Tag: office move

Move without Really Moving? Here’s How:

Posted on September 29, 2015 by - Facility Installation, Office Furniture

We get it. Your business is in a prime location. Easily accessible to customers and clients, and you’ve been at this location for years. You’re not quite ready to part with your building, but you want a new, refreshed office. So, how do you get that without moving? Well, you’re in luck because we’ve got some answers.

img_paintingTo refresh your space, you can always paint, paint and paint again. Want to open up your space and make it look and feel bigger? Then, stick with lighter colors. Going darker encloses your space and makes it look and feel smaller. Believe it or not, colors can actually affect work productivity and evoke certain emotions. Want more productivity? Then try not to overload your office with white paint. Want to create an environment all of your guests will most likely love? Stick with a shade of blue because most people enjoy this color. The new paint color is sure to change things up and give your space a new and refreshed look.

The next thing you can do to revamp your current office is get new furniture, or rearrange current furniture. If you decide to go new, depending on the type of furniture you want, certain kinds allow you to better maximize space and offer storage capabilities. Research various types of furniture to see what type will help you make the most out of your offices’ space, and give you much-needed storage. If you want to rearrange your current furniture, map out what furniture would best fit in different places. Maybe you want to just move around your employee’s offices for a change of scenery. Whatever route you take, changing up your furniture will definitely help you refresh your office space and make it feel like new.

New flooring can also transform your space. Ripping out that old grungy carpet and replacing it with something more modern can do wonders. Choose a new carpet, or upgrade to tile, hardwood or laminate flooring. New flooring can open up your space and make it feel fresh and new. While you’re at it, you maimg_flooringy even want to revamp your baseboards. You might not think about it, or notice the baseboards, but when they’re new and freshly painted, you’ll be sure to notice them, and you’ll be surprised how your office transforms.

The next thing you could do to make your office feel like a completely different space is to check out the office building next to your current office. Does a business occupy that space? If not, would it be possible for you to make that space yours? If this looks at all possible, contact a contractor to see if they can put a door in to connect your current space with the adjacent one. This can be a great transformation for yourimg_upgradeicons space. You can take over a new office, while still occupying your current office. You can’t get much closer to moving without actually moving than this, huh?

Whatever upgrades you decide to do to your office, you’re going to need to get your furniture, computer equipment and everything else you have in your space out of your office so you can get it done. Our advice to you: don’t lose time moving your stuff out of your office yourselves; look into commercial movers who can help you out. At The Quality Group, we not only do moving from one location to another, we can also help you with retrofit. So, if you’re looking for that perfect office, without the move, we can move you.

Moving your office from one location to another can be a great thing for your business. But, it’s not the only option you have when you feel like you’ve outgrown your office or need a refreshed look. Whatever you decide to do to change up your look, make sure you explore your options so you can get on your way to make your office feel like new again.

 

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.

 

How to Pick Your Go-To Employee for Your Office Move

Posted on September 15, 2015 by - Commercial Relocation, Facility Installation, Moving Preparation

A commercial move requires coordination from all employees. But, on moving day, and weeks before you move, you need to appoint someone in your office to coordinate with your commercial movers. You have a lot of options, but how do you know who will be best for the job? What are the responsibilities this person will have? Well, we have some tips so you can choose the right person to be your commercial movers’ “go-to” contact person. img_moving

At The Quality Group, we call our clients’ key contact person, the “Move Captain”. You can definitely have more than one contact person if you feel like you need to. But, one captain will definitely do the job. It’s all about what you prefer and feel comfortable with.

The person you appoint will be involved in all aspects of the move and will be involved in the planning, coordination and, of course, should be present at the time of the move. This person is helping to coordinate the entire move.

How do you know who to pick to lead the pack on moving day? We’ll make it easy for you. Here are some characteristics we think would be best for your key contact to have.

