A major stepping stone in any business’s timeline is when the time comes to relocate – and if you’re prepared for the uphill struggle, this can be an exciting time. But, as with any aspect of business, this process can be quite a complex one, with many contributory factors to bear in mind throughout your search for the ideal office space.
Removal Services Scotland, one of the leading removals and storage companies in Scotland, offers the following valuable tips on how to take your business to the next level – and location – hassle-free.
Too spacious? Too claustrophobic?
Determining how much office space you’re going to need depends on several things, the first of which is whether your business is growing, and consistently at that. Choosing a new office space is a massive decision and something which requires a great deal of consideration, especially as choosing an office which doesn’t fit the requirements could have a suffocating effect on your employees and ultimately discourage productivity.
Equally, moving to an office which is too large could potentially put pressure on finances in the longer term – by costing you excess rent, for example. If you predict your business will grow from 20 employees to 50 and decide to overcompensate for the potential growth – which, in time, proves to be a false prediction – there’ll be some less than desirable financial repercussions.
But you need to make room for growth, right?
Of course you do, and every smart business owner has to take risks to be successful – but taking the unnecessary ones is where a lot of businesses trip over.
One of the most important decisions a business owner will ever have to make is choosing that prime location which could offer benefits in every area. If your business is a retail outlet, it would only make logical sense to find a town or city central location for maximum footfall and therefore custom. If the business doesn’t necessarily need a high volume of in-store customers, however, you could potentially save money by avoiding the high price of maintaining a high street store.
Another major factor when choosing your office space is staff accessibility. Is it close to home? Does it have regular public transport? Does it include a reasonably-sized area for parking? All of these elements are huge concerns for your staff.
The actual area in question could affect your business too. Branding should be at the forefront of any business owner’s mind at all times, and it’s essential to think about how your offices reflect on the business – and, equally importantly, if there are direct competitors operating in your immediate vicinity.
Are you dragging an unnecessary ball-and-chain?
When it comes to actually moving your office inventory, you have to establish the difference between preference and necessity, and prioritise accordingly. This will greatly streamline the moving process and may even have a cleansing effect when starting the next chapter of your business life. Document storage is something every business owner should consider, and Government and health bodies must consider. With these materials being extremely sensitive in some cases, safe and proper storage of these documents is hugely important – and luckily there are companies which specialise in this area.
Before making your final decision, make sure to research removal companies until you’ve found one you feel you can trust with your goods. This can be a daunting task to embark upon alone, so finding a removal company you can rely on is key.
So that’s the heavy lifting portion of the move taken care of; the rest is up to you.