20 Moving Ideas - Guide for Moving Office Furniture

Moving to a new home is widely regarded as one of the most stressful events in an adult's life. If that's the case, office relocation should be avoided at all costs given the added stress of business disruption, the need to impress your supervisors, and the implication of remaining productive. 

However, there are numerous advantages to moving office furniture to a new location. It might be a quick strategy to boost staff motivation and investment. Moving might help you revitalize your company in the eyes of your customers, and a new address conveys development and growth while simultaneously providing an opportunity to save costs and consolidate. 

With our comprehensive guide to office relocation and some tips for moving your office furniture around, you should be able to minimize downtime and successfully relocate your company. 

How to Minimize Disruption While Relocating Offices

When navigating the moving of office equipment, keep these helpful hints in mind to avoid any errors or loss in productivity. Essentially, moving can be stressful, but with proper planning, communication, and plenty of tea and cookies, you'll soon feel at ease in your ideal office. 

1. Plan Ahead of Time

Moving out of a small office can take three months, while relocating out of a medium-to-large workplace can take at least six months, according to experts. Planning is essential for any business, regardless of its size. The transition should be overseen by trusted team members. Whoever is in charge of project management for the relocation should begin by creating a detailed timeline. 

When choosing a moving date, it's important to be realistic: consider your existing workload, as well as the size of your company. Draw a floor plan for your new office furniture relocation so that you can get to work right away when you get there. Make a moving checklist and cross items off as you finish them. The more time you give yourself to plan, the easier it will be. 

2. Communication Is Key

Communication is essential to corporate success, just as it is in life. Early in the process, announce that your company will be moving. Even the most dedicated team's productivity can suffer if they don't feel well informed. Uncertainty can lead to a state of stagnation. Make the most of the relocation chance and entice your staff to join you. 

You'll be shocked at how many people you have to notify. The act of relocating has consequences for a variety of businesses from utilities to building management factors. 

Most importantly, inform your clients about the change. Let them know in a couple of ways so that the decision sticks with them. 

The following are examples of possible items: 

• Suggestions for design (e.g., designate a quiet space) 
• Changes in seating 
• Workplace requirements (e.g., adjustable desks, privacy screens, bulk office desk, wholesale office chair) 
• Equipment requirements (e.g., printer/copier update) 

Following the face-to-face meeting, send out a questionnaire to gather any personal preferences about moving the office furniture around — such as seating modifications or a team move — that your team members may not have felt comfortable discussing in a group context. 

3. Inform Employees

After you've made the announcement, gather your colleagues for a face-to-face discussion about the impending event. Reiterate the announcement's details, and then solicit feedback from your staff on their needs for — and concerns about — the new environment. 

4. Get Professional Movers

Professional movers may seem self-evident, but their importance in ensuring a smooth office furniture relocation process cannot be emphasized. Choose an office removal company that specializes in this type of relocation: firms with experience in this type of move can assist you in developing a strategy, packing your equipment, and identifying any concerns you may have overlooked. 

Furthermore, choose a relocation date and time outside of working hours with the removal firm. Moving office furniture on a weekend or when your firm is usually closed ensures that your regular operations are not disrupted.

5. Before You Move, Set Up the New Office

The benefits of having the new office space set up before you start work will be enormous for both you and your employees. Make arrangements for a thorough cleaning. Carry out any necessary decorating or redesigning for the new office. 

Arrange any newly purchased office furniture. Consider purchasing wholesale office furniture as it is cheaper than a wholesale supplier. Autonomous sells standing adjustable desks as well as the best office ergonomic chairs in bulk. All these actions can help you prevent downtime and increase productivity. 

Make sure you have power, internet, and phone lines before you start working. Computers and electronics are essential components of any organization. Prioritize IT and phone services so that the new office can get up and running quickly. 

If any of your employees require special facilities, make sure your new workplace is prepared to meet their needs before you move in. 

Also, don't forget to make tea and coffee. An army may march on its stomach, but an office's selection of biscuits determines its success. Make sure the new storerooms are fully stocked. 

6. Utilize Remote Working During Any Disruption

Even the most meticulous planning can go wrong. Perhaps the new office layout has resulted in unanticipated issues. Maybe your IT system failed you. No matter the reason for the delay, take advantage of remote working to reduce any loss of production. 

Encourage your employees to be ready to work from home if necessary, and make sure they have the tools to do so. If you can't relocate into your new office right away, consider moving your office furniture to a storage facility. Plan to meet your employees in a coworking space for face-to-face meetings. 

Technology can solve any challenges that arise during the relocation with proper foresight and planning. 

7. Create a Timeline for Your Office

Make a timeline for your workplace relocation before you make any decisions. At this point, you don't need every single detail, just the broad strokes. 

