This Moving Business

20th April 2009

The secret to a stress-free company relocation is forward planning - critical to the success of any move, say business relocation specialists, Bishop's Move.

The first stage involves a visit by the removal company to assess exactly what is involved, how many men and vehicles will be required, how many packing cases will be needed, etc, so a quotation can be prepared. Then the planning process begins, looking at the many critical aspects of the project, including access to both new and old buildings, parking, whether lifts are available and whether specialist equipment is needed.

The aim is to ensure that companies are ‘back to business’ as quickly as possible, with the minimum of disruption. This is why many company relocations take place over the weekend and through the night and it is advisable for businesses to check whether a removal company offers this option.

Perhaps the biggest concern to a company when relocating is that everything ends up in the right place in the new building. This can be helped by providing one member of staff in the old building and one in the new building on the day of the move, to answer any queries from the removers. An effective packing and labeling system should be used and explained to the customer and, together, detailed floor plans of the new building should be discussed and prepared to ensure that all available space is put to the best use.

Companies should check with a removal company whether they will dismantle and reassemble furniture, racking systems and work stations. Some removal services will go so far as to offer to refurbish and even de-label and polish furniture after a move.

The old premises are often forgotten in a relocation and can be left in a dreadful state. Check whether a removal company offers a post-move cleaning service to ensure everything is cleaned and restored to a high standard when the premises are vacated.

If there are confidential documents that do not need to be taken to the new premises, or archived, it may be a good idea to use a security shredding or incineration service whereby the destruction of all material is witnessed and certified by the local authorities.

Many businesses will never have gone through a relocation before, which means that choosing the right removers is vital. A professional removal company knows what the pitfalls are and how to avoid them. They will also be members of a professional body, such as the Commercial Movers Group (CMG) or the British Association of Removers (BAR) and hold relevant insurance certificates.

Bishop’s Move Business Relocation's wide experience in business relocations means that it is increasingly being called upon to undertake challenging moves. These days, no business or organisation can afford to put everything on hold when they’re relocating, they have to find a way of working around any disruption and continue to offer an uninterrupted service.

This may mean coordinating a move over a weekend, or a number of weekends, in order to minimise disruption.

And it needn’t end there. Some removal companies will set up a Helpdesk at your new premises, to be on site for staff who may need a desk or a screen moving, or to find a crate which may have been placed in the wrong office.

Every company relocation is different and should be treated as an individual project. The role of a removal company is to make certain that, come the day of the move, everybody involved on the client’s side and theirs, knows exactly what is going on, and what is expected of them.

Contact our Business Relocation team for more on 0800 616 425