27 Apr 2018
There is a lot to think about when preparing to relocate your business, and if you don’t plan carefully you could find the move to be very stressful and it could even result in a loss of employees or clients. In this blog post, we walk you through 5 factors you consider when relocating your business so you can be sure you make the right decision and have all your bases covered when the time comes.
The first factor you will need to consider is, of course, the location of your new premises. You’ll need to make sure that the location is convenient for your existing employees and clients. It’s also important that the location is in close proximity to convenient parking and public transport links for staff, clients, customers and visitors.
It’s also important that you make sure the location makes sense for your business. It might seem like common sense, but some businesses struggle with choosing the right new location for their business. For instance, if your business requires retail space, it’s best to be in an area that allows for plenty of foot traffic – typically in an area near other retail businesses.
When deciding on relocating your business, you’ll need to take future growth into consideration. Very few businesses operate without the intent of growing more successful or expanding in the future. For this reason, you’ll need to make sure that the area you choose to move to allows for this. Does the office space allow for more people joining the team, more stock, or larger meeting areas for a growing list of clients? If not, does the office building have other, larger premises you can expand into when the time comes without having to plan another large move?
It’s always important to think ahead when making big decisions for your business, and making sure your new location will allow for growth and will help ensure you can see your business prosper for many years without having to disrupt everyone with another stressful move.
If you’ve come to the conclusion that you definitely need to relocate, but that some of your staff will not be able to stay with the company, then you’ll need to plan a recruitment campaign. It’s important to make sure that your new business location has the skill sets you will require in new employees. For instance, if you’re a leading IT firm planning to move to a very rural location, you may find it difficult to find people in the area with the necessary skills to perform roles within your business, as it is somewhat typical for these roles to be located near larger cities.
Taking skill sets into consideration is very important for the future talent of your company ensuring you have the team you need to continue the growth and success of your business.
Another very important factor to consider when relocating a business is the culture. Company culture is very important for employees as well as employers, so you’ll need to spend some time thinking about how the move is going to affect your company’s culture. Is it likely to have a negative or a positive effect? Can you take the move as an opportunity to enhance your company’s culture by revamping the way you’ve been doing things?
Ensuring a positive company culture, especially after the upheaval of a move, will ensure a smooth transition and ensure employee satisfaction.
Finally, you need to consider the actual logistics of the move. Moving a business is almost more stressful than moving house because you have so much more to juggle and keep running in the meantime. You’ll need to make sure you can still offer some level of service to your clients, so it’s important that you have an action plan in place that allows you to still have access to a phone and emails.
You’ll also need to figure out the best way to conduct the move. It’s best to work with a trusted removals company with extensive experience of relocating businesses. It’s vital that you ensure the removals firm has the proper insurance, as business equipment can be extremely costly to replace if damaged while in transit.
Bishop’s Move has been relocating businesses for 165 years and has the knowledge to provide your business with a smooth transition. Contact us today to find out how we can help.
