Cost Saving Relocation Methods for your Business
How you can save money when you have to move your company.
Many companies are finding it necessary to relocate to smaller quarters, or find a cheaper place to operate from. The downturn of the global economy is making it quite hard for many smaller businesses to survive, and being able to move to a smaller and less expensive building might just mean the difference between being able to remain in business and closing their doors for good.Just moving into a cheaper place is not enough to keep a business afloat. If the relocation itself breaks the bank so to speak, then there was no point in attempting the move in the first place. It is vital to businesses in this situation to look at all of the options, costs, and downtime involved before picking out a company or method to use for the move. Thankfully, there are some decently cheap alternatives to the traditional, costly methods. You might even find yourself able to to choose from a selection of moving companies within the budget as well.
There are three main moving methods; professionals, truck rentals, and portable storage. Each method comes with its own benefits and drawbacks depending on the various factors of the move. Generally speaking, professional movers will always cost more money. They may or may not take longer to get your things back to you, but they do handle most of the move. For a small business, this can mean a large, up front cost, but less downtime for packing, loading, and moving in general. Keep in mind, when you are choosing the right method for your company, you need to figure in the cost of downtime as well as the cost of the method itself. While professionals will be the most expensive method in most cases, there are some instances where it becomes quite worth it.
Portable storage crates can be helpful if storage is needed between move out day and move in day. In most cases, this is not a method that would benefit most businesses. The cost for this method falls between that of a professional and a do it yourself truck rental. The lower cost exists due to the fact that while you may not be responsible for the driving, you will be responsible for the loading, unloading, packing, and unpacking of all of your things. The biggest drawback of this method for a business of any sort is the fact that there is no control over when the crate will be moved. In some cases, it might sit there for quite a while, which means unnecessary downtime for your company.
Truck rentals are generally the cheapest method to use. Truck rentals for moving are prevalent in our daily lives, and just like a private individual, your company can procure one to use for a move. Obtaining a rental is usually quite simple and can take only minutes. Most companies even offer the ability to rent one of these trucks online. There are many different sizes, packages, and companies to choose from, so it is best to do your research before reserving one. Make sure that you take the cost of fuel and time to pack, load, and unload into account when you are looking at the cost effectiveness of this method.
In order to drive the price of your relocation even lower with a truck rental, there are a few things that should be thought of or completed before you start.
Do Your Research
Getting information from as many different companies as you can is the best place to start any move. There are plenty of companies out there that offer a wide range of different services. By looking into more than one, you will be able to build a small scale picture of price ranges and service types.
Learning about different aspects of a move is also just as important. There are many free relocation guides online that can easily be accessed by anyone. These guides often offer some handy information for moving as well as some connections with various companies.
Try: One of the best guides that I have had the fortune of coming across was this moving guide website. It seems that the staff of the company had come together to write up something that would span multiple aspects, moving methods, and time periods. It really includes everything, from professional companies to the do it yourself methods, as well as financial concerns, insurance, and other, somewhat obscure topics. While it looks like it is geared more to the residential movers, it is easily translated into something your business can use.
Get Packing
Packing the contents of a home or office is always something difficult to handle. Usually, an office or business is full of items that cannot be lost or damaged. Packing it all up to be moved is never an easy task, but if you take the right steps, it can be accomplished with a minimum effort.
Try: The moving guide that Truck Rental put out also covers tips on how to pack and save money while doing so. Tips like reusing boxes, how to purchase tape, how to protect breakables, and what to leave behind are all included as well as much more. Other helpful moving guides or tips include a blog on self pack moving companies from truckrental.us and an in depth overview of various types of moving boxes and uses from the guys at Western truck rental.
Organize and Prepare
Getting set up for the big day is one of the best things you can do to avoid unneeded downtime and problems. Making sure that everything is in order and ready to go will also help you deal with the unexpected things that might come along.
Try: Learning how to load a truck is one of the very important things to know. It is important to convey this information to the members of your workforce that have been assigned to this task. Making sure that all are on the same page is important in keeping things moving smoothly and simply. One of the best guides that I have found on this topic is located in the Truck rentals for moving blog.
- Reusing boxes can save you more than you might think. Consider that purchasing boxes can cost you a dollar or more per box. Depending on your business, it may take a couple hundred boxes to fully pack. If you reuse boxes, you can end up saving hundreds of dollars.
- Have your employees pack and work at the same time. Most of your people should be able to pack things that are not used often while the business is still open. This makes your downtime even shorter, and it allows you to prepare for the move well in advance.
- Use what you have. Many of your employees probably have experience in areas you may not know. Perhaps one of them used to drive large trucks. This experience would be perfect for your move as they will be able to comfortably drive the truck rental.
- Keep them working. Don't just send your employees home. In most cases, you can keep your downtime to only a couple of days and be back up and totally unpacked at your new place if you pay your employees to come in and participate. In most cases, your employees will greatly appreciate it as well.
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