Relocating Your Business with Ease: Moving Your Business Should Never Be Stressful
You may have heard several business relocating horror stories If you’re also thinking about moving your enterprise from one city or state to another, you may be a little nervous. That’s understandable but the good news is that relocation does not have to a terrible experience. You just need to plan ahead carefully. You can start planning by coming up with a moving checklist. Let’s take in some advice from those in the know.
Engage employees early
Colin Allan, managing director of Morgan Lovell Southern, stresses the importance of bringing existing employees on board once a move has been decided upon. “No one likes surprises,” he told the Telegraph. Allan says workers will be more likely to support change if they feel as though they have been part of the planning process. It should be noted that while many employees may be eager to move, the personal circumstances of some make relocation difficult or impossible. If relocation bonuses or other assistance can be offered, that may help you to ensure you can take your best staff with you.
Choose your moving company carefully
You’ll want to give careful thought to the local and out of state moving company you hire. Some of the things to look out for include the length of time the company has been in business, whether they have the appropriate license and insurance and whether their reviews are positive. You should also look into what is included in their rates and what costs extra.
Set up communications well in advance
CEO of Telecomquotes.com Michael Bremmer advises businesses to set up their communications infrastructure early when planning on relocating a business. He suggests ordering your new service about two months in advance and making sure the local provider can provide the same services you’re used to. Since you want to avoid losing any customers, you should choose a provider that can set up call-forwarding. Bremmer also advises setting up a Google Voice account just in case there are some early teething challenges.
Prepare to operate from two locations
Mayra Jimenez, Co-founder of Orchid Boutique, points out that you will need to have both your old and new locations running during the transition period. She suggests keeping them open for at least 30 days. That way, suppliers and customers who don’t have the new address will still be able to make deliveries, collect orders or simply ask questions.
Plan for new taxes and costs
Jimenez says operating costs in a new location can be surprising. Rental expenses may jump considerably when you take state taxes into consideration. Sales taxes for customers may also be higher in some places so they may also have to be notified about an increase in prices. In the case of Orchid Boutique, when the office moved to the same state as most of its customers, those who were previously exempt from taxes on out-of-state online purchases now had to pay.
Use technology to attract new business
Once you’ve settled in, you’ll be looking to get customers in the door. The US Small Business Administration suggests using location-based services to attract those passing or living by. Living Social, Foursquare and Groupon can all be used to offer deal and market special offers.
Relocating a business can be overwhelming but if you put in the leg-work and prepare properly, it can be a fairly painless experience for management, staff and customers.
