Moving Out: 4 Steps for Moving Your Home Business into Its First Office
When a home business outgrows your home, it's time to consider the big—but beneficial—task of moving to a real office. While there's a lot involved in doing this, this is a good thing because it means your business is growing. But it can be overwhelming to actually execute the move. If this is so for you, consider this handy guide to moving right.
Assess Your Needs. Just because it's time to expand or create a more professional office space doesn't mean you should jump into the project. Choosing the wrong commercial space can cost you money, time, and frustration. Before you go office shopping, spend some time writing down your current office situation, what you need to expand, and what your business goals for the next five years are. These will help inform your search.
Plan Ahead. While you don't want to buy more office space than you need, you also should avoid the mistake of getting a space that's too limiting. You don't want to have to make another business move too quickly because you chose a cheaper or smaller option than you should have. Look for something that meets your current needs but that has a little room to expand or upgrade. This may mean a space with an extra office space for your first employee or a little more storage room than you currently need. Work with potential landlords to determine what your future options might be.
Hire Professionals. Moving everything in your business while still operating that business often means taking on too much. Do yourself a favor and hire a commercial moving service to complete the actual transition. Depending on your budget, you may be able to hire a moving service that packs and unpacks things like office equipment and inventory, or you may just opt for a company that hauls the heavy stuff for you.
Prep the Essentials. To keep your business running during the actual move, you'll likely want to prepare a box or two of the most vital components to getting your operations up and running as quickly as possible. What this kit contains will depend on your business, but it may include things like phones, computers, office equipment, current client files, or contact information. Keep these "last out and first in" items with you or a trusted employee during the move—or make a plan with your moving service in advance—so that you can get these things set up first.
By following these four steps, you can help ensure that your first office move is successful and stress free. And then you can get back to the important business of running your business.
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