First, we suggest the person you choose to be your key contact for the move to be a leader. This person needs to know how to direct traffic, if traffic needs to be directed (hypothetically speaking, of course). They need to know what needs to happen, and convey that to your commeimg_clipboardrcial movers with confidence. If the movers have a question, the key contact needs to know how to answer it, or know who to contact in order to get the question answered.

Another quality this “go-to” employee should have is knowledge of all business operations. When the move is being planned, the key contact should be able to convey to the movers how the furniture needs to be set up in order for the office to be functional for its operations. Functionality is vital, and it’s important that your key contact can help plan out the best way for your new office to be set up so that your business operations will run smoothly. You don’t want someone who works in one department of your office, and has no idea what any of your other departments. If that’s the case, you may end up with a collaborative meeting room filled with computers and cubicles, when that’s not what your business operations need in that particular room.

Problem solving is another characteristic your key contact should have. If your movers have a question or concern, your “go-to” employee should be able to help solve the problem.

No matter what commercial relocation company you choose, you should always have a key contact for your business so your movers can easily coordinate and immediately ask any questionsimg_plan. You want your move to go smoothly, so appoint an employee who has great leadership skills, knows your business inside and out and who is a great problem solver.

Now that you know what it takes to be the key contact for moving day, go scope out your office and decide who will be your “go-to” for your office 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.

 

 

How Your Offices’ Wall Color Gives Your Business a Competitive Advantage

Posted on September 1, 2015 by - Facility Installation

You never really gave it much thought. A wall is a wall. What color they are shouldn’t affect the productivity of your employees and the success of your company, right? Think again.

In an article by Forbes, Amy Morin interviewed Sally Augustin, Ph.D., to find out about color psychology and how certain colors can give businesses a competitive advantage. We’re going to give you a few of those tips so that when you decide your office needs to be refreshed with a new look, you can take them into consideration.

First, wall colors have the ability to make people perceive temperature differently. As you might guess, warmer colors like red, yellow and oranges tend to make people believe it’s warmer than it actually is in the office. Contrarily, cooler colors like greens, light purples and blues make people feel as though it’s colder in the building than it actually is.

How can you use that to your advantage? Well, it all depends on where you live. If you live in a generally cooler environment, think about painting the entry way of your office warmer colors to save on heating costs. The opposite is true for img_orangewallsthose who live in warmer environments. This is a pretty easy way to save on that costly electric bill.

Want to evoke more creativity in your workplace? Go get some green paint swatches. Research shows that the color green stimulates productivity and broad and creative thinking. But, why green? “There seems to be a positive association between nature and regrowth,” said Augustin.

If you’re looking to please most people, then go for blues. According to Forbes, “when asked what their favorite color is, the most common answer around the world is blue.” It could be because of associations with blue skies or the ocean. If you want to know what to paint the waiting area in your office, you should go with blue since it pleases majority of people.img_bluepaint

So, what colors should you stay away from? For starters, stay away from red in areas of your office where you want to stimulate productivity. The color red evokes forceful and fast reactions and reduces analytical thinking.

Yellow. That’s another color you should stray away from when deciding what to paint your offices’ common area. This is because there are few people who like the color, but those who do, tend to really like it. So, to be safe, Augustin suggests sticking with the good ol’ blues.

If you want to increase productivity in your work environment then stay far, far away from the color white. According to Augustin, “too much of a monochromatic look can cause people to reflect on their own thoughts.” Because of the lack of stimulation in the color white, employees may become distracted. And, you don’t want employees distracted all day thinking about things other than what they’re supposed to be thinking about, right?

Pink is said to be a calming color. Unless you work in an intense field where tensions can run high and meetings can turn into heated arguments, then we suggest staying away from this color. Pink is also known for draining people’s energy, so be mindful about choosing this color.

We gave you a crash course on Augustin’s psychology of color so that you can choose the best paint for your business’ walls. You can save money, stimulate creativity and make employees and your business more successful just because of a paint color. So what are you waiting for? Go out and get some swatches!

