With an office move imminent, it’s time to take stock of what you have, what you need, and what will ultimately make the trip to the new digs. While most moves for businesses require an upgrade to a bigger space, some involved downsizing to a smaller space. But even if the downsize isn’t due to missed projections or reduced sales, you may simply want to streamline your operations and cut costs.

Whatever the case, moving to a smaller office comes with its own unique challenges. Being prepared will help your downsizing move go seamlessly. Here are some tips.

1.  Know What You Have

Before you start packing anything, you should take a full audit of all belongings so you have a good idea of what you’re working with. Take a walk around the office with a pen and paper, noting lists of what you have for inventory. You can also create a spreadsheet and give your team access so they can all make changes, notes and additions.

Audit categories may include:

• Furniture (desks, appliances, cubicle walls, chairs, artwork)
• Technology (computers, phones, conference equipment, mobile devices)
• Stock (products, raw materials, office supplies)
• Equipment (machinery, vehicles, tools)
• Records (paper, digital)
• Miscellaneous (personal items and small appliances like coffee makers and microwaves)

Now that you have all the inventory listed, you can simply plug in the numbers next to each item.

2.  Take Measurements

Get out the floorplan of the building or take some quick measurements in the new location. Go through your current list of furniture, appliances, equipment and anything else that takes up space on the warehouse floor or in the office.

• Which things rarely, if ever, get used?
• Which items are duplicates of something else?
• What items can be changed, converted, or updated to reduce their footprint?
• What documents can be digitized instead of held in paper form?

3.  Declutter Before Moving Day

Before moving day rolls around, preferably during the packing process, take this time to eliminate or downsize everything. Get rid of anything that will not realistically fit in the new place to save time, money, and storage costs.

You can:

• Sell unused/obsolete/unnecessary equipment, furniture and tools online – but only if they’re still in good shape. If they are not, throw them out.
• Destroy old or extraneous paperwork, or convert them to digital.
• Compare prices on equipment upgrades that can be multi-functional and save space.

4.  Hire Commercial Movers

Listen, all office moves are stressful. Asking your employees to tackle moving tasks or trying to do it all yourself just isn’t feasible. It’s imperative that you hire reputable, professional moving companies with the experience and resources necessary to properly and quickly handle your downsizing move.

Contact Around the Clock Moving and Storage

That’s what we’re here for at Around the Clock Moving and Storage. Start your office move plan off with a free quote when you call us or fill out our online form.