The following are four reasons why you should hire a moving company to do your packing for you:

It will take you longer than a professional

It can take a few weeks for you to pack the office on your own. During that time, your office will be in disarray and it will be difficult to work. A professional can do the job in a fraction of the time. Your office will be accessible until a day or two before you’re ready to move.

Packing is not an efficient way for you to spend your time

Packing an entire office is exhausting. It is not the most productive way for you to spend your time. Hiring someone to do it for you will allow you and your employees to focus on work, while the professionals prepare you for your move.

A professional knows how to do it properly

There is an art to packing. If it isn’t done correctly, you can misplace or damage your belongings. A professional packer will take stock of the contents of your office, and will determine the best method of preparing the various categories of items for the move. They will label, mark and protect everything so that it will be in the same condition as when it left your original place of work, and it will be easy to find.

It doesn’t cost as much as you think

It costs money to hire a packer, but it also costs money to do it yourself. If you do it on your own, you will lose a lot of work hours, spend more on packing supplies, and are more likely to break or misplace your belongings. By the time you add up the cost of doing it on your own, you may not end up saving much money.

Although you could do your own packing, hiring a professional will make your entire move more manageable. Washington Express Movers has an experienced staff that has been assisting businesses with their move for years. Feel free to contact us for more information and learn about our packing services.

The post Why You Should Hire Professional Packers first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

Start out with an excited and positive introduction that explains why your company is moving and how it will benefit your team in the long run. Address all changes with optimism, but be honest about what is happening. If you are downsizing, it’s important to say so.

Next, lay out the plan! You should include:

• A general timeline with all milestone dates in bold or highlight,
• A targeted moving date,
• A list of responsibilities for your staff, and
• A meeting date to answer any and all questions your employees may have.

Your employees will appreciate having a letter that covers all the basic questions, as well as having a meeting scheduled for them to get answers on any other questions they have have.

Be sure to make this an official letter and make everything as specific as possible! It can be stressful to deal with gossip and employee fear, so be transparent during this time.

If you are looking for assistance during your office move, be sure to call the professionals at Washington Express Movers! We would be happy to do the heavy lifting for you and your team as you embark on this exciting new adventure.

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Hidden Costs

While this new office space looks totally perfect except for that one little thing, be careful. Some people choose to purchase a building that isn’t in great condition for a low price with the intention of fixing the place up. This may make sense financially, as you can spread out the renovations as you need. However, it’s important to note that updates can get a little overwhelming and expensive. Any obvious repair work is going to be noticeable upon walking in: the roof, the paint, the floor quality, etc. However, beware of what you cannot see. How is the electrical system holding up? How old are the pipes? Is the place up to code? Pay close attention to building codes and zoning restrictions. You could end up paying quite a bit of money to fix up a place that, in the end, may not be worth it. If you really fall in love with a place, consider hiring an engineer or contractor to make sure everything you want to do with the place is possible.

The Butterfly Effect

This new building looks like a great option for your office, but it’s about 30 minutes from your current location. Yikes! If you need to move far away from where you are right now, it’s important to consider the repercussions. Can your key employees come with? If not, are you willing to take the time to find replacements? Can business take that much of a hit? If not, you should probably wait out the search just a bit longer. Consider rearranging your current office structure if need be. If you absolutely must move to this new place, that’s fine—just be ready to plan for employee relocation and recruitment costs. Also, your employees will likely have some fear and stress rise up during this process. Be ready to address this with them, as for some, it will likely mean that they will look for employment elsewhere.

Adjusting Business Plans

If you are still finalizing your business plan, then it may not be time to purchase a new office space. Making an office move is expensive, and it can eat up a lot of time. If you will need to sell your business or break your lease for whatever reason, the resulting fees could be detrimental. What are your plans for your business in the next few years? Do you want to help your employees with training, purchase better technology, or invest in a new marketing program? If you need your new office to meet your goals, then you should absolutely move. If not, it may be time to consider putting those funds elsewhere.

Timeline Goals

If you are for sure going to move, then make sure to give your employees as much of a head’s up as you can! Some might have increased commute times while others will have to consider moving altogether if they want to stay at your business. We highly recommend offering time-off allowances for employees to find housing and relocate, if that is part of their plan. Also, try your best to make any moves after your busy time of year. Otherwise, you will find it much harder to meet your deadlines. With that said, if you can sacrifice just a few hours of productivity, then you can hire office movers to handle the lifting for you. That means minimal downtime!

Contact Washington Express Movers

If you are looking for a team to handle your office moving project, it’s time to call Washington Express Movers. We proudly serve the Washington, D.C. metro area. Our project managers work closely with you to develop the best strategy for your move. That means that you can decide when you move with confidence—the date, the time, the place, you name it. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to learn more! We look forward to helping your office pick up and set up a permanent residence someplace else. Encourage your company; feel stronger with Washington Express Movers.

The post Beware Before You Move! first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

Disclose the New Location

Telling your employees about the new office as soon as you can is important. They will need to plan on any potential changes to their daily commute. If your office is located in Washington D.C., we recommend taking a look at public transit and seeing if your new office is accessible. If not, you may have a difficult time with employees who need to make the switch to the new office. Keep this in mind, and be ready to offer suggestions to those who may have a harder time getting into work.

