Planning an office or corporate relocation? If it’s your first time conducting such a move, there are many things you should know to ensure you’re properly prepared. Commercial relocations are a big deal, and in some ways, they’re much more challenging than their residential counterparts.
Not only do you have lots of valuable equipment to worry about, but you also have to worry about how you’ll move that equipment without significantly disrupting your operations. At Ace Moving & Warehousing, we’ve provided commercial moving services in the Twin Cities for many years and have facilitated hundreds of office and corporate relocations. We understand planning a commercial move can be stressful, and we’re here to help lighten the load.
Below, we’re sharing five of the most important things you should know about commercial moving to help you plan for a smooth, low-stress relocation experience.
1. Hiring Commercial Movers Can Save You Time and Money
In business, time is money, and a commercial relocation inevitably requires a considerable amount of time. When you spend time conducting your move, you can’t spend that time running your business, and that’s where a quality commercial moving company can help.
When you hire commercial movers and packers to handle the bulk of your relocation, you get your time back. Not only that, but you also get a team of experienced professionals who have your best interests at heart. The pros will take excellent care of your office equipment to prevent damage during loading, transport, and unloading, reducing the chance of financial losses during the move.
2. Hiring Movers Helps Minimize Safety Risks
Although you can certainly assign some move-related tasks to members of your staff, that doesn’t necessarily mean all move-related tasks should be delegated to them.
Why not? Because moving certain items can be tough, skill-heavy work. If you need to relocate office furniture or anything else bulky and weighty, asking employees to tackle the job could end in injuries. And if employees get hurt on the job because they aren’t familiar with best practices around lifting and maneuvering things, you could be looking at workers' comp claims.
Rather than risking it, hire a commercial moving company to handle the bulky and heavy stuff at the very least. That way, you can rest assured the pros will tackle the major tasks that could put staff members in harm’s way. And you can also enjoy peace of mind knowing that pricey equipment will make it to your new location intact and unblemished.
If you’re planning to handle any of your move-related tasks on your own, be sure to check out our moving safety tips that can help reduce the risk of injuries.
3. Commercial and Residential Relocations Are Vastly Different
If you’ve ever moved house (especially if you took the DIY route) you might assume commercial moving can’t be that much more involved or complicated than residential moving. But you’d be incorrect. Commercial moving involves many things that most residential relocations don’t — transporting remarkably expensive business equipment, for example, is just one of them.
That’s why hiring a commercial moving company for an office or corporate relocation is highly recommended. Pros that specialize in commercial moving know how to pack and transport the bulkiest, heaviest, and costliest equipment in the safest manner possible.
And equally important: They also know how to do it in a way that minimizes interruptions in workflow and/or production.
4. You Need a Comprehensive Move Plan
At Ace, our expert commercial movers can help you with a wide variety of move-related tasks from packing to reassembly. Whether you want a full-service move or just need a hand with a few things, we’ll customize a move plan that suits your needs.
We can:
- Provide all the moving supplies and equipment you need
- Pack and load your entire office, including furniture disassembly
- Unload and unpack your entire office, including re-assembly and re-configuration
- Inventory all your items to ensure everything is present and intact
- Protect your current space and the new office with floor runners and corner guards to prevent dings, dents, and scratches
- Formulate a custom move plan and checklists to suit your needs and schedule
We also offer upfront pricing with no hidden fees, so although hiring a commercial moving company may be a big investment, you’ll know exactly what to expect.
5. You Should Get Insurance for Your Move
When you’re moving lots of valuable equipment, you need moving insurance that protects your investment. If you hire professional movers, released value protection — which provides the most basic level of reimbursement — comes standard. You also have the option of upgrading to a more comprehensive level of coverage that provides reimbursement that reflects the value of each item.
For a more detailed breakdown of the types of moving insurance you can get and why you need it, check out Do I Need Moving Company Insurance?
6. Consider the New Office Layout and Plan Accordingly
When you have the blueprint of your new office space, compare it to your current floorplan. Do this well in advance of your move so you know whether and where your existing furniture and equipment will fit.
Consider:
- Reception area size
- Whether there’s any storage space
- The size and layout of the main working floor and any individual offices
- Cubicle and desk layouts that encourage optimal traffic flow
- Location and quantity of electrical outlets (you may need to have an electrician install more)
Comparing floor plans early can also help you figure out if you should rent a storage unit. It may be helpful to keep some things in temporary storage while you arrange the new space and figure out if you really need everything you currently have.
7. Appoint a Move Manager
Even if you plan to hire commercial moving services, you need someone in the office to coordinate things and keep everyone accountable and on a schedule. While your movers can create a custom plan for you and give you detailed checklists, they can’t be onsite every day to oversee things in the weeks leading up to your move. That’s where appointing a move manager can be remarkably helpful.
This person should have a strong sense of accountability and be organized, highly communicative, deadline oriented, budget savvy, and great at delegating and motivating people. In the weeks leading up to your move, this individual will oversee important move-related tasks and coordinate with the appropriate parties to ensure everything moves along smoothly.
If staff members have move-related jobs, such as organizing or cleaning out certain areas, the move manager can hold everyone accountable for getting things done according to schedule.
8. Some Items May Require Alternate Transportation
If you’re hiring a commercial moving company (you should!), the pros may not be able to move everything you need to transport. Most professional movers have restrictions on what is and isn’t allowed in the truck for their own safety.
So if you need to move flammable or hazardous items — which movers refer to as “non-allowables” — you’ll need to arrange an alternate mode of transportation for them.
Depending on the type of business you operate, you may have several of these items or none at all. Browse our full list of non-allowables, so you know what to expect well before you hire a moving team.
Get a Free Quote for Commercial Moving Services in Minneapolis
If you’re planning to relocate your business to a new office, let our team at Ace Moving & Warehousing help you out! We offer comprehensive commercial moving services, climate-controlled storage solutions, custom move planning, packing services, and several other supports to make your office or corporate relocation as stress-free and simple as possible.
To learn more about how we can help you, call us at 763-755-2045 or contact us with your questions or concerns. You can also request a fast quote for any of our moving services, and we’ll get in touch with additional information.