To take the stress out of moving day, consider the following steps to a color-coded move:

• Prepare a floor plan
• Assign categories
• Draw up a key
• Delegate responsibility
• Create a master content list

Prepare a floor plan of your new space

This allows you and your movers to have an accurate representation of where you expect to find each group of items. Place these floor plans in each office for reference on moving day.

Assign categories

For small offices or offices with only a few departments, a basic color-coding system is perfect. Start with primary colors such as black, red, yellow, green, and blue that don’t have any risk of being confused with one another. If your move includes multiple floors, consider adding letters as well. At Washington Express Movers, we provide all our customers with custom color coded labels and labeling fields to keep you organized.

Draw up a key

Once you have assigned color codes, fill in the floor plan with the corresponding colors, and if appropriate, letters.  Once the task is complete, prepare a copy for yourself, one for each department head, one to hang at each entrance to your new space, and one for your moving company.

Delegate responsibility

Instead of trying to oversee the entire move yourself, assign each department head the responsibility for supervising their own group. Provide them with a copy of the moving day schedule and charge them with preparing an inventory list and ensuring their department is ready to go.

Create a contents master list

Have each department representative number their boxes in the appropriate color beginning at one and provide you with the total number of boxes, desks, chairs, and so on that should be delivered to their space. This allows you to quickly ensure that all of your contents are accounted for after delivery.

Contact Us

Contact Washington Express Movers today for all your moving needs. A project manager with be with you every step of the way to ensure your prepped and ready for your move. We’ll even hold a packing seminar for your employees upon request!

The post How To Color Code Your Office Move first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

Start out with an excited and positive introduction that explains why your company is moving and how it will benefit your team in the long run. Address all changes with optimism, but be honest about what is happening. If you are downsizing, it’s important to say so.

Next, lay out the plan! You should include:

• A general timeline with all milestone dates in bold or highlight,
• A targeted moving date,
• A list of responsibilities for your staff, and
• A meeting date to answer any and all questions your employees may have.

Your employees will appreciate having a letter that covers all the basic questions, as well as having a meeting scheduled for them to get answers on any other questions they have have.

Be sure to make this an official letter and make everything as specific as possible! It can be stressful to deal with gossip and employee fear, so be transparent during this time.

If you are looking for assistance during your office move, be sure to call the professionals at Washington Express Movers! We would be happy to do the heavy lifting for you and your team as you embark on this exciting new adventure.

The post Sending an Internal Office Relocation Letter first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

Hidden Costs

While this new office space looks totally perfect except for that one little thing, be careful. Some people choose to purchase a building that isn’t in great condition for a low price with the intention of fixing the place up. This may make sense financially, as you can spread out the renovations as you need. However, it’s important to note that updates can get a little overwhelming and expensive. Any obvious repair work is going to be noticeable upon walking in: the roof, the paint, the floor quality, etc. However, beware of what you cannot see. How is the electrical system holding up? How old are the pipes? Is the place up to code? Pay close attention to building codes and zoning restrictions. You could end up paying quite a bit of money to fix up a place that, in the end, may not be worth it. If you really fall in love with a place, consider hiring an engineer or contractor to make sure everything you want to do with the place is possible.

The Butterfly Effect

This new building looks like a great option for your office, but it’s about 30 minutes from your current location. Yikes! If you need to move far away from where you are right now, it’s important to consider the repercussions. Can your key employees come with? If not, are you willing to take the time to find replacements? Can business take that much of a hit? If not, you should probably wait out the search just a bit longer. Consider rearranging your current office structure if need be. If you absolutely must move to this new place, that’s fine—just be ready to plan for employee relocation and recruitment costs. Also, your employees will likely have some fear and stress rise up during this process. Be ready to address this with them, as for some, it will likely mean that they will look for employment elsewhere.

Adjusting Business Plans

If you are still finalizing your business plan, then it may not be time to purchase a new office space. Making an office move is expensive, and it can eat up a lot of time. If you will need to sell your business or break your lease for whatever reason, the resulting fees could be detrimental. What are your plans for your business in the next few years? Do you want to help your employees with training, purchase better technology, or invest in a new marketing program? If you need your new office to meet your goals, then you should absolutely move. If not, it may be time to consider putting those funds elsewhere.

Timeline Goals

If you are for sure going to move, then make sure to give your employees as much of a head’s up as you can! Some might have increased commute times while others will have to consider moving altogether if they want to stay at your business. We highly recommend offering time-off allowances for employees to find housing and relocate, if that is part of their plan. Also, try your best to make any moves after your busy time of year. Otherwise, you will find it much harder to meet your deadlines. With that said, if you can sacrifice just a few hours of productivity, then you can hire office movers to handle the lifting for you. That means minimal downtime!

