10 Lessons Learned From Our Business Office Move

At Sales & Marketing Technologies, we had a big task ahead of us when we decided to pack up our stuff and move from a location we’ve occupied for over 15 years into our new, but smaller office – but we did it! We were functional during the transition and pretty much had it under control in 5 days.

For those of you planning to move your business to new quarters, here a a few tips to make your move easier.

#1 Shred Before You Go

There’s no reason to continue to drag around your unused records. After 25 years in business we had A LOT of files. Start ahead and scan what you need, and shred the rest. Make sure you keep some part of your history. Someday you may be famous and you need to have some thing to show for your journey.

#2 Hire a Liquidator and a Recycler

Being in business 25 years as a technology company, there's no doubt we had some retired electronics. For those, bring in a recycling company that can dispose of your computers and servers properly. Don’t just dump them.

If the stuff isn’t too old, try selling it on eBay. Maybe even try to make some of your moving costs back.

For furniture, call a liquidator. They will swoop in and clear it out for you.

#3 Measure Your New Space

Found a new office? Make sure you measure all your spaces and take full advantage of them.

#4 Plan Where Your Furniture Will Go

Once you measure everything, make a plan of what office features you’d like to include. Want an espresso bar? Make sure you find the perfect spot (that also doesn’t end up sitting one poor soul next to a trash can).

#5 Plan for Efficient Workflow

With a new move, you can take the opportunity to restructure your workflow. Put collaborative offices closer together, and make it easier for the team to be productive and efficient.

#6 Label Everything

You’re unplugging cables, moving people’s boxes and computers; labeling everything helps to keep you organized and makes for easier unpacking.

#7 Test Cabling for Data and Phones

Start this process about 6 weeks in advance. It takes time to set everything up in the new location. Ideally, you’ll want to make sure your phones, computers and Internet are all ready to go on day one. You don’t want to have to wait for someone to come fix anything while your employees sit around.

#8 Check A/C the Week Before

Thermostats can be temperamental… Combine that with the Florida heat and lots of windows and you could end up baking in an oven. Make sure you stop by to configure the a/c to a comfortable setting.

#9 Paint Before You Get In

Seems like an obvious tip but painting is much more convenient before you move all your furniture in.

#10 Start Purging 4-6 Months in Advance

This process can take a while. From packing up boxes to shredding any unneeded paperwork, moving takes time. Leave yourself plenty of time to find your new office and follow the tips in this article in order to have a smooth move.

BONUS TIPS

- Leave your vacuum at your old location to finish up any last minute clean up.

- Buy several carts to help move heavier boxes or equipment. We found these to be very helpful!