Regardless of the size of your organisation, an office relocation always involves a lot of work. From organising the move to sorting through and packing all equipment, furniture, and other supplies, and preparing the new premises, everything requires plenty of planning and effort.
Unfortunately, your work won’t stop after your move. There are still plenty of things you have to do to ensure your business and employees experience a smooth transition after your move.
Taking care of all post-move activities quickly and efficiently also means you can get your business up and running successfully as soon as possible, with few or no issues.
Essential Office Post-Move Activities to Prioritise
If you moved your office to Dubai Festival City, below are the eight things you have to do to get your business back on track in the quickest time possible:
1. Update your address everywhere.
If your main reason for moving offices is to have a bigger, more appealing space to impress your customers and other guests, you won’t achieve this goal if they go to your old business premises.
Make sure your new address is already listed on your website. Your homepage should display this information clearly and noticeably.
Since your new address is in Dubai Festival City, you can visit https://www.dubaifestivalcity.com/en to download a map and get additional directions you can share with others so that they can find your new office faster. Also, if you haven’t contacted Google to have your online listing and address changed, do so now. Update your address on your social media pages, business cards, and letterhead as well.
If you haven’t moved yet, inform your suppliers and customers of your new address and let them know when you are relocating and when normal business will resume in advance.
2. Make it easy for visitors to find your new office.
Some of your customers and important guests may have difficulties finding your new office. To avoid giving them headaches and possibly discourage them from visiting your workplace, provide them with clear directions.
Aside from publishing a map of your new office on your website, add detailed and clear directions on how to get there. Additionally, send invitation emails to your repeat customers and guests. Attach a map and provide other information they can use to find your new office quickly and without hassle. Do the same for people inquiring about your products or services and interested in visiting your office.
The detailed map and additional tips allow you to add a personal touch to your email that can create a great first impression even before your visitors set foot in your new business space.
3. Unpack as soon as possible.
The longer you wait to unpack, the longer you’ll be running your business inefficiently. As such, make it your priority to unpack your office as soon as possible. If you and your team can’t unpack everything at once, try unpacking by area every day.
Unpacking the boxes containing the items you frequently use first is another hack you can try. Some of the items you should take out and set up as soon as possible are computers, printers, lamps, writing materials, and other office supplies.
Make sure you also assemble and set up all desks, chairs, bookcases, and filing cabinets immediately if they were disassembled.
4. Check all moved items.
There is no doubt that you packed and moved dozens of boxes, furniture, and fixtures during your office relocation.
As such, as you unpack, check if all the items you and your team packed were delivered to your new office. Double-check all the boxes, furniture, and equipment with your inventory list if you made one before the move. Doing so will help you know if any items are missing.
Also, as you take out and set up any item, take the time to check if it has been damaged during the move. If there is any damage, speak with your mover immediately.
5. File any insurance claims when necessary.
Although you may think that thoroughly checking all moved items before assembling or setting them up is not important, you will be thankful that you did if you notice any of your equipment or furniture damaged or lost.
If one or more of your costly items were damaged or lost during the move, file an insurance claim as soon as possible. The faster you do it, the sooner you will be compensated for the damaged or lost items.
6. Ensure all essential utilities and facilities are running.
No matter how well all equipment and furniture are set up in your office, you and your team won’t be able to use them and do your work properly if your utilities and facilities are not working.
Ideally, before you move, you should already know if all essential amenities are covered by your rental. If not, you should have already coordinated with your service providers about relocating your phone and Internet lines and other utilities you need.
If you are using computer software provided by third-party service providers, such as accounting, inventory control, or CMS, have them check if the integrations that have been set up are working correctly.
By ensuring all amenities you need to run your business are properly running, you can have your team and company work like clockwork again.
7. Inform your team of all emergency plans.
All business premises have emergency procedures in case of fire, earthquake, or other types of dangers to guide everyone to safety. You have to share these procedures with your team to ensure they know what to do during an emergency.
One key step you shouldn’t skip is showing or telling your employees where the emergency exits are. This simple tip gives you peace of mind that everyone knows how to get out in case of a fire and other instances wherein there is a need to make an urgent exit.
Ensure you also give your team detailed instructions on what to do and where to go, so everyone stays out of harm’s way during an emergency.
8. Establish important workplace rules.
Lastly, get your business processes off to a great start and maintain the good condition of your new office by making a list of dos and don’ts and ensuring your team follows them.
This list should contain rules relating to cleanliness, power saving, security, food and drinks, parking arrangement, and so on. Once you have created your list, circulate it by email. You can also print and have your employees sign the document to ensure they understand and follow everything.
Ask your employees if they have any comments regarding the rules and ensure they understand and accept all of them before they sign the document. Consider having them printed poster-size and post them in strategic areas around the office to serve as reminders for your employees.
When you get all these tasks out of the way, you and your team can experience a smooth transition and get back to business as usual.
