Add that to a little expert advice from a trusted moving company and you’ll be ready to move in no time! Speaking of expert advice, here are our best tips for moving shop as a small business owner:
Take a visual inventory.
There are certain questions you’re going to need to answer before you move. You’ll be able to answer most of these questions by taking a quick visual inventory of your business. Figure out how much product and inventory you have and how much of it you’ll have to move.
Take stock of large furniture items especially. If you have manuals and paperwork, how much of it will you need to move? Is there anything you could safely dispose of? Do you have a means of safely disposing of it? Figure out what you have, what you have to move, and what you can get rid of. Then you can move on to figuring out how and when you’ll move these things.
Track everything in spreadsheets.
You’ll have a lot to keep track of, so you should keep your lists digital. Organize your lists via inventory type, quantity, location, box, etc. The more you can organize before a move, the fewer unexpected items you’ll have to deal with.
Disrupt operations as little as possible.
Do as much of your planning, packing, and moving after hours. Enlist the help of friends or invest in a moving company to help things move as quickly as possible. The business you’ll lose if you close up is almost always a greater expense than simply hiring help would have been.
Pack properly.
You don’t want to lose money on lost inventory. By making sure everything is packed with care, you decrease the chance of damage. Here are some of our best packing tips:
- Fill in gaps in any boxes with packing peanuts. If there’s open space in your boxes, items can shift around and break. Fill in any open spaces to make sure that doesn’t happen.
- Double wrap any breakables. Fill hollow breakable objects with packing material. Wrap all breakable items in both packing paper and bubble wrap.
- Use the right equipment. If you have to move heavy objects, don’t try lifting them on your own. Use ratchet straps and dollies. Don’t move anything you’re unsure about without help. The last thing you want is to throw your back out in the middle of a big move.
Be communicative.
The key to any successful effort as a small business is communication. Be open with your customers and employees about your process. You want to lose as little business as possible during your move. You can do this by making sure customers know when you’ll be closed when you’ll be open again, and where.
It’s also important to communicate this information to employees so they can plan for any potential downtime. You’ll need to update your online business profiles. Use social media to stay in touch with customers and answer their questions about your move directly.
Start sending new shipments to the new building.
Get this done as early as possible; negotiate with your new landlord if necessary. There’s no point sending shipments to your current place of business if you’ll just have to pay to move them to the new one.
Small business owners do a lot of work. Lessen your load during your next business move by hiring an experienced moving company. Give Bekins a call anytime to discuss the moving and packing needs of your business. We’ll work with you to create an affordable and efficient custom plan.
