so making sure your commercial moving company knows how your technology works is very important. You wouldn’t want to walk into your office and see computers unplugged and not turning on. Moving is stressful enough, and you shouldn’t have to worry about your computers not functioning properly.

Moving offices is a time to refresh and change things up. So, if you want to switch up your offices’ furniture arrangement, make sure your commercial mover specializes in space optimization. You may not think about it, but the way your furniture is arranged can affect the productivity of your employees. Make sure you’re able to sit down with your movers and discuss the floor plan of your new office space so that they can map out how to best optimize your office for maximum space and productivity.

If you really want to refresh your office with some new furniture, you also need to talk to your commercial movers to see what furniture they suggest. Your commercial movers should be experts in all things related to relocation. So, talk to your movers about what office furniture they suggest for your business operations and they should be able to get you in touch with a reputable office furniture company. If you find yourself with too much furniture, then talk to your movers about storage options for those pieces that just can’t fit. Ask if they have storage capabilities, or if they know a reputable storage facility.

Moving your business is made up of a lot of moving pieces, literally. You deserve to know what your commercial moving company does and doesn’t do so that you can be best prepared for your move. So, take these simple tips and put them into practice so that you can ease your mind of any moving stresses you may have.

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.

Don’t lose your data or computers when moving your office.

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Joe DiGiovanni - Commercial Relocation, Facility Installation

Having movers physically move your companies’ computer equipment makes you cringe. To ease your mind about having movers handle your precious cargo, you want your own employees to move their own computer stations. You may want to have employees move their computers instead because you’ve been thinking, “What if the movers drop my computers? What the movers just throw my computers in the back of their truck like it’s an empty box?”

I’ll give you another “what if” situation. What if your employee accidentally drops their monitor on the way to their car, or what if the computer gets left in their car for the weekend and gets overheated? Now your business has another set of problems because you have to replace that computer so that employee can work Monday morning.

But remember, your employees specialize in your business operations, not in moving computer equipment. Always remember to back up your data before allowing anyone to start moving your computer equipment, servers or workstations. At the Quality Group, we know that your computer equipment and data are the lifeline of your business, so we treat it with the greatest care. We’re going to take you step by step and explain to you how we would move your business’ computer equipment. If moved properly you won’t have to worry. You should expect when hiring any moving company to follow the same same steps in order to safely transport your computers.

We believe that any moving company should have special equipment carts that are designed to safely transport all of your computer equipment. You can see a picture of one of our carts below. But before we put your equipment on one of these strategically designed carts we bubble wrap the monitors. Second, we take all computer accessories such as your mouse, keyboard and wiring and pack them neatly in our computer accessories bag. Next, we begin to load the computer equipment carts. We put all the bubble-wrapped monitors on the bottom shelf of the cart, and then load all of your computer accessories onto the cart. Our final step before transport is to stretch wrap the computer equipment carts. This ensures a secure transport for all of your precious computer equipment. Again see a picture of a properly loaded, wrapped and protected computer equipment on the cart below.

When the Quality Group arrives at your new location with all of your business’ computer equipment, you can be sure that no computer will be without a mouse, keyboard or monitor cable. We strategically pack each of your offices’ computer stations so each computer equipment cart contains every item needed for each computer station to be fully functional.

We then unpack each computer station. But, that’s not all. We make sure every computer is in its correct place and functioning smoothly. You and your employees shouldn’t have to go through any hassle during your office move. That’s why we make this process as easy, quick and safe as possible.

You should expect the same service from any moving company you hire to move your office equipment. If you choose to move the equipment yourself, make sure that you follow the same steps.

If you have questions the Quality Group would be glad to assist you on your move.

Move Your Business Out of State Without Going Crazy

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Joe DiGiovanni - Uncategorized

Are you planning to move your office to another state? Then you know it’s not easy. Using over 25 years of experience, we’ve put together a guide to moving your office out of state. It can feel chaotic, but these tips can make it easier.

Focus on The Big Picture

As the business owner or manager, you are responsible for running your business and making sure service to your customers is uninterrupted. Instead of getting bogged down by little details, keep your eye on the prize. As long as your office move is finished on time, it’s okay if an employee forgot to pack a few office supplies, or if an office chair was damaged in the move. Small details can be handled by your moving company, so you can focus on getting to business in your new office.

Anticipate Unexpected Costs

While an experienced moving company can account for almost every factor, you never know what’s going to happen until you actually move. A sudden traffic delay or a flat-tire on a moving truck are small inconveniences in the grand scheme of your commercial move. But they could cause your business to open one day later than expected. This is just one example of unexpected costs that can’t always be prevented with planning. Allot at least 10% more finances for your office move than you think it’s going to cost. So if the unthinkable happens, you’re covered.

Expect a Period of Office Transition

This move isn’t just a big deal for you and your business; it affects your employees as well. If you’re moving out of state, your employees will be uprooting their lives to work in your new office. Some staff changes will be necessary, as some employees inevitably will not want to move. Give your new and existing employees time to get used to their new workplace and surroundings. You will likely have more employee requests than usual during this transition. But if you work with your employees and remember that this is a natural phase of commercial moves, your business will get back to normal (or even better!) productivity soon.

