Corporate relocation can be harder than residential moving. Aside from the hunt for the perfect office, there is an added pressure to not lose clients. Business owners also need to make sure employees and their families can complete the move. The new location must be accessible not just to clients but also to employees. Most importantly, it should be accessible to clients.
Planning the move and coming up with a reasonable schedule that is not too tight can be challenging if you are considering the schedules of numerous people. As the moving date comes near, stress levels will increase.
Although nothing is keeping business owners from doing a DIY move, when the stakes are high, it is always best to engage professional movers. Look for a moving company with experience in corporate relocation. You can find a moving company in Sacramento offering high-quality services at reasonable rates.
Table of Contents
The Role of Movers for Corporate Relocations
Hiring professional movers can seem like a waste of money. After all, if you are a business owner for some years now, chances are, you have people on your payroll who can do stuff for you. As the boss, you can delegate tasks to your individual employees and get them involved in the packing, loading and unloading. However, this would mean their attention on work-related tasks would get divided. This might be more costly in the long run and might cause lasting problems for your business.
If everyone just cooperates and sets up the move together, it can be done in no time, right? This is a misconception. While good planning skills can certainly help, an efficient move requires focus and discipline.
The role of corporate relocation movers is to carry out the following:
Corporate relocation movers help shorten the downtime.
You cannot blame your customers if they get anxious while waiting for your new office to open, especially if you did a complete move of your whole business operations and closed your old office. Do not let your business lose loyal customers. Complete the move as soon as possible so you can get back to serving them.
You can rely on experienced and expert movers to make the corporate relocation efficient.
It’s easy to get lost in the list of unending errands during the moving process. Professional office movers especially those who belong to a reputable moving company will know what to do to cut down on unproductive time even during the transition period.
Professional movers can bring their own moving tools and equipment.
If you are doing a DIY move and you have heavy and expensive office equipment, you will need dollies and a furniture lifter. If your business uses large machines, you might even need a forklift. When looking for a professional moving company, ask if there is an option for them to bring their own equipment. This way you do not need to purchase this expensive stuff which you may or may not use only once.
Ensure that office equipment arrives in the new location on time and damage-free.
The relocation period is a volatile time frame full of uncertainties. A business does not only need to move its equipment. Sometimes you are also moving your products or components of your inventory. The anxiety and stress of not knowing whether the result of your time, money, and efforts will get to your new shop can get overwhelming.
It can get especially stressful if your product is a food item or one with a short shelf life. If you hire experienced relocation movers, this is not their first time moving such items. They will have the necessary technical know-how, systems, and equipment to ensure your items will get to the new place on time and in good condition.
Ask yourself if you can afford to just buy new furniture once you settle down in your new headquarters. If this is cheaper than hiring a bigger moving truck to transport non-essential items, it would be advisable to start first with the bare minimum.
Minimize safety hazards during the move.
Do not overestimate your physical capabilities. If you are not used to heavy lifting, do not attempt to carry office equipment by yourself. You can request help from your employees but if they are also not physically used to doing this type of work it is better to avoid it. In the days leading to the move day, Otherwise, you might be opening yourself to liabilities.
Handle other tasks you might have missed.
As a business owner, you are probably taking on too much already. On top of your regular work responsibilities, you are in charge of looking for a new location and constructing the new office or shop. Due to the sheer number of things on your plate, it would be easy to miss out on other important items such as move-in permits, licenses, and paperwork necessary if you are doing fit-out construction work in the new office.
When to Hire Corporate Movers and Corporate Relocation Services
The best time to hire professionals is when you need to make the move fast and easy. For a business owner, this means it’s always the best time to hire a professional moving team. Planning ahead and good organization skills can only get you so far. Hire professionals to cut back on time, save money, and maximize effort. The goal is to minimize disruptions to your business or at the very least, help you get back to it immediately.
Stakes are higher for corporate relocation. Most customers will not wait for you to finish your move. They will take their business elsewhere. Time is gold but even more so when you have a business to consider and employees to think of.
Office moves are often always two-pronged, a commercial move and a residential move. If you will require your employees to move, the process will involve moving personal items, looking for an apartment near the new office and making sure everyone arrives on schedule. If they are moving with their families, they also need to look for good schools for the kids.
The commercial move covers packing and transporting office equipment like photocopy machines and desktop computers and office furniture like meeting tables and file cabinets.
Long distance moves can get messy when you have a big team and must account for each employee. This is where a good corporate relocation company can come in. Since the corporate move is made up of several aspects, hiring a moving company makes the most sense if you want efficiency.
What to Look for in a Corporate Relocation Company
Set aside a reasonable budget before your move so you can have options. You cannot expect a smooth transition without cost, but you can choose the most cost-effective option. Book a full-service moving company that can also rent you a moving truck. This will save you a lot of time since you will no longer need to research service providers and compare rates.
Research thoroughly before booking one. Ask family and friends if they have recommendations. They might have experience in relocating where they are the employers or where they are part of the staff. Whether you want to establish new offices in another country or to open new businesses with your existing team, moving can be a breeze if you start by hiring the right movers.
Here are some points to consider before booking a corporate moving partner:
Corporate moving services that will fit your needs.
Ask for a full list of the services being offered and the price rates. Find out if they can customize their services to include add-on services such as general cleaning and handyman services. If you have things which you are planning to sort and transport at a later date, you might want to inquire if they have storage services. Of course, much like residential moves, decluttering and discarding non-essentials can result in a better and faster moving experience.
Look for a moving company that can give you service rates upfront. You would not want surprise charges to take your precious mental space. Ask for discounts and vouchers they might have which you can use. As the decision maker, you have the right to choose and hire the company which you believe will be the right fit for your upcoming move.
Past experience in corporate moving
Ask if they have any of the dedicated office movers. You can request them to assign the project manager for the move. This is crucial especially if you have expensive fragile items like office computers. The movers you will hire should not just be physically strong and reliable, they should also know how to pack and handle these things to ensure there will be no breakage.
For computers containing corporate files and documents, do not forget to back up these files before starting the move. This will keep you from constantly worrying about office documents and information. As a business owner your priority is to protect confidential client information.
Financial capacity
Movers do not need to be expensive but if you are transporting expensive pieces like an heirloom piano or limited-edition glassware, it is somehow easier to trust one with financial capacity. This way you can somehow be sure that they can finance their business operations, afford to train their movers and pay them correctly.
This is also important for advance booking. You would not want to find out on moving day that the company was already closed or has filed for bankruptcy.
Tools and technology used.
Tools can make the job easier especially if you are moving bulky items. Ask if the movers can bring their own furniture dollies and trolleys. This way you do not need to spend on tools. The owner of the tools is more adept in using these to move things around and for heavy lifting.
References, testimonials and good reviews
Research online what previous clients have to say. Aside from learning what pitfalls to avoid, this can also be a good way of learning what challenges to anticipate. Learn for free from the experience of others so you won’t need to repeat the same mistakes. Solve problems before they materialize.
Overall, it is up to the business owner to decide what to outsource and what to DIY. When moving to Sacramento, corporate relocation companies can play a major role or a minor role in the moving process. Engaging one can either make the relocation to your new facility efficient and memorable or a stressful nightmare.
Explain to the office movers immediately during the early stages of your move what you consider non-negotiable and what can immediately terminate your agreement.
You have the choice to make the relocation process a good experience.
