Organising and implementing a fitout for your business during a move is an extremely stressful task. One way to reduce stress levels surrounding this project is to identify your priorities and direct most of your time and effort towards them. Here are the top 5 things to focus on:
1. Location
Know well in advance where you are moving to. You can’t start plans without knowing what space you are moving into. If the end of your lease is coming up and you’re thinking of upgrading to a bigger and better space be pro-active about finding a new office.Once you know where you’ll be moving to and what the dimensions of that office are you can begin making other plans.
2. Budget
One of the very first things you should be considering along with ‘where?’ is ‘how much?’ The amount you can spend on this relocation should always be at the forefront of your mind and guide decisions throughout the process so that you don’t go over budget.
3. Legal
Know your lease. No lease is the same; while much of the jargon tends to look the same in that massive document it is important to know what you’re signing for a number of reasons.
Avoid clashes with your landlord in the future. You don’t want the relationship to be hostile. A good relationship means that you will get more out of the lease and increased leniency on future requests.
Make sure you have an office for the long term. Relocating once will put you off ever wanting to do it again. Make sure you don’t have to by ensuring you know how long the term of the lease is and what options there are to extend.
Know your expenses. Are outgoings included in the rent rate or will they be extra? Reading the lease will answer these questions and ensure there are no surprise bills!
Negotiate. If there are any terms of the lease you don’t agree with or would like altered, ask. If you don’t know what’s in the lease you’ll not get the best result.
4. Connections
Don’t move into a dark office with no electricity or contact with the outside world. Have all your connections organised well in advance so they are in place for the first day of work in the new office. Use the following as a basic checklist:
- Electricity
- Gas
- Water
- Internet
- Servers
- Phones
- Cleaners
- Waste
5. Update, update, update
You’ll be surprised at how many items contain your address! Again, we’ve provided a handy checklist of items to consider:
- Letterheads
- Envelopes
- Address labels
- Business cards
- Email signatures
- Website
- Social media
- Web listings
- Signage
- Merchandise – pens, mugs, USB sticks
On that note, make sure you tell all your clients you are moving. Look at it as a marketing opportunity. Send out a newsletter to get everyone excited or even host a relocation party if space permits.
For total project management in your next relocation fitout, contact us on 08 9249 1347 or write to us today.
