It doesn’t matter if you’re wanting to upsize or downsize, move a hundred yards down the road or to a different town, you need to do your research before you move to a new office, or it can have huge implications on your business and its future success.

Use your head as well as your heart

Before you begin the process of searching for a new office you need to set yourself a budget that you won’t go over, no matter what. It’s easy to fall under the spell of glitzy offices that cost double of what you expected to pay per square foot but you need to think about your profit margins. You don’t want an office that’s far too big for your current workforce or is in a hard-to-reach location.

Check it out yourself

You should never feel under pressure to sign on the dotted line until you’ve been to see the office in question yourself and have had all your queries answered (and put in writing.) For instance, will internet connections be provided, how many car parking spaces will you be entitled to, what sorts of businesses will you be sharing the premises with? If the landlord agrees that they’re going to do certain things before you move in (i.e. fit a new bathroom, repair a damaged door) you want written proof so you can hold them accountable if they fail to deliver.

Start planning the move straight away

Once you’ve found the perfect place and have signed the contract, it’s important to make a list of the tasks you need to do in order to make the transition as smooth as possible. Think about what you’ll be taking with you and what you’ll be leaving behind, for instance you might want to sell some of your existing office furniture but keep your meeting tables, chairs and filing cabinets. Book your removal company pronto (if you’re in the Warrington/Wigan area, Alexander-Hough Removals will be happy to assist). You’ll need to let your services, customers and royal mail know the date of your move, so there’s no confusion. Ideally you want to move out of your current office on a Friday and be up and running in your new office by 9am on the Monday.