8 important tasks you need to complete before moving your company
“Ohhh, nooo! Are we really going to move again?” That’s the first thing team members said when I announced that we had finally found the right location for taking our company into the future. Considering that we had moved only five short months ago, in the middle of a terrible sleet- and snowstorm, I thought a late-summer move would be easy-peasy.
My team thought differently, and to ease their minds (and my own), I agreed that professional movers would be part of the deal. And then I asked everyone to look on this as an adventure.
As soon as we made the decision to move, I alerted the local chambers of commerce so they could publish the news of our move in their weekly/monthly member newsletters.
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce was quick to get the word out to local moving company members, and soon afterward, Coakley Brothers representative Carrie Mayer called to ask if I’d like to meet to discuss what Coakley could do to make our move an easy one. Carrie came prepared with the company’s information and good ideas about things we could do to make sure the actual move would be very organized, and very easy-peasy.
For those of you contemplating a company move, here’s a list of things that one doesn’t want to forget in the excitement of the adventure:
1. Make a “necessities kit.” These are things that will be needed during the first days after the move, and they should be hand-carried. I wish I’d done this with a few things — like staplers, stamps, and Scotch tape dispensers — that went missing for a few days.
2. Order new business cards, stationery, envelopes, and forms.
3. Update the company’s website.
4. Alert the phone company and the phone book advertising company.
5. Print new brochures and pamphlets. Include a map to your new location.
6. Alert all advertising media. Make sure any media ads contain your new location information.
7. Order promotional items that contain your location information.
8. Recycle. Before and after the move, have everyone recycle old stationery, brochures, and print materials. Old letterhead makes good scrap paper.
(Continued)
One of the many things we learned from Carrie was to put the screws and “findings” from disassembled furniture into a plastic bag and tape it to the piece. I can personally confirm that this makes things easier when you’re ready to reassemble.
Our recent experience proved that moving can be an adventure … as long as one gets connected to the right help, has a good attitude, and knows how to enjoy adventure.
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