Moving From A Home Office To A
Corporate Office With Less Down-Time

It happens to thousands of people with small businesses every year. They've simply outgrown their home office and the need to move into a commercial office space becomes a necessity.

Commercial Real Estate Negotiation

The problem for most of these individuals besides the fact that they may not know where to look or how to negotiate the right kind of commercial real estate, is that most assume the move will go smoothly and because most business's are preoccupied with making money, it's easy to forget that a move can often create some significant down-time. After all, it's hard to run a business and move everything at the same time.

Here are some organizational tips to help avoid this issue:

1. Plan everything in advance. Seems simple enough, but remember, this isn't like residential real estate where you can afford to have more time to unpack and get set-up at a leisurely pace.

2. Make sure you understand the dimensions of your new office. Get out a piece of paper if you have to and jot down where the computers will go, the printer, and perhaps most importantly, the coffee machine. Keep in mind the size of desks, if there will be a conference room, etc . . .

3. Communicate with your employees. Sometimes it's better to handout specific jobs to individuals who are helping. Remember to check local laws and safety requirements to keep everyone safe. Doing this ahead of time will significantly shorten the duration of the move and get everyone back to real work ASAP.

4. Be aware of the electrical equipment you will be bringing and make sure the new office is wired correctly. Again, this seems like common sense, but you'll want to make sure there are enough electrical outlets, that the networking system will work from the get-go, and so forth. Also, always remember to handle the electrical equipment as well as your machines with care.

5. Only bring what you absolutely need to do business to your new business. Often people will start packing personal items from home only to realize it adds more to the overall clutter of the new office space. Think of this as if you are starting a new job. When you walk into the office for the first time, there is just the bare essentials you need to do your job. You can always bring in more personal items after everything is up and running.

6. Leave some files at home. Like a residential move, chances are good there will be some random files and papers that show up and you may not know (or remember) what they go to. Leave them be for now. Again, you can always bring them in at a later time when you know where everything goes.

7. Unless you're OCD, try to keep your new office cleaner than at home. There is nothing better to promote productivity like a clean environment. Throw away as much garbage as possible but be careful not to toss-out something important.

The tips above will help your move go much smoother. If you need to, you can always hire professional office movers. Remember to make a checklist as well. And if you need help finding new office space, consider the advice of a commercial real estate broker near you. Like residential real estate professionals, these folks can help you find and negotiate the perfect office space for your growing business.