Whether your expanding, downsizing, or simply just want a change of scenery, moving an entire business to a new office can be a tremendously precarious affair, so taking steps to avoid potential pitfalls is a must.
Once you get settled, it will likely have all been worth it, although it might not feel like that in the heat of the moment.
Here are some hurdles and challenges to watch out for along the way.
The Cost of Utilities
It can be easy to get caught up in the immediacy of the move, which unfortunately means that some of the fundamentals suffer from it.
One such fundamental is the prospect of utilities. Failing to account for your new suppliers could lead to some annoying and potentially damaging hidden costs later on down the line.
Taking a preemptive approach and finding your new suppliers ahead of the move can help you find the ideal company, and thanks to great online platforms like Business Water Quotes, this can be done at the touch of a button.
Downtime
Perhaps one of the most frustrating parts of relocating a business is the concept of downtime.
The longer your doors are closed for trading, the more income you will be missing out on. There are some measures to put in place to reduce this, however, such as:
- Moving Certain Processes to the Cloud – Cloud computing and its wonderful accessibility bonuses can come in handy when you need to up sticks and move, so moving a few of your processes to the virtual world might be able to reduce downtime.
- Making a Gradual Move – You might be able to cut downtime by moving in stages, especially if your employees need some time to sort out their own logistics.
- Embrace Remote/Hybrid Working – Offering your staff the opportunity to work from home or come into the new office could solve the problem, provided you have the digital infrastructure to support this.
Tax Laws
Depending on where you plan to move to, there might be different rules and regulations surrounding taxes.
It is crucial to check this out way in advance of the move to avoid any accidental wrongdoings.
Whether this is different tax rates or there is a state-imposed tax on a process that you previously did not pay tax on, doing your research is a must.
This can also help you better develop an accurate and reliable moving budget, so it should be one of the first priorities on your moving prep list.
Think About the Customer
Thinking about how the customer might be impacted by your move can help you prepare your organization for the move – this might be especially important if you are moving with a brick-and-mortar store.
Customers need to know where to find you and how to contact you, so do not forget to update your contact details on your website or on any platform that has your information, for that matter.
Making an announcement on social media is also a good way to make your move more visible to customers. After all, they are the ones who need to access your goods!
Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.