Top 10 Headaches To Avoid When Moving To A New Office
When looking for a new office, tenants have all kinds of things to worry about. Even when they find the perfect space, there’s still a lot to do, and although brokers and property managers want to make the move easy for tenants, they often can’t spend a lot of time holding their hands through the process. So we worked with Bisnow partner Carr Workplaces to come up with the top 10 items on an office move to-do list that can take more time than anticipated, and what tenants (or you) can do to avoid them.
Rent isn’t the only cost a tenant needs to consider when moving to a new office. Simply put, an organization can’t make any decision—even the decision to relocate in the first place—until it has a firm idea of what the moving expenses will be and how much time and money must be allocated to each phase of the moving process. But a tenant who’s new to conventional space or simply busy running the company may not have the time or expertise to set and manage budgets and timelines.
With so many factors in play, it’s crucial that tenants begin formulating their budget immediately after they decide to move. Tenants should pay attention to the easily overlooked aspects of budgeting, such as the cost of repairs for the current office, the cost of terminating or moving contracts with utility providers, and any fees or penalties associated with ending the lease early.
Many aspects of the construction process—such as obtaining permits, directing contractors, executing punch lists—can take time and be challenging to oversee for someone without experience. A DC construction permit, for example, can not only be hard to get—the permit center closes at 4:30pm and can require waiting around for hours to be served—but the review process can sometimes take a minimum of 30 days for larger projects. And even when a tenant does receive a permit, the number of limitations can be a nightmare to navigate.
Contractors can also be a challenge, as they will need clear, defined relationships with ownership, as well as every directive and instruction in writing to avoid the old construction contracting axiom “unless it’s in writing, it doesn't exist.”
Moving is a pain—physically, financially, logistically and (sometimes) psychologically—and coordinating and moving an entire company can be even more infuriating, especially when you’re trying to minimize downtime for the business. There are many potential solutions, such as making sure the staff is prepared for the move, personally taking as much as they can to cut down on the use of moving companies, or even working on weekends to clean up or move things to the new space. But even when using these strategies or a multi-phase plan, some still recommend taking weeks or even months to make the move as smooth as possible. Having someone who can make that coordination quicker and easier can be a life (and money) saver.
Sometimes timelines just don’t work out. Either a tenant’s new space takes a bit longer than expected to complete or the firm grows faster than expected. Considering that many new businesses, especially tech companies, are bucking the traditional growth model and can experience exponential explosions of success, the space they leased for five years may not fit their needs after only a few months. In these pinch situations, organizations need flexible office solutions so they can ensure a smooth move without interruptions to ongoing projects.
When a tenant first moves into a space, vetting and contracting service providers—print equipment maintenance and even office florists—can be more of a hassle than it should be, but it’s really just the tip of the iceberg. A properly running office needs someone constantly monitoring and managing these services, making sure these services are not only done to top standard, but paid accordingly. After all, many of these service providers will be operating around your sensitive data and valuable equipment with little to no monitoring, so making sure the companies you’re working with have high morale, low turnover rates and stellar reviews can make a massive difference and be well worth any extra money.
Saying IT setup is a challenge would be like saying this year’s election is “a bit chaotic.” Tenants need to understand technical requirements and implications so they can properly plan installation timelines. Otherwise, these timelines can be delayed and tenants can lose precious business without internet, servers or other technical capabilities. But with so many variables to consider—from client adapters and cabling to routers and server management—even the smallest decisions can be the tipping point between a flowing tech ecosystem and crashing servers, lost data, redundant hardware and overpaying. A tenant needs a tech expert who can quickly and painlessly set up an IT infrastructure, and give the advice needed to handle any situation that arises.
Speaking of infuriating cable and tech setup: phones may be fundamental to our everyday lives and processes, but the amount of effort that goes into them can make a tenant ask if they’re worth it. Not only will a tenant need to connect cables to the LAN room and coordinate phone numbers, but they’ll need to standardize voicemail and set up call transfers, caller ID and phone trees as well—any and all of which can be extremely difficult to organize. In addition, tenants need to decide whether they need to hire a full-time receptionist or use a shared resource.
While easy to overlook, furniture can have a massive influence on an office’s success. A comfortable chair or standing desk can have a major impact on productivity, and attractive, comfortable furniture can work wonders in attracting new business and talent. Even a little thought on furnishings can go a long way.
But how do you decide which furniture to get? Do you rent or buy? What style are you going for? Classic? Contemporary? There are so many questions tenants must answer—and not taking each under proper consideration can result in unnecessary costs and frustrations.
For example, poorly chosen desks and chairs can create serious back problems over the long term, killing productivity and, in turn, earnings. In fact, Kansas State University business administration leadership chair Thomas Wright found that “in a sample of management personnel with average salaries in the $65k range, being psychologically distressed could cost the organization roughly $75/week/person in lost productivity.”
In a recent interview, Unispace global design director Brian Tolman and global strategy leader Albert De Plazaola said any office space that doesn’t intuitively reflect an organization’s attitude is missing a huge opportunity for a unique, innovative office. Clearly conveying a company’s image and attitude can make a place more attractive for like-minded talent, and energize employees as well. But picking out art in general—let alone art that fits a tenant’s specific business—can be a huge challenge without expert help. After all, can you tell what kind of artwork depicts your company as innovative and free-thinking? What about task-driven?
With everything else going on, the last thing that will be on a tenant’s mind is notifying clients and vendors about its new address and ordering new business cards, letterheads, envelopes and other supplies. But—as a tenant’s most important, fundamental marketing materials—these little details can make a massive difference in everyday business. After all, no one wants to be that person in a meeting that has to take out his/her pen and write a new address on the back of the card. And no one wants to miss out on a potential contract or huge deal because he/she forgets to tell a partner or client the new address. A tenant needs someone who can keep a sharp eye on all the little things like these that can slip through the cracks.
If you have a client taking new space who’s worried about something on this list, consider Carr Workplace’s WorkReady program. With a wide variety of online listings, clients can find one that fits their space and tech needs, and brokers and building owners can list their vacant spaces, giving them some well-needed visibility. Once a lease is signed, Carr’s WorkReady project management team will coordinate among all three groups to design and build out the office and hold the tenant’s hand through the entire process, making everyone happy and setting the tenant up for future growth. Building owners can even offer WorkReady services—from phone answering to personal errands—to tenants, distinguishing their properties.
To learn more about Carr Workplaces and the WorkReady program, click here.