 

 

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.

 

 

What to Do at Your Old Building after Your Commercial Move

Posted on March 9, 2015 by - Facility Installation, Office Furniture

Once you move to your new office, what do you do with the old one? It’s easy to forget about the office you’re leaving. These tips will keep you from leaving loose ends behind after your office move.

 

  1. Recycle Your Old Furniture

Instead of throwing away your old furniture or leaving it in the office for someone else to deal with, why not recycle it? Recycling your old furniture is good for the environment and your public image. Find tips on recycling your furniture here.

 

  1. Store Furniture You Don’t have Room For

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Just because you’re not using all of your furniture in your new office doesn’t mean you won’t want it later. Don’t let the chaos of moving convince you to throw out furniture that you don’t have a place for yet. Commercial moving companies like The Quality Group can pack up and store your office furniture for you until your need it.

 

  1. Make Sure Suppliers Know Your New Address

Nothing’s worse than having packages and supplies show up at your old office. Not only is it inconvenient, but depending on how far away you moved it could be disastrous. Talk with your vendors about your new office to streamline business operations after your office move.

 

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Ideally, you want to leave your old office in the same condition in which you found it. Don’t leave trash and furniture for the property owner to dispose of. Don’t have packages and supplies delivered to the new building tenants when they should be delivered to your new office. With a little planning and initiative, you can enjoy your new office without worrying about your old one.

 

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.

7 Ways to Protect Equipment During Your Office Move

Posted on January 19, 2015 by - Commercial Relocation, Moving Preparation

  1. Protect Device Screens

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Use blankets, sheets and shrink wrap to keep the screens of computers and other equipment from cracking or chipping during your commercial move.

  1. Organize all Cords and Cables

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Either pack accessories like cables and chargers with each piece of equipment, or label them and pack them all together. Have a consistent system so each system is moved complete with its accessories.

  1. Pack Extra Furniture Feet and Felt Pads

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These often-overlooked supplies can easily fall off during furniture transport, but are important to protecting the floor of your office and allowing easier furniture movement. Have some felt pads to spare when office chairs or reception couches inevitably lose theirs.

  1. Get Custom Packing Materials for Tech Equipment

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When you move sensitive equipment, you don’t want it to rattle or move in any way that could damage its internal components. Many moving companies or manufacturers can help you find customized packing boxes or customized foam padding to keep your fragile equipment secure.

  1. Label Equipment to Reduce Handling Time

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The less your equipment moves, the less vulnerable it is to damage. If you label boxes and packed equipment by where it needs to go in your new office, your movers can pack it accordingly. That way, they don’t have to move boxes to look for others, or move boxes multiple times to different rooms.

  1. Don’t Forget About Door, Floors and Carpets

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Don’t overlook the doors, floors and carpets of both your old and new offices. Protect them from damage by wrapping doors laying temporary flooring (like tarp or cardboard) over floors and carpets.

  1. Insure Your Equipment and Furniture

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You have two choices to insure your office furniture and equipment.

a. You can insure each item through an insurance company

b. You can hire a professional moving company that will insure all of your office equipment

Look into your insurance options before you hire an office moving company to make sure your items are protected.

 

When you call The Quality Group, we can discuss these and other moving options with you. Work with us, and you won’t have to worry about protecting your equipment. With more than 25 years of experience and comprehensive insurance, you can trust us to get your equipment to your new office safe and sound.

 

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.

I Don’t Have Time to Move my Office: 5 Moving Excuses You Need to Let Go of in 2015

Posted on January 12, 2015 by - Commercial Relocation, Uncategorized

We’ve all done it. We know we need to do something about our cramped workspace, but we put it off. With more pressing business at hand, it’s easy to push off your commercial move until next quarter. Make 2015 the year you shed these excuses and move your business forward.