Contact Washington Express Movers

If you are looking for a team to handle your office moving project, it’s time to call Washington Express Movers. We proudly serve the Washington, D.C. metro area. Our project managers work closely with you to develop the best strategy for your move. That means that you can decide when you move with confidence—the date, the time, the place, you name it. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to learn more! We look forward to helping your office pick up and set up a permanent residence someplace else. Encourage your company; feel stronger with Washington Express Movers.

The post Beware Before You Move! first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

Disclose the New Location

Telling your employees about the new office as soon as you can is important. They will need to plan on any potential changes to their daily commute. If your office is located in Washington D.C., we recommend taking a look at public transit and seeing if your new office is accessible. If not, you may have a difficult time with employees who need to make the switch to the new office. Keep this in mind, and be ready to offer suggestions to those who may have a harder time getting into work.

Help Where You Can

If there are issues with the new location, make sure to address these problems as soon as you can. Also, do as much as possible to assist! For example, if they will need to pay for parking, you may need to offer to reimburse them for this cost. Even those of you who cannot offer incentives or other assistance should inform your employees as early as possible before the move. Some workers may need to find different employment options to meet their transportation needs and find a smaller commute.

Offer Flexibility

If your business is moving into the heart of Washington D.C., then your employees may be feeling stressed about parking, the commute, and traffic. If at all possible, offer some flexibility. Let your employees work from home, allow them to come in later or earlier—whatever it takes to make them feel more at ease with the new situation.

Keep Communication Open

By regularly updating your staff on the progress of the move, you can address any questions and concerns as they arise. Keep everyone in the loop to avoid any gossip or hearsay from getting out of hand. Also, open up a forum for employees! They will likely have questions about the change, and encouraging them to ask you these questions can prevent drama later on.

We also recommend sharing a timeline with your employees so that they know when it’s time to pack, when the office move takes place, and what day the new office is up and open for business.

Ask for Opinions

While everyone has different thoughts on what should and should not be done in an office, it never hurts to ask. Ask your staff what would make their jobs easier in the new space. Maybe adding more space inside the photocopier room or adding another chair to the breakroom is exactly what they need. Perhaps bigger desks would help them do their jobs more efficiently. Simply ask what would be the best option for them, and they will feel included and listened to—especially if you can incorporate their requests.

Inform Staff of the New Neighborhood

Is there an amazing deli just around the corner from your new office? How about a coffee shop that has rave reviews? Let your staff know about these little amenities and watch them get more and more excited about the move. Create a list of the nearby restaurants, shops, gyms, daycare centers, grocery stores, parks, and anything else that your employees may want to know.

Washington Express Movers

When you are ready to make the move from one office to the next, it’s time to call the professionals. Our office movers want to take as much of the stress and pressure of a cross-city move off of your shoulders as possible. There is no need to worry about the logistics—we can handle those. That way, you can focus on keeping business running smoothly, as usual. Reach out to us today and let us know when you need our services!

The post Moving Employees with Your Office Move first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

The post Top Signs Your Business is Growing Successfully first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

If you are ready to learn more about office relocation and why it’s an awesome idea, we are here to help. Contact Washington Express Movers today when you are ready to see how we can assist you and your employees!

Planning the Move

Office moves don’t have to be a massive pain, assuming that you take the necessary steps ahead of time to feel prepared and ready to go. If you give yourself plenty of time to plan the move or contact a moving company to assist, then moving day won’t be much of a hassle at all. Ahead of time, we recommend mapping out a budget and adhering to this budget for the entire process. We also believe you should keep a timeframe in mind. If you can only be shut down for a few hours, communicate that with your moving company! You may be able to move after business hours if this is the case.

When choosing your moving specialists, be sure to do your research. What companies can handle everything you need to be done? Call and ask around, but don’t forget to give Washington Express Movers a call, too! Many business owners like yourself will tell you to hire an external company, as these crews ensure that all the big decisions are up to you, but the heavy lifting is up to them.

Brand Enhancement

While you might see your move as just picking up items from point A and moving them to point B, we see it as an opportunity to enhance or adjust your brand. Believe it or not, your office space will reveal quite a bit about the overall attitude and values of the company. With a move, you have the option to update the aesthetics and keep them in line with what you want both your employees and customers to see when they look at your business. Don’t be afraid to hire an office design company to give you some guidance in the new space.

