Moving your business can be really costly, and if you want it to survive this turbulent period, you should downsize all the costs that you are able to. First, try to negotiate better terms with your new landlord. A rental-free period would be the best you can get, but if you manage to get lower rates during the first couple of months, you should consider it to be a success. When signing the contract, make sure there are no strict sanctions if you leave earlier, and don’t make a long-term commitment. If you can, try to negotiate lower prices with your old vendors, or even go through their competitors and check for more favorable offers.
Location Is Everything
The most important decision you will have to make in this process, is where are you going to move your business? This choice can make or break the future of your business. If you try to go too far from your previous location, it can cost you your loyal customers, and create troubles with employees and suppliers. However, if you’re forced to do that, at least make sure that the customer base in the area you are moving to matches your ideal customer profile. Check the existent market research or order your own. At the same time, you should check for the proximity of competitors or companies that offer services that can be associated with your business.
Negotiate Better Terms
Moving your business can be really costly, and if you want it to survive this turbulent period, you should downsize all the costs that you are able to. First, try to negotiate better terms with your new landlord. A rental-free period would be the best you can get, but if you manage to get lower rates during the first couple of months, you should consider it to be a success. When signing the contract, make sure there are no strict sanctions if you leave earlier, and don’t make a long-term commitment. If you can, try to negotiate lower prices with your old vendors, or even go through their competitors and check for more favorable offers.
Have a Clear Timeline
A hasty moving always results in something forgotten or done badly. A timeline which is determined a couple of months earlier will save you from unpredicted situations and prepare you for unpleasant surprises. Create a priority list and set an approximate date for each action, and in the meantime, try to adapt the management staff, employees and yourself to the new situation. This may be the right time to scoop the talent pool if some of your old employees decide not to follow. Also, before you start physically moving, you should obtain all the necessary papers, licenses, and insurance policies.
Arrange the Moving-Related Services
Although the factors within your very business are the ones that will set the tone for the rest of the workflow, the ones outside it can contribute to the success or failure of the moving endeavor. Hiring reliable movers and trustworthy junk removal company can make all the difference in the world. The garbage should be taken away from your previous and new location. A cleaning service should take care of the office while it’s still empty, so your company can have a true fresh start. Arrange these services several months in advance, since they can halt the entire process.
Spread the Word
You can’t just bail on your loyal customers overnight. They should be the first one to find out that you will no longer be in the neighborhood. The very next persons on the list are your vendors. And then comes everyone else. Replace the old business cards with new ones, update your business’s website and social media profiles. Still, those minor updates wouldn’t be enough. You should treat this change as breaking news you need to tell everyone. Use local newspapers, radios, TV stations and billboards. You can design an entire marketing campaign about that single event. Give promotional products with your new address and use other incentives to lure them to your new premises.
One final tip: double-check everything. One can never be too certain that the location is good, the customers are ideal, everyone is notified, all the papers are in place, etc. Thorough preparation will set stable foundations for a painless relocation.
