Office moves can be expensive—after all, packing your entire business and bringing it to a new location is no one’s definition of simple, not only due to the costs of finding the ideal corporate movers in Montgomery, but also due to the lost productive time, which means no revenue while you’re preparing and getting to the new office.
For that reason, saving as much as possible before a move is crucial—and you can reduce expenses by downsizing and getting rid of the things you don’t need.
5 Tips for Downsizing a Commercial Office Space
1. Conduct a Space & Needs Assessment
The secret to a successful move is planning. Knowing what spaces are available to a T is fundamental when it comes to an office move.
Only by understanding how many meters you have and how much you’ll count on can you properly assess what objects to keep and what not to. Consider your workforce and changes like remote work trends, hybrid schedules, or shared desks to reduce square footage requirements.
During this time, identify non-essential departments, underused meeting rooms, or bulky furniture that you can eliminate.
2. Inventory Everything
Create a detailed inventory of furniture, electronics, supplies, and equipment. This will allow you both to keep track of priority items while identifying things that can go. On your list, categorize each item as: Keep, Sell, Donate, or Recycle.
A good tip for figuring out what goes where is to consider whether something hasn’t been used in 6–12 months. If it hasn’t, consider letting it go.
3. Digitize Paper Records
Physical files take up space—a lot of space, as you probably already know. Moreover, if your storage system isn’t precise, misplaced documents can become the source of many headaches. For that reason, you can use the move as an opportunity to digitize documents and switch to a digital document management system.
When doing this jump, it’s crucial to inventory your documents. Shred or securely dispose of outdated or sensitive physical files after scanning to prevent data leakage.
4. Involve Your Team Early
Involve your team when deciding what’s useful and what needs to go. Get input from each department on what’s actually needed—imagine reaching work one day and seeing your favorite mug gone!
Additionally, employees should be encouraged to clean out personal desks and shared areas well before moving day. Make sure to assign a responsible person for each zone (IT, breakroom, storage) to streamline the process.
5. Sell or Donate Unneeded Items
Once you decide what needs to go, you can sell or donate it.
Platforms like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or local auction houses are ideal places to sell usable furniture or tech. You can also consider donating to schools, nonprofits, or startups—it’s both good PR and tax-deductible!
Have a Successful Corporate Relocation with Professional Movers in Montgomery
Since the COVID pandemic, many businesses have incorporated a remote work culture, clearing out their office spaces and fostering productivity. This has resulted in much unused physical space, but rent and utility bills remain high. In these circumstances, relocating is often the best outcome.
Downsizing is key to further reducing costs during the move and improving revenue. Once you’re ready to reach your new space, Pink Zebra Moving can help you with everything—from packing delicate technology to loading and unloading all your objects. If you want to learn more, find a nearby location and call us!