Feeling overwhelmed by your out-of-state commercial move? The Quality Group can manage your move from planning and packing to installing equipment in your new office.

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.

Holiday Office Moves: Pros and Cons

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Joe DiGiovanni - Commercial Relocation, Uncategorized

Are you planning an office move this holiday season? During your move preparation, consider all the pros and cons of moving your business during the holidays.

Pro: The Holidays are the Slow Season

Business often slows down during the holiday season, which can make it a great time for an office move. Without the pressure of constant deadlines and meetings, you have time to plan your move and relocate to your new office.

Pro: Holiday Schedules Give You More Flexibility

Every office has a holiday schedule to service their customers while accommodating their employees. Shortened hours are often the norm for businesses during the holidays. This precedent allows you to adopt a flexible schedule during your office move. If you have to, you can even close the office during the move without losing business or upsetting current customers.

Con: Staying Productive During the Holidays is Tough

If keeping your office moving during the craziness of the holidays is tough, moving your office could be a challenge. The key to a smooth office move is planning, planning and more planning. Without a hard-working team dedicated to planning, your office move may turn into uphill battle.

Con: Unexpected Moving Costs

Holiday costs add up fast, and so can moving costs. If your business is moving slow during the holidays, make sure you have the revenue to cover all of your business moving costs.

There will never be the “perfect” time to move. Moving is inconvenient, costly, and takes work and planning. When deciding when to move, look at your business cycle, holiday schedule and incoming revenue. When you’re ready to move, let The Quality Group make it as easy as possible.

Work with The Quality Group

5 Things You Need to Do Before You Move Your Business

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Joe DiGiovanni - Commercial Relocation, Uncategorized

Change Your Business Phone and Internet

Once you know your move-in date, schedule phone and internet services to stop at your old office and begin at your new one. Avoid down-time and confusion by having your utilities up and running when you move in.

Keep Your Old Phone Number and Forward it to Your New Local Number

The best way to avoid confusing customers when you move is to make it easy for them to get in touch with you. Set up your old phone number to forward to your new, local business number.

Tell Friends and Referral Sources That You are Moving

Before you move, let friends and referral partners know where you’ll be moving and if you will be offering the same services. The heads up will keep referral sources from sending customers to the wrong office and will keep your business relationships strong. And your referral partners may able help you get new local leads so you can hit the ground running in your new location.

File a Change of Address with Appropriate Parties

Notify the post office, IRS, your Secretary of State and local taxing and licensing agencies of your new address. Filing all the proper paperwork ahead of time while ensure you can get to work as soon as you move into your new office.

Schedule Your Move Outside of Business Hours

A big commercial move is hardly business as usual, but you can avoid lost productivity and revenue by scheduling your move outside of business hours. Moving on a weekend can ensure that your business closes on time on Friday and opens on time on Monday. This means uninterrupted service for your customers and uninterrupted productivity for your business. At The Quality Group, we specialize in eliminating operational downtime during your commercial move. Request a quote to learn more about our timeline guarantee.

Work with The Quality Group

Does Your Moving Company REALLY Provide Office Relocation Services?

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Joe DiGiovanni - Commercial Relocation

A lot of companies say they provide “office relocation services.” But what does that really mean?

To us, “office relocation” means exactly what it sounds like – your office, just in a different place. Office relocation is more than just packing up file cabinets and trucking them over to your new office. A true office relocation means you walk into your office, ready to get to work. That means no mess to clean up, no computers to plug in and no downtime for your business. Before you choose a moving company, ask movers these questions to make sure you get the office relocation you deserve.

1. Do you move technology like computers and electronics?

Very few commercial moving companies are capable of safely moving sensitive technological equipment. If you have to move your computers yourself, you’re not getting a full office relocation.

2. Do your services include set-up and re-connection?

Capable movers will pack up and move your office equipment and supplies. But will they hook everything back up and put it together? Asking this question should give you some piece of mind and weed out the less adequate movers.

3. Do you clean up after your staff?

The last thing you want to first in your new office is pick up trash. Choose a moving company that will clean up your office and leave it ready for you to do business in.

These questions are easy to overlook, but left unanswered, they can make the difference between an office move and an office relocation. The goal of office relocation companies like The Quality Group is to leave your office move-in ready. We don’t just move things around, we set up your office the way you want it and we re-connect your equipment and electronics. When we finish your relocation, you can walk into your office and get back to work immediately. When you’re gathering quotes and interviewing movers, remember these questions to make sure you get the best moving experience possible.

Work with The Quality Group

Tag: business moving

Moving Your Office During the Holidays

Considering Moving your Office? Read this first.

Finding the Right Moving Company.

When My Business Moves, Can You Set Everything Up in the Right Place?

Don’t lose your data or computers when moving your office.

Move Your Business Out of State Without Going Crazy

Holiday Office Moves: Pros and Cons

5 Things You Need to Do Before You Move Your Business

Does Your Moving Company REALLY Provide Office Relocation Services?

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