Things to Consider When Relocating Your Business Premises


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Perhaps you’ve found a better location, you are expanding, or the landlord in your current premises has leased off the entire property to someone else, requiring you to vacate.

As much as relocating your business premises or office can be an exciting undertaking, it can also be quite stressful in almost the same measure. This is more so if you’re running a small business dealing with strict clients or tight deadlines to be met.

But if you have to move, you have to move. To help make it a smooth sail, read on to learn about the four crucial things you will need to consider when relocating your business.

Common Reasons for Business Relocation 

Businesses move to different premises for various reasons, which may vary widely from one company to the other. Some relocate to access new markets, whereas others do so to avoid lease renewal.

Some are in search of better facilities, while others relocate premises to consolidate offices, allow for expansion, or reduce costs. In some cases, the need for reorganization and rebranding are the major driving factors for a business move.

Challenges To Expect When Relocating a Business 

Relocating from one business premises to the other can be a hectic process. There are various challenges to navigate, including logistics, finances, transportation, and other issues.

More often than not, business downtime is a hurdle, and you risk losing some customers for good. Larger companies face even tougher challenges since relocation could mean disrupting their employees’ social lives.

4 Crucial Considerations to Make Business Relocation Less Stressful 

With the above being mentioned, here are a few considerations you want to make when relocating your business premises.

1. Consider Renting Temporary Storage 

Depending on the size of your business, its inventory, equipment, and the distance to your new location, relocating might not be possible in a single day or in one move. Also, the new office premises may not be ready for occupancy by the time you’re vacating your old workplace.

This brings in the need to have a secure place where you can store business items temporarily until they can conveniently be transported to the new facility.

And, thankfully, self-storage units aren’t that hard to find these days. Assuming you are moving to Sacramento CA, or a nearby area, you can use online tools to find storage rental units available in the area, and choose the one that best suits your needs.

2. Time Your Relocation Well 

As with any other move, proper planning is crucial, when it comes to business relocation. With your new premises in a strategic place, you also want to make sure that the work done at your old location is not affected. Proper timing, which means picking the best time to relocate your business, can help ensure this.

For instance, you can consider relocating during the weekend, during low-season, or when you don’t have highly-demanding projects going on. It also pays to notify your clients of the relocation at least a few months or weeks before the moving date.

3. The Costs Involved 

Relocating may involve financial expenses as well as costs on your business’s part. Some of these expenses may include increased rent and utility costs, transportation, handling, installation, delivery, and so forth.

You may also incur costs in redesigning your business space (in the new premises) to suit your needs. This is not to forget the possible loss of profits from business downtime, alongside other expenses such as replacing furniture or fixtures.

4. The Amount of Space You Need In Your New Business Premises 

Depending on the size of your business, the amount of space required in your new business premises will also vary. Apart from the business’s office or factory premises, the workspace of its staff members also needs to be considered.

In some cases, you might need additional space or just a small extension, and in other cases, you might need to relocate to a setting that’s completely different from your previous premises.

Some questions to ask yourself to determine the amount of space you need may include:

  • How large is your company’s workforce?
  • Are you expanding or downsizing your business now?
  • How many customers (if any) do you expect to accommodate at a time?
  • How much furniture and equipment does your business own?
  • What’s your future expansion strategy?
  • What kind of workplace amenities do you consider essential? 

Conclusion 

Business relocation can undoubtedly be a daunting task. However, this shouldn’t be the case if you plan your move well and early enough before your chosen date.

If you’ve decided it’s time to relocate your business operations, the considerations above should help relieve some of the stress involved in the huge undertaking.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.