6 Important Tips for Relocating Your Small Business

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Relocating your small business to another location can be stressful and overwhelming. Whether the move results from a company expansion or due to a conflict with your existing commercial building landlord, moving to another location is not an easy task.

You need to consider several factors to ensure everything will run smoothly on moving day. To help you with the transition, here are a few tips that might prove useful.

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1. Identify Your Budget

Relocating your small business can be a costly endeavor. Compared to moving your household, there are numerous expenses you need to take into account. Create a realistic and feasible moving budget that can cover all moving-related expenses. Make sure to leave some wiggle room in case of unexpected costs.

List the things you will need for the entire process and carefully allocate your financial resources. If you live in California, consider lowering costs by renting plastic moving boxes in San Francisco and other cities in California.

2. Check Your Location Options When Relocating

Once you have settled on your relocating budget, the next step is to find a suitable office. If you prefer to stay within your area, start scouting for available commercial buildings within your price range. On the other hand, if you are planning to move to another location, you can either enlist the help of a real estate agent or do it yourself.

Should you decide to do the latter, it would be better to form a moving team from your existing staff to help you with the entire process. As an important part of their planning, your team will need to research long distance movers in order to find the right logistics service to work with.

Keep in mind that your business location plays a significant role in the success of your company. For instance, if your small business depends on a specific demographic, it would make sense to find a place that can meet that particular criterion. If your company needs to be within a business district to thrive, then make sure that you satisfy that need.

When deciding on your new place, it is vital that you carefully weigh your options. Also, make sure that your prospective office is accessible and convenient for everyone involved.

3. Develop a Moving Plan

Having a plan in place can help you manage the stress of relocating. Create a checklist of all the things you need to accomplish and set a deadline for each one. Decide on your moving date and develop a timeline to help you keep track of your schedule. Analyze your current office situation and try to envision how you want your new office to look.

Conduct an inventory of your office furniture and equipment, and decide whether you want to discard them or bring everything to your new place. You can also use this as an opportunity to declutter and downsize your work items. If you need to store some of your office supplies and equipment, consider using a storage unit near your new work location. Choose a reliable and licensed storage provider that offers several features and is suitable to your budget and needs.

4. Update Your Business Details

It is essential that you finalize everything during the last weeks before your relocating date. Inform all your service and utility providers of your moving plans so you can determine if you need to transfer your services or look for a new provider. Check with the post office to ensure that they are aware of your new address. Order new business cards, letterheads, store signage, and other important materials, and make sure they are updated with the latest business address.

Once you’ve settled in your new place, remember to update your website and social media platforms with the new location. You can even place a short banner about your move on your site’s homepage.

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5. Inform Your Customers, Clients, and Vendors

Make sure to inform your staff of the relocation, preferably four months beforehand. They must be adequately informed as some of your employees might need to make drastic life changes to accommodate the relocating plan. To help your employees adjust quickly, encourage them to participate and be involved with the entire moving process. Give them enough time to organize their office belongings, preferably a week in advance. Have them clean and set up their workspace in the new office so they can get a feel of their new working environment.

Aside from making sure all your staff is on board, remember to let your clients and vendors know about the change. The last thing you want is for your business to fail because your current vendors were unable to deliver the essential supplies to your new location.

Furthermore, make sure to give your clients a heads-up whenever they are at your store. If your clients are active on social media, post your announcement on all your channels. You don’t want to lose clients just because of a misunderstanding with your business address. By using social media to announce your relocation, you are increasing your chances of attracting new customers within your new location area.

6. Get Help from Professionals When Relocating

Hiring quality and credible movers should be one of your priorities when relocating. You need a team of professional packers and movers to efficiently and safely transfer your office belongings. Make sure to hire a reliable moving company one to two months before the move.

Have one of your staff prepare a list of moving companies and make sure to do a background check on every one of them. Get a quote and ask for client references, if possible. It is vital that you hire moving experts to handle your valuables so that you can exert your effort in other business aspects.

Aside from hiring a qualified mover, consider enlisting the help of a dedicated commercial tenant representative such as Jeff Tabor Group to help you with tenant-related concerns. They can negotiate the terms of your lease, resolve any landlord-tenant conflicts, and take care of complicated issues to ensure that your small company’s best interests are well-represented in your contract.

Final Thoughts About Relocating Your Small Business

Moving your small business to a new location can be a daunting experience. With careful planning, however, you can efficiently streamline the whole process and save yourself from the unnecessary stress of moving.