It's moving day! Relocating presents an opportunity for a fresh start. Here are the benefits an office relocation can have for your company.
If you’re currently deciding to embark on an office relocation, it’s highly likely that the majority of articles you read and advice you seek lays out how stressful the experience is, and how many pitfalls there are. However, moving your business is an exciting, progressive time; and we feel it should be treated in such a way!
Office relocations happen for a number of reasons, from company expansion to moving cities, and regardless of the reason, it’s often cause for celebration. From changing your office’s interior design to implementing innovative ways of working, office relocations can be the catalyst for giving your entire company a make-over, and not just an aesthetic one.
Getting outside help to assist you with the planning and moving itself is the easiest way to avoid the stresses and strains of relocating, leaving you to enjoy the journey and reap the benefits at the end.
Moving offices can kick-start a company into assessing the way it operates; it can motivate and encourage performance; alter the public, employee and customer perception of the business; and open up ways in which you can cut back on costs.
We’ll look at the benefits an office relocation will have for your company.
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Planning for a move
The earlier you can start planning your office relocation, the better. By giving yourself plenty of time to either orchestrate the move yourself, or oversee an external company doing so, you won’t feel rushed into making decisions or acting hastily. If you decide to conduct the move yourself, ensure you know what you’re looking for, the budget you’re working under and the timeframe you need to abide by.
It’s usually easier to opt for external help: there are companies that specialize in office relocation, and will know how to go about finding your next property, transitioning the workforce, dealing with office interior design, and settling all the queries that are likely to come up.
To ensure you choose the right specialists, do your research! Find out what companies work with others in your industry or others of your size, and be sure to ask for testimonials or case studies. The more experienced a company is, the smoother your move will be.
Using an external company ensures that you are taken care of start to finish: the decisions will be yours, but the hard work getting there will be someone else’s responsibility.
Enhance your brand
Offices are a key tell-tale sign when it comes to a company: you can tell whether they’re young and quirky, or more traditional. Outsiders to your business will learn a lot about your brand from your offices; and moving gives you the chance to update your look along with your brand.
The style, tone and purpose of company branding often changes as a company develops, so once you move offices, you’ll have the ability to update your aesthetics in line with the message you want to portray about your company.
The building, the interior design, the location and the style you choose are major factors in creating your brand’s tone and portraying the right message. Office design and relocation companies will be able to offer some insightful ideas to help you attract the right audience.
Implementing innovative ways of working
New methodologies, such as lean working and swarm intelligence, may seem hard to implement in an old, stuck-in-the-mud office, but once you move, the possibilities multiply. If there are new theories and techniques you want to try, you’ll be able to action them before the interior design is set in stone.
Creating open working spaces, small acoustic rooms, hot-desking areas and employee lunch-areas will become easier: you’ll have a blank space to work with, and you’ll be able to put your own name and style on it.
Likewise, employees may expect a total refresh when they start working in a new building: it’s a great chance to start implementing new and innovative ways of working.
Related Article: Feng Shui & Fuzzy Feelings: Creating Company Culture Through Office Design
Grow your company
More space, a nicer office or a better location means it will be easier to improve your workforce: you may be nearer to large talent pools, or you may have the space to take on additional members of staff. Either way, office relocation opens new doors to improving your workforce.
A company that has recently moved to better, brighter offices is also likely to look more impressive in the eyes of prospective employees and clients alike. It’s a signal of success, determination and dynamism: you aren’t just standing still, letting the company fall into a routine.
How to transition your workplace correctly
Office relocations can be a sensitive subject to approach with your staff, especially if there are considerable changes to take into account. It can be easier to employ outside companies to deal with transitioning your workforce. This is due to a number of reasons, including their experience and expertise with doing so, and the resulting knowledge of how to do it properly and empathetically.
Make sure your staff have plenty of notice, and have a large say in what’s happening: the more included employees feel, the more on your side they will be. Ask for their suggestions with location, design and layout. They may have ideas on how to structure the interior to help improve their work, or the most efficient way to sit.
You may also find that when you change your employees’ environment, it works as a huge morale boost, encouraging proactive work and positive feelings for the company. Moving offices will give you the opportunity to evaluate how your workforce collaborates with each other, and how they communicate. This also gives you the opportunity to re-establish and build upon your company culture.
Workplace transitioning is a huge part of the relocation process, but when done well, it makes the entire journey run smoothly.
Related Article: Reinstating Boundaries: The Agile Workplace
Cutting down on costs
One of the best parts of office relocation is the ability to evaluate your financial outgoings. From utility tariffs to office goods, go through all of your suppliers and discover where you could save money, and how you can improve the ROI you’re getting from the money you’re spending.
Review your current suppliers and ask for quotes from alternative companies. One simple evaluation and review could result in large yearly savings.
Likewise, look at the technology you’re using: office relocation is a great excuse for moving to the most efficient and effective systems, in order to save you and your team time and money. It’s much easier changing solutions and equipment when you move, than trying to perform an upheaval in a working office.
New office, new start
There’s no point trying to say that office relocations are easy, they aren’t! But, they needn’t be viewed as a negative, time-consuming task. Moving gives you the chance to revamp your business, motivate your staff and save some money; as well as giving you the opportunity to review the core values at the heart of your company.