“I Don’t Have Time to Move My Business”

There’s never going to be a good time to move your business. Commercial moves take planning, hard work and time. You have to make time, for the betterment of your business. Why not make that time now?

“We’re Too Busy Right Now”

Being too busy is a good problem to have. But new business may mean new employees or new branches, which makes your office move all the more necessary. Think about it this way: When business is winding down, would you rather be planning a commercial move, or focusing on generating new customers?

“I Can’t Afford to Close up Shop”

The thought of suspending business or being temporarily unavailable to your customers may be stopping you from moving your office. Did you know that you can move your business on nights or weekends? Commercial moving companies like The Quality Group can move you outside of office hours, with no operational downtime.

“It’s Just Not in the Budget”

Imagine where you would be if your business had more room for clients and employees. Or if you moved to a location where you could be closer to your customers. If an office move would make your business more successful, isn’t it worth the moving costs?

“I Don’t Know Where to Start”

Starting is the hardest part. Once you make the decision to move your office in 2015, give us a call. We can help you plan your move from the very beginning, and we’ll work with you to coordinate your commercial move so everything runs smoothly.

So now you have no excuses. Make 2015 the year you make your business more successful and more profitable.

 

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.

New Year, New Office: Keep Your 2015 Commercial Move on Track

Posted on January 5, 2015 by - Commercial Relocation

You know you’re ready for a commercial move. Maybe you’re expanding and need more room, or you need to be closer to your customer base. If you’ve been putting it off until “next year” or “first quarter”, now’s the time to start planning. If moving your office is one of your new year’s resolutions, we’ve got some tips to help you follow through.

 

Decide a “Moving Day” and Work Backward

To get the moving process rolling, set a hard and fast “Moving Day”. This is the date that movers will come and you will officially be moved into your new office. This is often what keeps businesses from following through on their commercial moving goals. It’s a big step, but once you set your moving day, planning everything else becomes easier. Work backward from the moving day, listing all the steps you need to take before you move.

 

Set SMART Goals

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. If your goal is to move your office, make it more specific. Set realistic and achievable deadlines for each phase of the moving process, such as securing a new workspace, hiring a moving company and packing up offices.

 

Hold Your Employees and Yourself Accountable

Once you set your goals, hold yourself and any employees involved in the process accountable. Clearly communicate deadlines and expectations, and if they aren’t met, quickly address the parties involved to keep your commercial move on track.

Moving your office isn’t easy. It takes hard work, dedication and initiative to keep your office move on track and successful when Moving Day comes. The Quality Group can take some of the weight off of your shoulders with relocation planning and management.

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 - 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

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.

How to: Keep Your Employees Productive During an Office Move

Posted on December 1, 2014 by - Commercial Relocation, Uncategorized

A big move can stop your office’s productivity in its tracks. Follow these tips to keep your office running at peak performance during your commercial move.

 

Make Employees Aware of Their Responsibilities Before the Move

Are employees expected to box up their office? When do they need to start going to the new office? Part of your commercial moving plan should include briefing employees on their jobs during the move. If everyone knows what’s expected of them, they can focus on their jobs instead of worrying about the impending move.

Don’t Let Move Planning Distract Your Employees

Keep the potential stress of moving between those who need to know about it. The team dedicated to planning your commercial move should only discuss moving details during assigned meeting times. This will keep office moving chatter from distracting other employees. Separating move planning from regular work duties will also help the planning team stay productive.

Give Employees an Outlet to Answer Questions and Voice Concerns

Be there for your employees. If they are feeling overwhelmed from helping plan the move, help them manage their responsibilities. If they have questions about the move, answer them. If you take care of employee concerns, they can focus on their job with the peace of mind that the move will go smoothly.

 

With proactive communication and understanding on both sides, you can keep your employees productive during your commercial move. And to avoid unintended office closures and move complications, trust The Quality Group to keep your move running on time with our timeline guarantee.

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.