How to Plan a Move for Your Business

You've been contemplating the idea for a while, and finally, you've decided to relocate your business. Unfortunately, changing locations is often marred by chaos, disruption, and loss of productivity. Minimizing downtime is essential for a smooth transition. Here area few tips to help you move your operations with little to no interruptions.

Have a Relocation Plan

SpaceIQ notes that a detailed relocation plan makes the process seamless and successful. For example, moving your business can be stressful, expensive, and time-consuming without proper planning. Consider using a process map template to create a timeline of how and when everything will take place. Include a moving budget, potential risks and how to address them, and when to notify customers and other stakeholders.

Know Your Moving Timeline

As Instant Offices points out, your moving timeline serves as a road map for the relocation and helps keep the move organized and on track. It tells you which operations can continue during the move, when there will be no operations, and when operations can resume. While it's common to close operations during relocation, gradual moving makes more sense if you want your business to remain open with minimal interruption.

Communicate

Effective communication with employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders is critical during the transition. Disclose necessary details about the relocation as early as possible. For example, update your website, social media pages, and newsletters with your new contact information, and use media advertisements to get the word out. Update your business cards, too.

Automate Tasks Like Invoicing to Avoid Downtime

Time is definitely of the essence when you’re moving your business. There’s no time for downtime, so look for ways to avoid it, including automating your business’s most repetitive yet necessary tasks. One example is invoicing. Using an invoice maker streamlines the creation of professional-grade invoices from pre-made templates, which you can quickly customize with your new address, logo and a selection of company-specific text, colors, and graphics. Downloading the completed invoices also allows you to efficiently send the digital documents, such as PDFs, via email or to the cloud for clients to pay.

Research the Location

Before moving, research the new location. Familiarity with the target location is critical for the success of the business. For instance, consider various factors, including, logistics, zoning issues, business regulations, and the accessibility of customers and suppliers. States differ in business regulations, so stay informed with regard to regulatory frameworks affecting your business in the target location if you move between states.

For example, each state has its own regulations surrounding the formation of an LLC or corporation, so check the rules in your state before moving ahead. You have three options regarding registering your business as an LLC — have a lawyer handle it, register yourself, or use a formation service. Filing yourself is ideal if you don't want to incur hefty lawyer fees; however, consider using a formation service if you aren’t sufficiently informed about the state's laws.

Source a Professional Moving Company

Find a professional moving company for an efficient transition. Moving your business is a complex project, especially if you run a considerably large business. It can be overwhelming and thus easier to make mistakes, some of them costly. Professional moving service providers have a team of highly trained operators equipped with the necessary equipment to ensure your transition is fast, smooth, and within your budget. Using a moving service saves you time and money and protects your valuables from damage and losses.

Consider Self-Storage

Businesses often have a lot of equipment, inventory, and other materials that need to be stored somewhere. A storage facility can provide a safe and secure place to keep these items. It can also help to free up space in the office or workspace. When businesses are moving to a new location, a storage facility can be a great way to transition. It can provide a place to store items that are not needed at the new location right away.

For example, Las Vegas has ample and accessible storage units, and it’s possible to find a 10’ x 20’ space for under $200 per month. Investigate which self-storage facility works best for your business.

Move Your Business With Minimal Disruptions

Business relocation is prone to numerous problems that can cause disruptions; however, with proper strategies, you can head off some of these issues. By creating a moving plan, automating tasks like invoicing, hiring expert movers, and investing in a storage unit, you can stay organized and ahead of schedule, with minimal business disruption as you relocate.

article courtesy of Marcus Lansky, www.abilitator.biz