Relocating an office may look easy for some business owners and facility managers but it's not. It's a procedure and like all other procedures, it needs proper planning and investments of money and time. If you plan correctly and work towards executing that plan then relocation will be easy and cost effective.
When you move the location of the office it affects the both, business and people associated with the business. So the office relocation decision should not be taken in a vacuum.
Here are few points which every facility manager should consider while relocating the office-
- DEFINE THE INSPIRATION BEHIND MOVING THE WORKPLACE
The first question before selecting a new office should be why you are moving. Once you answer this question to yourself, it will be easy to select the decent areas and other requirements. Moving an office is a major change for any business and it can be dangerous if not planned well. So before starting you should be clear about the objectives of moving office space.
Some basic purposes behind moving an office are:
Bring down the office cost – Property rates are going high with every passing year. Office rent is one of the biggest spends for a company. So as a business owner you have to decide on an area where renting is affordable.
For business development – If you are looking for an area where better opportunities are waiting for you to develop your business then relocation is a good thing to consider. Compare the prospects of the current area and newly considered areas to choose the best for your business.
Proximity to the objective market- If you feel that your present location is not suiting the business objectives then it’s the right time to search for a new office. It’s better to operate in the proximity of the objective market.
Best for the employees – If you are operating from a remote location then it might be painful to attract talents. Think about your employees and choose a location where they love to work. It will help your existing employees and attract new talents too.
- DISCUSS WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS BEFORE FINALIZING THE MOVE
It's the best practice to discuss things with the team before taking any big decision for the running business. You should include your workers, management and your partners in the decision-making the process for relocating office because this is the decision which affects them the most. The best way to do it with employees is to organize a town hall meeting and share the selected areas for the relocation. Ask them to give the suggestions on the selected areas.
You should also do a closed door meeting with the management and partners where you can discuss the shortlisted areas and employee’s suggestions. You should consider all the pros and cons of shortlisted office spaces during the meeting.
Once you take the decision by involving everybody in the process, it will be the best for the organization. Every employee will feel the ownership and work with zeal to achieve the business goals at the new location.
- CONSIDER THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NEW OFFICE
It’s better to plan ahead in advance. The new location will have new challenges. As a business owner or facility manager, it's your responsibility to know them well. Once you have a clear requirement in your mind you can take a better decision in choosing an office space for relocation.
Conduct a meeting with your admin group and try to find out the requirements of the new office space.
How many meeting rooms you need?
How much is more office space required for the new hiring in future?
How many cabins and how many desks in open area you require?
Once you list the entire requirement, it will be super easy for you to decide on the office.
- MAKE THE BUDGET FOR THE RELOCATION EXPENSES
Office relocation can be a costly and tedious affair. There must be a budget allocation for the expenses of moving the office to overcome any hard situation in relocation. Make a budget after considering all probable expenses for moving the office space.
You need to closely work with your accounts department to come up with a budget for relocation. There can be a lot of things to take care while allocating budget for moving office, few of them are:
The cost of moving supplies like boxes, tapes etc
The cost of professional movers and packers
The cost of setting up the systems and networks in the new office space.
The cost of downtime for the company during relocation should also be considered. You need to plan for the business commitments during this transition. You need to ensure that business will work for the critical clients and you should be ready to bear the cost of non-operation during the relocation.
- HIRE THE BEST OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT PROVIDER
Getting a suitable office space for rent is a daunting task. It needs lots of time, money and planning. To make the process easy and less time consuming you need to hire a decent service provider who has a proven track record in the field.
The commercial real estate firm helps you to discover best office spaces in the area. It will help you find the best suitable office with all the amenities you are looking for. You only need to communicate with the firm about your requirement and they will take care of it. It's advisable to contact such a firm well in advance so that you can get the best-suited office space for rent on time.
Commercial Office Bangalore is a reputed commercial real estate company which helps businesses in getting the best office space for rent. Contact us today for rent an office space which suits your needs and budget.