Moving always creates a mix of excitement and tension, and for a commercial move this is even more so than for a residential move. Particularly in DC where timeframes are often very tight and may include moving very confidential information from one office to another. You need to be able to trust the firm that you hire to move your office to not only move you to your new location with no breakages, but also to do so in the timeframe you need, and to keep your office secure at all times.
Who To Trust?
No matter what your business is, you can’t afford for a filing cabinet or a box of papers to fall off the back of a truck in transit. Nor can you afford for a moving company to damage hard drives. These are two of the primary reasons to make sure that you are looking at reviews and looking at local firms to move you who have a physical office located in DC. Companies like All n 1 Stop Moving & Storage – Top DC Mover and Packers who have a lot of information on their website make it easier for you to know what you need to do before your big move. Look for a company that has experience moving a business in a similar industry as you.
Although some moving companies are excellent at efficiently moving a residential household, the needs and requirements for moving a commercial operation can be very different. Particularly in an office situation there is often more ‘little’ bits. People have desks full of bits and bobs, and those bits and bobs need to stay with that individual. Filing cabinets are full of confidential information. Storage boxes are full of essential contracts. Every office has a filing system that seems haphazard to an onlooker but is perfectly organised to the people that work there. If you are hiring someone to pack up the office, then they need to be able to work in such a way that means unpacking at the other end will not cause months on disruptions as you try to establish the filing system.
Timelines and Deadlines
The old adage ‘time is money’ is true when it comes to moving your office. Whether you have a staff of one or one hundred, the longer it takes you to move the more disruption is caused to your staff and your customers. Most companies will be able to cope with putting temporary systems in place to allow for a move, and most customers will be sympathetic to a short delay. This is why going to a moving firm that has a reputation for being able to work to a deadline and that is able to provide you with a precise timeline for pack, pickup, move, delivery and unpacking is important. It may mean that you need to move in stages so that there is never any downtime, or it may mean that you have a day of working from laptops and mobile phones or setting up a virtual office (see here). However, you do not want to hear that there was a problem or that there has been a delay.
What You Need To Know
Whether your office is moving from one floor to the next, one side of DC to the other, or from state to state you should be able to consult with your moving firm to get an exact timeline. Other than establishing a budget, some of the questions when you consult the firm should include:
- Will they do a complete pack-down, is it more efficient to have each employee box their own desk, what do they recommend making the process easier? https://www.business.com/articles/office-moving-packing-tips/
- How much time to day allot for packing?
- For local moves is it a same day service or do they anticipate storage? For longer moves what is their anticipated timeframe?
- Do they unpack? What is their labelling system to ensure that you can find everything?
- What packaging material do they use?
- Are they insured for loss or damages?
If you hire someone who you can trust to give you good advice, then you are likely hiring someone you trust to move your office smoothly. Thanks to All n 1 Stop Moving & Storage for consulting on this post!
