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Relocating your Business – Top Tips!

Jul 1 2016

Darren Best

Often start-up companies begin in small premises and then as they grow their assembly of employees they need to move to larger offices for extra desk and breathing space. The act of relocation can be stressful due to the amount of variables which need to be decided; area, price and location features are all things that need to be considered. So keep calm and follow our handy guide to stress free office re-location – you’re welcome!

Location

First and foremost, when re-locating you’ll need to decide the area in which you want to relocate to. To make this decision, you’ll need to consider if you want to be in an area with lots of similar businesses to your own (e.g. East London is famous for housing companies in the creative industry etc.) or perhaps you don’t wish to be near competitors. You’ll also need to consider where any potential clients or specialist staff with special skills are based and if you want to be within a commutable distance. A tube station or other good transport links are also a consideration as staff will be keen to be able to get to work as easily as possible. Secondly you can consider local amenities, facilities and bars and eating outlets when making your re-location decision.

Premises

Once you’ve settled on an area, you can begin your search for offices within that location. You’ll need to consider the size of your company now and also its forecast for growth when deciding on office size; there’s no point relocating to a slightly larger office and then growing further and needing to go through the whole relocation process again in the space of a year or less. You’ll also need to consider the features of premises that are most important to your company; not all premises will have every single thing you would like, so be prepared to compromise and prioritise the features you feel are the most necessary. Whether you want your office to be open plan, modern, quirky or simply have a large kitchen area, you’ll need to decide what’s most important to you.

Costs

For any business, costs need to be considered in every single decision that is made; after all, your company is in place for the sole reason of generating a profit. When re-locating an office, unless your work is able to be done from home, it is highly likely that you’ll lose money due to being unable to trade during the actual relocation period. This will need to be taken into consideration and you must ensure you have a clear idea of exactly how much moving will cost (including removal van costs, solicitors fees etc.) and how much trade money you’ll be using. Also, remember there may be additional costs even once you’ve moved office, for example decorating and additional building work as well as installing electrics, telephone lines and broadband. You may also need new furniture, desks and kitchen appliances – so don’t forget to budget accordingly!

Staff

If you’re re-locating with an existing workforce, then although some of your staff may be more than happy to move, others may find it causes an extra inconvenience in their commute etc. The way to deal with this is, using tact and understanding, and to aim to make them feel at ease throughout the move; this will result in happier, more relaxed and hence more productive staff. You’ll also need to make sure you’re aware of any legal issues surrounding relocation, staff leavers or redundancies.

Planning Ahead

With something as vital to your business as relocating is, you’ll need to ensure that you’ve planned everything down to a t to ensure that nothing can go wrong. Plan the whole process carefully in a step by step manner. And don’t feel the need to sort it all out on your own; something as large as moving premises requires lots of decisions and responsibility – some of which you can delegate to business partners, members of staff or trusted friends and family.  

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