Small businesses are often among the most common types of companies to relocate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that thousands of companies are relocating across state lines (over 6,300 in 2021). Move Solutions notes their survey pinpointed that businesses make up the early half of all business relocations each year.
But why do businesses move premises? There could be multiple reasons. They might have outgrown their current setup, want to move states for improved success, need to follow trends requiring different strategies, or close or move due to seasonal factors or climate/weather conditions.
Moving your business can be quite the upheaval. Remaining operational to the best of your abilities requires forward planning, hefty consideration and adjustments, and a special touch to remove the variables that can impact the move and your business.
Let’s take a look at some of the tips you can use to help you execute a successful relocation for your business.
Plan Early
Early planning, ideally at least 6 months in advance, is crucial for a successful relocation. This allows you to secure service providers, gradually wind down operations, and prepare for the physical move. The more preparations you have in place, the smoother the move will be, minimizing disruption to your business.
Set Deadlines
Each and every part of your move needs to be actioned with a deadline. Set appropriate deadlines and have a thorough plan for what needs to be completed and when. This needs to be done for every single detail and action required to relocate.
Book Service Providers
When it comes to service providers, you’ll need to make definitive plans and arrangements. This could include moving services, storage units, cleaners, construction companies, tech set-up services, and more. Identify who you need and what help you require for the move, and book them in as early as possible to ensure everything is organized and you have what you need.
Share Details
You need to be clear and communicative with those around you regarding the move. Talk to employees, vendors, customers, insurers, etc, to allow you to inform those who need to know about the move exactly what is happening and when. Providing regular updates for your customers about changes to regular operations or slow periods, reduced capacity, or a complete shutdown can help them plan for those times when you cannot deliver what you usually do. The same goes for all of your vendors and partners. They can adjust their operations to meet yours for this period, and open communication can facilitate a smoother move.
Delegate
If you have employees who are going to be moving with you, then you need to make sure you’re delegating tasks to help you chip away at your to-do list. This list will be considerably sizable, and you won’t realistically be able to complete it and continue with your current workload; something will need to be given. With this in mind, identify team members who can assist with different aspects, such as organizing timelines, keeping customers updated, tackling admin, etc. The more help you have from trusted parties, the easier things will be.
