June 25th, 2015
More than three quarters of small companies in the UK have delayed office moves because of stress, according to a recent survey by energy provider E.On. This means they often stay in unsuitable buildings which may be too cramped, too large or in an inconvenient location, possibly losing customers and revenue as a result.
It’s well known that moving house is stressful for households, often said to be up there with divorce in terms of upheaval. But it can potentially be even more of a strain for companies, who need to ensure their businesses carry on operating throughout the relocation. So what are the main problems involved in moving offices, and how can companies avoid the pitfalls?
Loss of Time
The E.On survey estimated that on average Britain’s small companies have lost seven and a half days in the last five years through office moves. This is valuable time that the business has to write off, where staff are not available to carry out their normal activities.
However, it isn’t just the actual time spent on the move that is lost. There is often a need to start planning a relocation weeks and even months ahead to ensure it all goes smoothly. Searching for suitable premises alone can take countless hours. The long period of preparation is likely to affect all staff, with pressure to complete projects before the move, as well as the need to ensure that meetings with clients don’t take place over the period of the move itself.
Once the move actually arrives, as well as packing up everything in your current office, time has to be spent on mapping out your new premises to ensure everything fits in. To reduce stress on members of staff, it’s important to get their input on the layout of the new offices and what equipment they will need, which means there is a need to spend further time on meetings and consultations.
Costs Involved
As well as the costs in terms of time, the same survey shows that moving premises costs the average small company around £40,000 over five years. These costs are another factor which put companies off thinking of a move.
The main costs could include finding and preparing new premises, paying to have your old premises made good, complying with any terms of the existing lease and organising a fitout for your new office. Even if you don’t need a full fitout, there is likely to be the need for at least some new furniture and equipment, for instance where existing items don’t fit into the new premises.
Arranging Infrastructure
In a world where digital is essential to most businesses activity, the thought of arranging new data provision and connections is one of the most offputting factors for many businesses contemplating a move. There is a need to negotiate with trades and service providers to arrange for everything to be in place when you arrive – from broadband and phone connections to power and heating.
Although the ideal is to have everything up and running right away, in practice it can take time to get computer workstations and phone lines set up at the other end, so it’s a good idea to have back-up plans in place for the changeover period. Getting some staff to work from home for a day or two could be a help in keeping on top of things.
Keeping Customers Informed
If people don’t know that you have moved and can’t get in touch with you, the result could easily be loss of business. Keeping lines of communication open right through the move is essential to ensure your clients can reach you if they need to. Realistically, many firms moving offices have to postpone important meetings or fall behind with answering emails and phone calls, with the risk of looking disorganised.
Reducing the Stress
Getting advice from experts in office relocation can help to cope with all of these tasks, but this is another major expense for a small business which is already investing in new office space. It’s also often helpful to get tips and advice from other companies which have already taken the plunge and carried out an office move.
Another way to guard against all the hassles of repeated office moves is to choose serviced office space in a convenient location, such as a Basepoint Business Centre. Basepoint offers flexible terms, so moving in does not involve a major financial commitment. The centre team can give you support and advice and arrange data and phone connections. You will also have the ability to move within the business centre as needed in future. Moving from one unit to another can be carried out quickly, keeping the same phone number and address, which makes it easy to keep in touch with clients.
