When you first start a business, you probably don’t have many people to organize or equipment to store, which leaves your office, warehouse, or any other workplace wide open and comfortable. As time goes on and your company grows, you’ll find employees starting to crowd each other and your stock might take up space your people need.

If your business is outgrowing your building, it’s probably time to move it out. While the process may overwhelm you at first, these four tips should help you navigate your move.

1.  Make a Plan

A lot of decisions go into moving your business, and the simplest ones can be crucial for a successful move. Determine how much more space you’ll need, and how much you have to spend on a new location. Then you can browse your area for leases and sales that fit your budget and space needs. You don’t have to settle for the listed prices — negotiate for the best deal for your company.

The planning doesn’t end as you decide on a new location, though. Create an inventory, a checklist of what needs to happen, and a timeline of your process so that everything is written down, allowing anyone involved to keep track of what’s going on. You’ll also need to strategize the layout and efficiency of your new place to make sure you won’t have to move again for a while.

2. Make Necessary Changes

While the move may seem simple when you first envision it, a transition is always more complicated than it first seems. In the initial planning phase, give yourself flexibility in your timeline. Make sure your budget has room for moving expenses, deposits on services at the new location, and overhead if your income goes down a bit. Flexibility will help your business stay afloat during the moving process.

As the changeover progresses, you may discover other changes that need to happen. If you need to update your company name, articles of incorporation, or any other legal documents for the move, do it as soon as possible to avoid any hang-ups or delays. Stagger your move if it makes things easier; keep both locations open for a short time to continue operations throughout the transition.

3. Tell People Quickly

While many things need to wait until you sign for a new location, everything goes into motion once you do. You’ll need to update your business cards, website, and fliers with your new address. Put signs up in the windows of your current location and the new one to indicate your move, making sure suppliers and customers are well-informed. Keep your staff involved in the decisions and the transition as much as you can.

Most importantly, though, you’ll need to update the government on federal, state, and local levels. Any government agency involved in your business, including the IRS, will want a change of address form, and if you’re taking your company out of state, there’s even more paperwork to complete. Check the regulations for your location to ensure you fill all the right boxes.

4. Use Professional Help

If you recruit your employees to move your equipment, office supplies, and the rest of your business to the new location, you risk the costs of damage and replacement. To avoid this problem, make sure you hire professional movers to pack and transport your things to your new location.

Ready to move your business to a new home? Or are you just looking for reliable freight transportation? Whatever your logistical needs, Island Movers stands ready to assist you and your company. Get in touch today to see the rates for your office transition.