6 Important Tips for Relocating Your Business

If you have experienced a steady growth that is set to continue, then you might find that your current place of business is becoming rather small. When it reaches this point, you have one of two options: you can expand your current premises, or you can relocate. Often, the former is not always possible, as many businesses rent their office space; however, it is also common to find that planning permission is not permitted on the site, even if you own the building.

Therefore, this leads to many businesses considering relocation. Relocation can be a difficult task to conduct, but by considering the following tips outlined in this article, you should find the process much easier.

Budget for it

Before you set about looking for a new premises, you first need to properly budget for the move itself. Without sufficient funds, the move will not be possible. It is important to note, at this stage, that a bigger building will result in a change in the monthly rent or mortgage; it will be much higher than you are currently paying. Not only do you have to consider that, but you also need to find enough money to put down a deposit on the building. Sometimes you have to pay as much as the first three months upfront. Again the bigger, the premises, the more money this is likely to cost you, so this could be a rather large sum that you simply don’t have yet.

To determine how much you can afford for the deposit and how much will be possible to pay every month, you need to calculate how much profit you are making after paying essential bills and your employees’ wages. Once you have this figure, you need to break down the different costs of the move, from the new rent and the move itself, for example, how many days will you have to shut down for, will you pay a moving company to assist you, etc.?

Location – is it accessible for staff?

Once you have determined your budget, you can start looking for the ideal location and building. However, while you are carrying out this task, you need to first consider: is it accessible for your staff? You need to remember that not all members of your team will drive to work; some people may catch public transport, cycle, or may even walk. If the building is in the middle of nowhere and only accessible by car, you could find yourself with a huge problem regarding staff happiness. If the ideal property is in the middle of nowhere, you should put in place transport solutions for your staff, such as a shuttle bus.

Rent or buy

One big decision you have to make when you are relocating is: will you rent or buy? Both options have advantages and disadvantages, and so it might come down to personal preference, but also the budget. With renting, you are tax-deductible, you are not committing yourself, your landlord will pay for most amenities (although this is subject to each property and landlord), and you don’t run the risk of your property declining in value over time. However, with buying, you have more stability, collateral, and the freedom to do what you want without the permission of a landlord.

Looking at the building

As a general rule, when it comes to purchasing or renting a property for both personal and commercial use, you should always visit it in person. Never rely on the pictures provided by the landlord or seller, as they will always showcase the best bits of the building. They won’t show you the mold in the bathrooms or inform you that you can hear the traffic at all hours of the day. You will only discover issues like this on a visit, so make sure this a priority.

Security measures to put in place

Once you have found the ideal building, you need to put in place the right security measures. Unlike your current building, which is smaller in size, a bigger premises will be harder to monitor with a simple security plan in place. As you increase the size of your business, you need also to increase your security measures so that every door is being monitored, the entrance is only accessible to members of staff, and any intruders that do enter will be caught and prosecuted.

With the help of Remsdaq, you can make the most of their integrated security solutions that involve perimeter fencing, CCTV cameras, access control, and digital video and alarm management systems. All this and more will keep your mind at ease that any intrusion you experience will be alerted to you immediately.

The moving process

After the above points have been carried out, you can start on the moving process. To make it as seamless as possible, you need to put several things into place.

• How long will the moving process take?

First of all, you should consider how long realistically you can close the business down for. If you can afford to shut down the company for several days, this will take the pressure off you, but sometimes this is not always possible. If you can only afford to stop business for one day, then you need to make sure everyone in the team is on the same page.

After all, the more hands you have, the easier the process will be. Explain that everyone will pack up their personal belongings and bring them to the new building premises on moving day. It might help to make a packing timeline. There might be certain equipment that can be packed in advance that will not disrupt workflow. Anything like this will make the entire process easier.

• A moving company

You might want to consider hiring the help of an external moving company to move equipment, such as desks, chairs, and computers. But if you have heavy machinery, for instance, this may require experts in that particular industry to transport from your current location to your new one.

• Label all the boxes

Just like any moving process, you will need to label every single box. There will be a lot of equipment being transported, so you want to make it as easy as possible on the other end for setting up. Labeling your boxes is the best solution for this.

• Clean

Once you have moved the last of your equipment, you will need to ensure that a thorough clean of your old building is done. This will assist you in getting your deposit back, and leaves you with a glowing reputation.