An office move is often a significant marker of success for an organisation. An impressive new office premise is an important milestone for any business, signaling to potential customers, employees, and competitors that the business is thriving and evolving and ready to embrace the next chapter of growth.
However, it can also be a daunting prospect. As well as the obvious logistical hurdles and challenges it can bring, people are fundamentally creatures of habit, and any disruption to routine can bring uncertainty and unease to your employees.
However, it’s possible to mitigate these risks with the right planning and preparation with UK Moves.
Why do companies relocate?
There are many reasons why a company may choose to move offices.
The most obvious one is to accommodate a growing headcount (no one likes having to fight for desks!). But an office move can often mean so much more than just some extra space. It can encourage collaboration, accommodate new ways of working, and provide an important canvas on which your brand can communicate its values.
- Expansion
This is the most common reason for moving to a new office. A recent survey by Knotel found that 47.2% of companies cited growth as their reason for office relocation. - Changing work models
After the COVID-19 pandemic, for many employees, working from home has now become routine, with many employees travelling to the office for specific meetings or collaboration sessions. However, many office spaces haven’t kept up with the pace and are still reliant on the same cubicles associated with old-fashioned working culture. Moving to an office with hot desks, breakout rooms and plenty of collaboration space reflects the reality of many employees’s workdays. - Lease expiration
Alternatively, your office lease may be expiring, and you may have no choice but to reconsider your property strategy. An expiring lease can provide a golden opportunity to find a new lease with more favourable terms or to relocate to a location that makes more sense based on your business needs. - Location upgrade
Put simply, if you’ve been in your office for a while, there’s a chance it may look a little tired and dated. A new office is a chance to communicate who your brand is today. Better, more attractive facilities can also help boost employee engagement, retention, and in-office working.
Why office moves can be overwhelming
The benefits are clear, but an office move isn’t something that should be taken on lightly. At best, an office move can herald an exciting new chapter for your organisation. At worst, it can create a logistical nightmare and can even negatively impact your client’s experience — and your bottom line.
- Disruption to routine
A change in office is likely to disrupt day-to-day business. This could be due to IT outages, time spent by your employees moving personal possessions, or simply the difficulty of concentrating while surrounded by moving chaos. To reduce the negative impact it’s important that communications are clear, and that any IT outages are scheduled strategically, with plenty of advance warning. - IT set-up
Relocating IT equipment like servers, phones and computers can be technically demanding and time-consuming. Working with a team of professional movers will help ensure that your expensive, business critical equipment arrives at its new home and is reinstalled safely and accurately.
- Dealing with logistics
No matter how well you plan, there’s no escaping the fact that an office move requires a great deal of planning and coordination. If left unchecked, managing an office move can take valuable time and attention away from your employees that could be spent focusing on business-critical tasks. Professional movers who can manage the process end-to-end will free up your team to keep on focusing on growing the business during the move. - Staff morale
Employee anxiety and concerns can often be an unexpected stumbling block for business leaders. From changes to their commute to uncertainty about their future job security, clear communication and smooth process will help allay employee concerns.
How UK Moves makes it seamless
We know that moving offices can be complex. That’s why we handle every detail with the utmost precision and care. We pride ourselves on working with every client to create a bespoke, seamless process designed to minimise disruptions and protect employee productivity.
Here’s our approach:
- We provide a dedicated Move Manager, providing you with a single point of contact throughout the whole process
- We provide tailored surveys, timelines, and commercial planning, to make sure the new location meets your business needs
- We provide out-of-hours or weekend moves to avoid disruption
- We provide full tech relocation and IT coordination, to ensure that you’re ready to hit the ground running in your new space
- We provide end-to-end management from packing to reassembly, to ensure your employees aren’t wasting time packing boxes.
With our expert guidance and support, your office move will set the scene for the next chapter of your business.