TheSquareFoot Blog

Guest Post Provided by HelpMovingOffice.com

As 2012 gets under way, and businesses prepare for the future, an office relocation is proving to be a highly effective strategy for companies to get into cheaper and more appropriate office space.

With the correct amount of planning, budgeting and management, relocating can enable companies to raise their corporate profile, grow their customer base, improve operational efficiency and attract & retain talented employees.

Value for money should be a key part of all business decisions – and most certainly true when it comes to an office relocation. The end result for most businesses will be to end up in the right office space, on the right terms, with the right deal, with the right office design and layout, with the right furniture in the right places, with everything working on that first morning in the new office. Oh, and all this having happened on time, to budget and with the minimum hassle and disruption to the business. Easy when you say it quickly!

Achieving a smooth and hassle-free office relocation is possible (surely it’s what every business expects from its office move!) – but, in order for this to happen, there needs to be a relentless focus on planning and preparation.

While planning and preparation are vital, there is also an additional key success factor in successful office relocations. That’s for Tenants to have a strong commitment to engage the expertise of external professional advisors to help with each key stage of the move. However, there is often reluctance for businesses that are moving office to seek professional advice. This is a big “No-No” as there are, sadly, just too many examples of where companies have paid the penalty (and price) for trying to cut corners and “go it alone”. This is usually driven by a desire to "save money". While the sentiment of trying to achieve best value is understandable, the result is often the opposite.

Best practice (and experience) clearly shows that companies that don't engage external professional expertise waste unnecessary time and money. Conversely, businesses that do work with office relocation professionals (brokers, attorneys, office interiors specialists, IT relocation companies and office movers) avoid mistakes, save time and get better value for their money.

Office Relocation Pitfalls And How To Avoid Them

Companies moving office all too often make the same mistakes. Find out about these common mistakes and get practical guidance on how to avoid them.

1) Underestimating What Is Involved With An Office Relocation

An office relocation is a process – and, like any process, can be broken down into a series of simple checks and tasks. The intelligent use of project planning documents, spreadsheets and office move checklists will not only help with the planning of the office move, but also act as the road map to carry out the many tasks involved with the project. They should include all of the tasks that need to be completed (and the steps leading up to them), the individuals, teams and companies responsible for completing each task.

2) Not Starting The Process Early Enough

It's impossible to plan too far ahead. All things being equal, best practice says that tenants should start reviewing their options 12-18 months prior to lease expiration or break option, regardless of whether they are considering renewing, renegotiation or relocating. It is vital to allow enough lead-time to increase the amount of leverage and competition between the various options. Doing so can result in substantial savings.

3) Not Engaging Professional Help

This is a false economy and, as a result, many office moves end up being a time-consuming and stressful job fraught with difficulty and expensive mistakes that could have been avoided. In today's environment - now more than ever - companies should be looking to extract every ounce of value they can from everything they do. For an office relocation, there is no question that this is best achieved through businesses combining their understanding of their own priorities with the expert advice and market knowledge of office move professionals. This not only ensures that they don't make any critical mistakes but also saves them money over the term of the lease.

For more information and guidance on how to plan, manage and execute a successful office relocation go to HelpMovingOffice.com.