Review the timeline with your team members to ensure that it is as realistic as possible. Also, give yourself and the company enough time to do the project. 

8. Storage and Archiving

Because office space is an expensive overhead, take advantage of your move to determine exactly what moving office equipment or moving office furniture you need to take to the new workplace, and which can be stored off-site in less expensive (but still easily accessible) storage facilities. 

Many businesses utilize their office furniture relocation as an opportunity to digitally archive all their historical papers and documentation. Make sure that any undesired documents are securely shredded. Ask your Office Removals Company about how it can help you in this situation.

9. Establish Your Budget and Purchasing Process

Request a budget from your company's leaders (ideally on paper) and develop standards for completing all move-related purchases. Are you going to be able to use a business card? Will you be required to provide invoices? Who will need to authorize your purchases or vendor contracts (if anyone)? This phase can help you visualize the relocation process and the moving of your office furniture. 

10. Don’t Forget IT

Keep a close eye on your communications networks (i.e., business phone system and IT equipment). The best rule of thumb in this situation is that everything takes longer than you expect. If you wait too long to transfer phone numbers, it can result in a particularly difficult experience. 

The firm will also evaluate its current technologies to see if it would be better suited to move your Business Phones and IT Services to more scalable, appropriate, and cost-effective options. 

11. Talk to Managers to Establish Move-Related Workflow Strategies

Moving office equipment or moving office furniture is difficult; managing work while doing so is even more challenging. Encourage managers to create comprehensive strategies for managing processes throughout the moving process, particularly if they have any crucial deadlines that coincide with the moving timeline. As they take on and plan new projects, remind them to keep the move in mind.

12. Map Out the Office

Make a floor plan for your new office so you know where your desks, laptops, and other pieces of furniture will go. You can't expect to stroll around telling all the movers where to put their belongings, so having a floor plan can help them out as well. Make a few copies so that on moving day, each mover knows exactly where to put everything. 

13. Create a Destination Map

After step 12, you can organize your current team members in the new office and identify any potential risks that the new space may create. It's best to address these concerns before starting your workplace relocation so that the actual moving office equipment and personnel goes as smoothly as possible. 

14. Design a New Office Layout

Begin designing the new workplace layout with moving office furniture once you have a destination map and possibly a broad floor plan. 

Consider the feedback you obtained from your team members at the start of the planning phase so that you can set things up for the best workflow. 

Placing the new layout on paper can also help you spot potential issues with the new space (for example, a larger work area that requires extra desks or a few temporary walls) that can be addressed before moving in. 

15. Arrange for Supplies

You'll need boxes, tape, labels, and other office supplies regardless of the size of your company. Prepare these supplies ahead of time so that they'll be ready when you are. Essentially, you can even start boxing up non-essential goods ahead of time to save time when it comes to packing. 

16. Create a Separate Email for Move-Related Questions

People will have a lot of questions about the office furniture relocation. Create a separate email address for move-related issues and messages to keep the office move separate from your regular duties. 

17. Keep Morale Up

Keep in mind that moving office furniture is also a stressful situation for your personnel. Many of them will be removing their children from school, relocating away from friends, and uprooting their families to work for your organization. Empathize with them and recognize that they may be in a bad mood. You must maintain their spirits by being helpful and supportive. 

18. Trim the Fat

Look around the office and consider what you could get rid of. Throw out that wrinkly couch in the welcome area! Now is the moment to get rid of office furniture brands you've been meaning to get rid of but haven't had the time. It's also a great opportunity to shred any unnecessary documents. Don't bring anything to the new office that you don't need. It's a new beginning. 

19. Make Inventory of the New Space

If you have the opportunity, go for a walk around your new office. Make a mental note of anything that doesn't appear to be right so that you can notify your new landlord when you move in. Check that everything in the bathrooms works, including the light fixtures, and that there are no potential safety hazards for the workers. 

20. Parking

Where will the new office's employees park? Do they require a parking pass or a parking garage access card? Is this something you'll need to discuss with your new building manager? Make sure you have everything ready ahead of time and that you inform your staff on how and where they can park. 

If public transportation is a popular mode of transport in your area, collect that information as well and give it to your staff. Routes, schedules, and fares for buses may all be printed out. 

What Is an Employee Purchase Program?

Many have asked what an employee purchase program is. EPP facilitates the acquisition of items and services. The program is based on payroll deductions that are interest-free. Furthermore, EPP is an employer-sponsored, no-cost, or low-cost employee benefits program. 

Furniture from an Autonomous employee purchase program can be what you need to save some minor costs in your office relocation process. 

Final Words

Moving offices is never simple, but it can offer your company new and exciting prospects. We hope that you enjoyed reading our tips for moving office furniture and moving office equipment around, and we wish you all the best in your relocating journey!