What To Look For In A Business Relocation Service – Business Moving Checklist
Looking for a business relocation service? Do you know what to look for when hiring a moving company for office moving? Relocating is hard. Relocating an entire business is a whole other ballgame.
There are many reasons for relocating your business. Maybe business is booming, and you need more space; perhaps business slowed down, and you’ve decided to downsize. Regardless of the reason, you’ll have to consider all your needs before choosing the best moving company for you.
There are a few things to consider before deciding on a business relocation service. Here, we have created a quick and easy guide to help you make the best choice for your company.
Choose a business relocating service company. Unless you are a very small business, consider searching for moving companies that specialize in relocating businesses, or at the very least, companies that do it regularly. By choosing a company that has never dealt with a business relocation, you run the risk of ruining equipment, supplies and spending a lot of time and money trying to fix it all. It is best to stick to people that know what they’re doing.
Be clear about your budget. Sure, budgets sometimes bleed through, but if you don’t have an unlimited budget to work with, chances are you won’t want to risk going over too much. So before you do anything, decide your budget and shop around for places that can meet your requirements for that price.
Ask about their moving insurance. Much like home relocation, a professional business relocating service should offer some sort of moving insurance. When you’re shopping for a moving service, make sure you ask about their basic moving insurance and their full value protection. Companies are legally obligated to offer both. In addition, protecting your company’s assets during the move should be a priority, so anything you can do to guarantee that should give you more peace of mind during the move.
Ask about the company’s licensing. This one might seem obvious, but just in case it is not, this is your reminder to always ensure your moving company is licensed. Check the FMCSA’s online database for the company to make sure they’re legitimate.
Ask about hidden fees. While hidden fees are typically harder to conceal for personal moves, sometimes things fly under the radar with businesses. So ask ahead of time if anything would warrant a “surprise/hidden fee.” For example, you might think that packing or even disconnecting equipment is included in the total fee only to find an extra charge for it on your final bill.
What happens if something gets damaged?
Something you need to get clear about ahead of time is the process of what happens if any of your equipment gets lost or damaged. Ask the business relocation service what their policies and procedures are for such cases. Even if you’ve opted for moving insurance, you don’t want to find out the day you file the claim that it takes them 14 business days to get back to you after a claim is filed. Now is the time to ask.
Time to Move
Once you’re happy with your moving company choice, it’s time to create a checklist for moving day. A few things you can do to make the move seamless on your end are:
Assign a moving manager. Having one person who can communicate with the moving company is vital for a smooth moving transition. This person will be the bridge that connects everything. They will keep notes and communicate everything from pick-up times to when and how the movers should pick things up. Doing this will prevent miscommunication and ensure the best possible move.
Pack everything you can ahead of time. Relocating a business is tough because chances are you’ll have a very short time frame to make the move. However, in some cases, you will be moving while still working. In any case, make sure you get the things you definitely won’t need put way days before the move. This includes supplies, extra phones, cords, and anything else that hasn’t been used in a while.
Ensure movers have security access. Unless you plan to have a person escorting them throughout the building, make sure that the movers with the business relocation service have temporary access to any rooms they need to pick up things from. Also, ensure that there is a clear and safe pathway for the movers to come in and out of freely.
Pack the kitchen last. Unlike an individual move, the office kitchen should have plenty of disposable utensils, snacks, coffee, and water available for anyone helping with the move, and it should remain stocked until the end of the move.
Have IT on standby. This one is important because it never fails that once office cables start being messed with, something inevitably goes wrong with either the phones, the computers, or the internet. So ensure that IT is on standby the day of the move and, if possible, the days following the move. If you don’t have IT, take pictures of anything with cables and be ready to set some time aside to reassemble any technology.
Tip your movers. Assuming that you’re happy with the service they provide, it’s always a good idea to tip your movers. They work hard so you don’t have to. A good rule of thumb is $20 per mover per four hours. So if your movers did a full day’s work (8 hours), you should tip them $40 per mover. Of course, this is entirely up to your discretion. You can learn about other common questions you may have when hiring a moving company here.
Check for any damages as soon as possible. If possible, try to check for any potential property damage as soon as you can. It’s one thing to file a claim for fine china, which isn’t necessarily urgent to replace. It’s another thing to find out your most important computer monitor is broken or wet. Try to do a quick walk-through of your belongings to ensure no claims need to be filed and that there is nothing that needs to be urgently replaced.
If you follow these tips, you should be on your way to a relatively easy business relocation. Congratulations on your new workspace. We hope it’s everything you’re expecting it to be after utilizing a business relocation service!