Innovative Working Adjustments

If there are any new work day procedures or tactics you want to try, a move might be the perfect chance to implement these changes. Get creative: tell your office interior designers that you want open working spaces, small acoustic rooms, and employee lunch areas! The employees will be interested in what changes you have made in the new building, as well as figuring out what their new work environment will be like.

Company Growth

Once you have more space, a nicer office, a better location, or all the above, it will be much easier to begin expanding your team. You might be closer to new talent at your new location, or maybe you just have more space to give everyone the desk they need! Keep in mind that companies that have moved to a new space that is seen as “better” will absolutely look more impressive to both clients and potential employees. It signals that your business is successful, growing, changing, and improving each and every day.

How to Handle the Transition

If you are ready to make the change to a new office space, you might be concerned about what your staff will think. This is especially true if you will be moving to a new city where others may have to commute further than they previously did. The best way to ensure that everything goes smoothly is to make sure your employees get plenty of notice ahead of time. You can even give them a say in what happens next. Ask for suggestions as far as layout and design—even location if you haven’t chosen a spot just yet. When you open up these channels of communication, you might find that your employees are responsive and excited about this transition.

Keep Budget in Mind

Building a new office, particularly a large one, can absolutely take its toll on your company financially. Take a look at your financial state, and do some math about your ROI when you move. Don’t be shy about contacting different contractors and asking how much it will be to build the features you feel your business needs. Likewise, consider your current technology. An office move is a great reason to upgrade your technology. Making these transitions during a move is much easier than moving over the old items, buying new, and getting rid of the old as time goes on.

Contact Us

Once your new office is chosen, it’s time to contact the office movers from Washington Express Movers! We can move everything you need for you, as well as help you set it up when we arrive at your new office destination. Even if you need commercial storage space for a little while, we can help with that too. Choose your one-stop-shop for all things moving, and reach out to our team today! We look forward to working with you.

The post The Benefits of Office Relocation first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

Plan Ahead

Nothing can ruin a move quite like not being prepared for it. What day are you moving? Will the office be conducting business as usual that day, or will you be dismissing your employees early? Knowing these things ahead of time will help you keep things running with as little downtime as possible. Many business relocations are planned anywhere from six months to a year in advance, and larger moves can take ever longer to plan. Keep that in mind as you prepare.

Hire Professional Office Movers

As easy as you might think it is to just get a truck and move everything from point A to point B on a budget, this is a terrible mistake. Items may get lost or broken, and you might even have an issue with an employee getting injured in the process. When you hire professional office movers, such as Washington Express Movers, you can be sure that we have the experience, resources, and manpower needed to move everything quickly and efficiently. Also, we have insurance. If something goes wrong, you won’t be the one footing the fill.

Check Your New Building’s Requirements

Some properties can be a bit more stringent than others when it comes to hours of operation, parking lot requirements, and elevator reservations. Check with your new building manager before your move to ensure that everything is in place. You don’t want to have everything packed up and arriving at the new building only to find that the building is locked outside of normal operating hours.

Update Your Printed Material

If your business cards, letterhead, envelopes, and other distributed materials have your old address, make sure to update these! The last thing you want is for a client to send something of importance to the wrong location. Even if you do forward your mail, this can increase the amount of time it takes for it to arrive at your new location. Having these items printed ahead of time sets you up to distribute these items to your employees after the move with no in-between time to worry about.

Take Inventory

Make sure that all your items are accounted for. If you have a larger company, put your supervisors in charge of their own department’s inventory. That way, you can stay focused on the office move as a whole instead of worrying about smaller items that could go missing along the way.

Be Properly Staffed

It’s a good idea to have two managers there during the move. You can keep one at the old office to oversee things being packed up, while you can put another manager at the new location to guide the office movers as they drop off the items. However, don’t have too many managers on hand – otherwise, they might get in the way of our office movers and slow them down!

Keep Your Electronic Needs in Mind

If you are a largely electronically based company – many companies are, these days – then make sure that these items get moved quickly. You will want to ensure that all data cabling has been installed and tested before the IT team gets there to set up your network and equipment. Keep an IT professional in the new location to assist anyone who needs help setting up their new workspace and electronic devices.

Contact Our Team of Office Movers

If your office is ready to make the transition from one space to another, then it’s time to contact the professionals at Washington Express Movers. We are proud to serve businesses like yours in the Washington D.C. area, and we would be happy to help you in any way we can. Contact us today to get started and tell us about your moving project!

The post Tips to Make Your Office Move Smooth first appeared on Washington Express Movers.