Is your office preparing for a move? Whether you’re moving across town, to another part of the state, or cross-country, moving can be a bit stressful and time-consuming. Below are some tips designed to help make your commercial move easier and reduce downtime.
Donate office equipment you no longer need.
If your office is still using outdated equipment such as phones, printers, PC’s, copiers, and supplies, now is a great time to part with them. There’s no point in paying a professional moving company to move your unused equipment when you can recycle or donate them and get a tax break. Find a local registered charity you want to support, perhaps your employees can even vote on the charity, and lighten your load by donating the equipment.
Start preparing now.
Much like residential moving, you never truly realize how much stuff you have until you go to move. If you’re moving your own office, start packing items you use on a semi-regular basis as soon as you set the date. If you have a large inventory of items and supplies to go through, start packing boxes weeks, if not months, in advance. Just remember, it’s better to start too early than too late!
Choose your commercial mover ASAP.
If you plan to hire a professional commercial mover, book one at least two months in advance. As with residential moving, try to get multiple price quotes and proof of insurance. Doing this part early will give you time to prepare and choose the best company possible
Take care of perishable items.
If you’re working with a commercial mover, be sure to take care of trash and perishable items ahead of time. Movers don’t make decisions for you, nor do they clean up along the way. If there’s trash in the trash cans and food in the refrigerators, they’ll move it all to the new space. Spare yourself the hassle of opening up a refrigerator in the new space with spoiled food by throwing out perishable items and trash before moving day comes.
Label your boxes clearly.
Even if you have a mid-sized office, you’ll probably end up with hundreds of boxes. Be sure to clearly label the tops and sides so you can locate and get into them quickly when you need items. Consider using a number system as well to make it as easy on you as possible. This will be highly beneficial if you’ve hired a commercial mover. Number your boxes and write up a brief description of what’s inside so in the event of a loss, you will have an easier time making an insurance claim.
Take extra care when packing computers.
When moving computer towers and monitors, take the time to wrap them individually in thick bubble wrap and/or moving blankets. Be sure your computer monitor is not placed in a box with packing tape as the monitor should never come into contact with the tape. Also, take the time to “park” your computer’s hard drive during the move. This won’t guarantee that your data will survive the move if it was jostled around too much.