5 Things To Know Before Making a Commercial Move
You’re planning a commercial move. Maybe business is booming and you need more space. Or maybe you finally locked-in a location that will drive sales. Either way, office relocations are more complex than hiring movers and boxing everything up. Before you begin the moving process, we’ve put together five tips that will help you enjoy superior project management and a smooth transition from start to finish.
1. Establish a Command Center
Commercial moving isn’t part of daily business. Since you’re probably setting up a temporary chain of command to manage the move, communication can easily break down if roles and stations aren’t well defined. Create a dedicated command center to avoid communication chaos. This could be a cubical or a room where all moving-related business can be done.
Your command center should be:
- Staffed during active moving periods by team members with decision-making authority.
- Equipped with up-to-date move schedules, floor plans, and contact information for all key parties.
- Supplied with extra keys, building access cards, basic tools, and other critical items.
- Positioned to oversee activities at the old and new locations when possible.
- The first stop for employees with questions or concerns about the move.
For larger organizations, consider assigning department representatives to rotate through the command center, ensuring someone familiar with each team’s specific needs is always available. This approach also prevents command center staff from experiencing burnout during a multi-day move.
2. Create a Detailed Inventory
Business moves involve a lot of specialized equipment. Lost items and misplaced office equipment take a hit on productivity during an already stressed time.
Develop a specialized inventory system for your commercial move so nothing important disappears during the transition. This system should go beyond basic box counting to track individual assets, their condition, and their exact destination in the new space.
A comprehensive inventory system should include:
- Detailed documentation of office furniture, technology, and equipment with photos and condition notes.
- Identification of high-value or sensitive items requiring special handling.
- Responsibility assignment for specific items to individual team members.
- QR codes or barcodes that can be scanned at departure and arrival points.
- Digital tracking capabilities that provide real-time updates on item status.
Begin your inventory process weeks before the move. That way you have ample time to identify and address issues such as missing documentation for leased equipment or items requiring specialized transport arrangements. The inventory system should also include a verification process at the new location, where designated individuals confirm the arrival and condition of items within their responsibility.
3. Move by Department
When everyone moves simultaneously, the entire business shuts down; customer service suffers, and employees experience maximum disruption. A sequential moving strategy, where departments move in planned phases, maintains business continuity and reduces stress on employees and IT resources.
When planning a sequential move:
- Analyze departmental interdependencies to determine which groups must move together.
- Create temporary workspaces for teams in transition.
- Prioritize moving support departments before the teams they assist.
- Schedule moves during lower-activity periods for each department when possible.
- Build buffer days between phases to address unexpected issues.
Your IT infrastructure should be established at the new location before any departments relocate, allowing for testing and troubleshooting before employees arrive. This process helps teams become productive upon arrival rather than waiting for technology setup.
For customer-facing departments, sequential moves can be particularly valuable. By keeping part of your customer service team operational at the original location while another portion establishes operations at the new site, you maintain continuous coverage and minimize disruption to client relationships.
4. Inform Stakeholders and Update Contact Information
You might focus so much on physically moving your business that you neglect to properly notify stakeholders or update your contact information, leading to missed opportunities, lost communications, and confused partners.
Develop a thorough communication strategy so everyone who interacts with your business knows about your move, understands how it might affect them, and has updated contact information. This prevents the reputation damage that often occurs when clients or partners feel forgotten during a transition.
An effective stakeholder communication plan includes:
- Tiered notification timelines based on relationship importance (clients, vendors, regulatory bodies).
- Clear explanations of how the move might impact service or accessibility.
- Updated contact information across all channels, including:
- Business cards and stationery.
- Website and email signatures.
- Google Business Profile and online directories.
- Social media accounts.
- Professional licensing boards.
- State and federal registration documents.
Don’t overlook internal stakeholders either. Employees need information about the new office space, including transportation options, parking arrangements, nearby amenities, and changes to workplace policies that will accompany the move.
For businesses that receive substantial physical mail, set up mail forwarding well in advance, but also directly notify regular senders of your new address. The postal service’s forwarding system isn’t foolproof, particularly for business mail.
Updating your address with government agencies, insurance providers, and financial institutions often requires specific forms and processing time. Create a checklist of essential updates and begin the process early for continuity of coverage and compliance.
5. Declutter
As businesses operate, they tend to accumulate stuff. A lot of this can be discarded during the move since it will cost you more to take it with you.
Organize a structured decluttering initiative before your move to reduce moving costs and give your business a fresh start in its new home. This process allows you to evaluate what needs to move with you and what can be left behind.
For maximum effectiveness, schedule your decluttering event 4–6 weeks before your moving day. That’s enough time to make informed choices and get rid of the bloat.
Structure your decluttering event with these components:
- Clear guidelines for what should be kept, archived, donated, recycled, or discarded
- Department-specific goals or quotas to encourage participation
- Secure shredding services for confidential documents that are no longer needed
- Donation arrangements for usable office furniture and equipment
- Environmental disposal options for electronics and hazardous materials
- Recognition or incentives for teams that significantly reduce their moving footprint
Beyond the immediate benefits for your move, decluttering might reveal opportunities for operational improvements. Teams often find inefficient processes, duplicate efforts, or outdated procedures that can be improved in the new location.
Final Thoughts
The right commercial movers can guide you through the office moving process. We used Zip To Zip Moving Company during our last office move and they did a great job. I wish I could take credit for all the tips in this article, but a few of them might have come from Zip To Zip. They walked us through the relocation process and helped us prepare for a smooth moving day. If you’re moving offices in CT, PA, NJ, or NY, I recommend getting a quote and seeing if they are the right professional office movers for you.