There comes a time in every organization when you've outgrown your space. It could be because you're hiring to explore new markets, ramping up sales or conquering technical challenges. Whatever your reason, you need to hire people. And people need space to work from. Hence the need for an office move.
But how do you really know your company is ready to move to a new office? How do you know the appropriate time to move? Having moved several companies over the last decade, we at Victory Van speak from experience. Read on to find out when to move your business.
Moving to a different office space is an important phase in a company’s lifetime. While growth can signify success and maturity, it’s also a time when business owners and employees experience growing pains.
For many business owners, recognizing when their business has outgrown its current office space may seem like a fine art.
Here are 5 telltale signs to consider when it comes to determining whether the right time to move is now.
If your current office space is feeling cramped, the thought of moving has probably entered your mind. Running out of space is one of the most obvious reasons businesses move, especially if they expect continued growth.
Even if you’ve been hiring at a fast pace, take a moment to assess your current space before starting the hunt for a new one. Sometimes purging and reorganizing the office space is all you need to open up your office.
Are you holding on to a lot of old physical files? Digitize all of the information you can, and clear out the unneeded filing cabinets.
Do you have office equipment you don’t really need? If your office needs a printer, but you rarely make copies, you probably don’t need a giant industrial copy machine and printer combo.
Is your office furniture and layout efficiently designed for the space? Sometimes a little readjustment can open up a surprising amount of floor room.
However...
If you’ve looked at these potential solutions and find that you have simply outgrown your space, it’s time to launch the search for a new office and make that move. When you’re looking at potential offices, keep in mind your company’s long-term growth plans. Your goal should be to find an office with space that you can grow into while staying within your current budget.
Even if you have enough physical space in your office, you may still need to move if it is poorly laid out for your needs.
For example - let's say one area of your business performed better than expected and now you have to expand that department. But there’s not enough space in their current section of the office, so you need to do some shuffling of employees.
If there’s no way to manage this shuffle without splitting departments or moving people to inconvenient areas of the office, it’s time to start looking for a new space.
Some office spaces just have weird layouts. Perhaps you started renting a space when the business was younger and the affordable rent made up for the fact that one part of the space was located in the basement, another was on the second floor, and the rest was in a strange loft area.
You may have plenty of space for employees and equipment, but if your layout makes it difficult for departments to communicate easily or feel like they are fully connected to the company as a whole, it is probably best to move to a new office.
If your office is looking dingy and dated, it could be holding you back. You may not be eager to bring prospective clients in for meetings when you’re not proud of your space. A dingy space is also a turn-off for some of the best and brightest job candidates, not to mention your client as well.
Who wants to spend eight hours a day in a worn-down, dull-looking room?
The appearance of your office says a lot about your company. Employees and clients who see the space will make assumptions about the company’s success, culture, and ability to move with the times.
Sometimes fresh paint, new lighting, and modern furniture is all you need to bring a space out of the doldrums and into a bright new future. But, if the needs of your office go beyond a quick and simple face-lift, or if your lease has restrictions on remodeling, it may be more cost-effective to move.
Moving to new office space reinvigorates staff, giving them a fresh start in newly organized office space. An office move can better motivate your employees resulting in an increase in productivity.
New office space gives your business a more professional look, signifying growth and a good reputation to the local community.
One thing you can’t change about the look of your office is the area surrounding it. Landscaping, neighboring buildings, security, road conditions, and neighborhood reputation are all out of your control, but they still affect how clients and employees see your business. If the area is scaring valuable people away from your office, no amount of remodeling will help.
It’s time to find a new office for your business.
The convenience of your office to target employees and clients could make a huge difference in how well your business can compete in your industry.
If you are currently located far away from the city and big neighborhoods, your office is probably too inconvenient for potential hires or clients to even consider patronizing.
On the other hand, if you’re in the dead center of heavy city traffic, your office could be too stressful to visit or make it to work on time. Long or heavily trafficked commutes are highly taxing to your employees. The stress affects their rate of concentration at work when they finally make it into the office. They might as well decide to find a new workplace entirely. If it’s difficult for employees to get to work, you can also bet that clients won’t be motivated to go out of their way to visit you as well.
If your current location is hindering your ability to grow, it’s time to find a new space.
Choosing the perfect location for your office requires plenty of planning and research. You’ll need to consider where most of your target employees and clients are located and search in an area convenient to that location.
You’ll also need to consider how well your industry is performing in the area. If there are too many competing companies, you may struggle to grow while you fight over the best employees and clients.
If companies in your industry keep failing in the area, it’s probably best to steer clear; there may not be a strong enough client base to support your company’s growth.
Finally, keep in mind nearby amenities when choosing a good office location. Employees will appreciate being near places like banks and post offices so that they can quickly take care of chores during a lunch break.
Having a variety of restaurants in the area will also make employees comfortable, and nice restaurants give you more options for entertaining important clients.
The most straightforward reason to consider a move to a new office is simply to save on cost.
It’s worth keeping an eye on rent prices in good locations in case the market changes and you could find a good deal. You should also be on the lookout for more affordable rent if you are currently paying extra for office amenities you don’t really use.
If you do find a great deal on office real estate, don’t jump into signing the contract too quickly.
Carefully research the area to make certain it is the right vicinity for you. You should also calculate the cost savings to ensure that it won’t cost you more to make the move (in both cash and productivity losses) than you will save in the new space.
If the price and location are right, start packing your boxes and think about how to use the money you’re saving to help your business grow even more.
Once you’ve moved offices, you will probably need some different furnishings to fit the new space. You can also save some money by purchasing used cubicles and office furniture that will be a perfect fit for your brand new office location.
We at Victory van know that moving is a stressful and expensive experience, and choosing to move to a new office is not a decision to take lightly. Your move will only be worth the cost if your current office space has reached the point where it is holding your company back from further growth and success.
Our best advice - begin planning as early as possible!
Give Victory Van a call and we can help you know when to move - including signs you need to watch out for that indicate the need for your office move and other moving assistance.
