office employees working at desks

Moving your Atlanta office can be a stressful and chaotic time. From packing supplies and sensitive documents to moving bulky office furniture, an office relocation is a complex endeavor. Plus, you also have to consider your employees, customers, and clients. Just thinking about all of the tasks and people involved can easily make your head spin!

Whether you’re moving a small office to another part of the Atlanta metropolitan area or relocating your corporate headquarters across the county, you may want to consider working with experienced commercial movers to ensure that your relocation is completed successfully. Professional movers have the skills and expertise to plan and execute quick, efficient office moves to minimize downtime—and they can help alleviate a good deal of stress.

While office movers can handle numerous tasks, there are still plenty of ways that you can make the moving process less hectic for everyone involved. Use these six helpful tips to take the stress out of your next office move.

#1. Start Planning Early

Perhaps the best way to reduce stress during an office move is to plan your relocation well in advance. You’ll find that most professional business movers suggest that you start preparing for your relocation three to six months prior to your expected move date. You and your employees will have endless tasks to manage in the months and days leading up to your move. A few of the tasks might entail include:

  • Researching Professional Office Movers
  • Arranging Elevator Bookings with Property Management
  • Acquiring Permits, if necessary
  • Prepping Wiring, Cabling, and IT Servers

#2. Invest in a Commercial Moving Company

Before the planning process gets too stressful, hire professional commercial movers to plan, coordinate, and execute your relocation. Many office moving companies will assign a designated move coordinator to help you before, during, and after your relocation. From creating customized move plans and supervising moving crews to handling logistical issues and answering questions, you’ll find that working with an experienced move coordinator will dramatically lower your stress level.

Professional office movers will typically provide numerous other services and benefits, including:

  • Professional Packing
  • Loading Services
  • Assembly/Disassembly Services
  • Short- and Long-Term Storage Solutions

#3. Communicate Effectively

Communicating effectively is essential anytime, but it’s even more important during office relocations. When everyone knows the details of your move, you’ll spend less time answering questions on moving day—and for days before and after. The role a person plays in your move plan will dictate the level and types of communication they receive, but some of the key people you should be in communication with include your:

  • Employees
  • Office Movers
  • Property Managers
  • Customers/Clients

#4. Familiarize Yourself with Your New Office Space

The last thing you want to do on moving day is walk into an unfamiliar space. Start by looking at the floor plan to determine if have enough space for your current office furniture, need to buy more furniture, or perhaps need commercial storage to hold some of your surplus items. Next, take a tour and really get a good feel for your new space, think about how you want to organize furniture, and where your employees will sit.

#5. Label, Label, Label

Now that you have a move plan in place and are familiar with your new office, it’s time to organize—everything! If you’re working with a move coordinator, they should be able to explain the most effective way to label your office furniture and belongings to ensure they are situated correctly at your new location. A simple way to help with this process is to use your office floor plan to create a map of where furniture and other belongings need to be placed.

#6. Change Your Address Ahead of Time

Today, many people use computers and smartphones to locate businesses, so you’ll need to change your address—both physically and digitally. You certainly want your customers and clients to be able to find you after your move! Update your address on your businesses’ website and social media accounts, and be sure to communicate your address change ahead of time to spread the word about your move.

A few of the online directories, websites, and apps where you might need to change your address include:

  • Google
  • Bing
  • Yelp!
  • Yahoo
  • MapQuest
  • Foursquare

Are you planning to relocate your office? ALS Van Lines has been serving the needs of commercial clients since 1994, and our family-owned and operated business has coordinated hassle-free relocations for thousands of clients—locally, nationally, and internationally. Call us today to speak with a friendly customer support specialist about our commercial movers and corporate relocation services, or use our convenient quote form to request a free, no-obligation moving estimate today!