TOP 10 things to do when moving your office
Having a company that grows is amazing, as is hiring new teammates. You’re getting more done and it feels great. Until there is no place left for the new guy.
Sooner or later your growing company will have to change its office.
Relocation can be a nightmare, but these 10 tips should pull you through it.
1. One person is not enough
Let’s get real, most of the first inspections tend to end up as a miss. There is no need to waste those expensive men-hours by sending a team to inspect every potential location. Choose one person, that will be responsible for inspecting all of the potential sites.
2. Consult others
Once the initial inspections are done, you should have a narrowed down list of potential sites. Now is the time, to invite your colleagues to help you investigate these sites further. Make sure to include co-workers from various areas. They may be able to spot details, that you would’ve missed.
3. Don’t be hasty
We live in a hectic age, nevertheless make sure to spend enough time on your relocation process. Cutting corners may lead to you facing the same situation again in a couple of months.
4. Arrive 10 minutes early
Get to know the surroundings of your potential office. What businesses are around? Who are your neighbours? Your customers need to feel confident about your location. Even the best IT company might look shady standing next to a farmhouse or a pet shop.
5. It’s bigger when it’s empty
Don’t get fooled by the vast empty space of your potential office. Even your old college dorm room might look big, without all your stuff. Instead focus on the footprints. Numbers are much more honest than optical illusions. Compare the footprints to the measurements of your equipment. If it’s nice, but doesn’t fit your needs, it’s useless.
6. Think ahead
Most common reason for relocating is the fact, that your office is no longer big enough. If you’re growing now, it’s safe to assume you’d like to keep growing, so keep this in. Account for future growth of the company, unless you want to solve the same problem next year.
7. Don’t forget the food
It’s a simple logic — if your employees are to work, they’ll require food from time to time. You have two options. Either you’ll go eat out, or you’ll order a delivery. Delivery however requires a kitchen/dining room where you can eat it (unless you want to eat lunch on your work desk every day). Without dining room, or a restaurant nearby, your potential office quickly loses its viability.
8. It’s the little things
Based on Murphy’s laws there are flaws and imperfections, that no pre-purchase inspection can detect. These are the things you need to ask about beforehand. Is air-conditioning sufficient when the office is fully staffed? What’s the state of electrical wiring? Can we access the office 24/7? How many parking spaces will there be available?
9. Understand the pricing
Common costs such as energy, parking or service fees are often not included and are invoiced separately. It’s a good idea to ask for these prices before making any decisions. Variable administrative fees are also often included into contracts. These cover the costs of facility management and can vary from completely reasonable up to insane.
10. Don’t rely on promises
There are several key parts of the contract, that need to be written down. When is the payment due? How big is the deposit? How long is the contract valid? What are the conditions of terminating the contract?When it comes to these fundamental things, make sure you’re not relying on empty promises.
Keeping these 10 things in mind should help you move your office successfully. Do you know some other great tips? Share them with us in the comments below! We love learning new things!