Help Where You Can

If there are issues with the new location, make sure to address these problems as soon as you can. Also, do as much as possible to assist! For example, if they will need to pay for parking, you may need to offer to reimburse them for this cost. Even those of you who cannot offer incentives or other assistance should inform your employees as early as possible before the move. Some workers may need to find different employment options to meet their transportation needs and find a smaller commute.

Offer Flexibility

If your business is moving into the heart of Washington D.C., then your employees may be feeling stressed about parking, the commute, and traffic. If at all possible, offer some flexibility. Let your employees work from home, allow them to come in later or earlier—whatever it takes to make them feel more at ease with the new situation.

Keep Communication Open

By regularly updating your staff on the progress of the move, you can address any questions and concerns as they arise. Keep everyone in the loop to avoid any gossip or hearsay from getting out of hand. Also, open up a forum for employees! They will likely have questions about the change, and encouraging them to ask you these questions can prevent drama later on.

We also recommend sharing a timeline with your employees so that they know when it’s time to pack, when the office move takes place, and what day the new office is up and open for business.

Ask for Opinions

While everyone has different thoughts on what should and should not be done in an office, it never hurts to ask. Ask your staff what would make their jobs easier in the new space. Maybe adding more space inside the photocopier room or adding another chair to the breakroom is exactly what they need. Perhaps bigger desks would help them do their jobs more efficiently. Simply ask what would be the best option for them, and they will feel included and listened to—especially if you can incorporate their requests.

Inform Staff of the New Neighborhood

Is there an amazing deli just around the corner from your new office? How about a coffee shop that has rave reviews? Let your staff know about these little amenities and watch them get more and more excited about the move. Create a list of the nearby restaurants, shops, gyms, daycare centers, grocery stores, parks, and anything else that your employees may want to know.

Washington Express Movers

When you are ready to make the move from one office to the next, it’s time to call the professionals. Our office movers want to take as much of the stress and pressure of a cross-city move off of your shoulders as possible. There is no need to worry about the logistics—we can handle those. That way, you can focus on keeping business running smoothly, as usual. Reach out to us today and let us know when you need our services!

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If you are ready to learn more about office relocation and why it’s an awesome idea, we are here to help. Contact Washington Express Movers today when you are ready to see how we can assist you and your employees!

Planning the Move

Office moves don’t have to be a massive pain, assuming that you take the necessary steps ahead of time to feel prepared and ready to go. If you give yourself plenty of time to plan the move or contact a moving company to assist, then moving day won’t be much of a hassle at all. Ahead of time, we recommend mapping out a budget and adhering to this budget for the entire process. We also believe you should keep a timeframe in mind. If you can only be shut down for a few hours, communicate that with your moving company! You may be able to move after business hours if this is the case.

When choosing your moving specialists, be sure to do your research. What companies can handle everything you need to be done? Call and ask around, but don’t forget to give Washington Express Movers a call, too! Many business owners like yourself will tell you to hire an external company, as these crews ensure that all the big decisions are up to you, but the heavy lifting is up to them.

Brand Enhancement

While you might see your move as just picking up items from point A and moving them to point B, we see it as an opportunity to enhance or adjust your brand. Believe it or not, your office space will reveal quite a bit about the overall attitude and values of the company. With a move, you have the option to update the aesthetics and keep them in line with what you want both your employees and customers to see when they look at your business. Don’t be afraid to hire an office design company to give you some guidance in the new space.

Innovative Working Adjustments

If there are any new work day procedures or tactics you want to try, a move might be the perfect chance to implement these changes. Get creative: tell your office interior designers that you want open working spaces, small acoustic rooms, and employee lunch areas! The employees will be interested in what changes you have made in the new building, as well as figuring out what their new work environment will be like.

Company Growth

Once you have more space, a nicer office, a better location, or all the above, it will be much easier to begin expanding your team. You might be closer to new talent at your new location, or maybe you just have more space to give everyone the desk they need! Keep in mind that companies that have moved to a new space that is seen as “better” will absolutely look more impressive to both clients and potential employees. It signals that your business is successful, growing, changing, and improving each and every day.

How to Handle the Transition

If you are ready to make the change to a new office space, you might be concerned about what your staff will think. This is especially true if you will be moving to a new city where others may have to commute further than they previously did. The best way to ensure that everything goes smoothly is to make sure your employees get plenty of notice ahead of time. You can even give them a say in what happens next. Ask for suggestions as far as layout and design—even location if you haven’t chosen a spot just yet. When you open up these channels of communication, you might find that your employees are responsive and excited about this transition.

Keep Budget in Mind

Building a new office, particularly a large one, can absolutely take its toll on your company financially. Take a look at your financial state, and do some math about your ROI when you move. Don’t be shy about contacting different contractors and asking how much it will be to build the features you feel your business needs. Likewise, consider your current technology. An office move is a great reason to upgrade your technology. Making these transitions during a move is much easier than moving over the old items, buying new, and getting rid of the old as time goes on.

Contact Us

Once your new office is chosen, it’s time to contact the office movers from Washington Express Movers! We can move everything you need for you, as well as help you set it up when we arrive at your new office destination. Even if you need commercial storage space for a little while, we can help with that too. Choose your one-stop-shop for all things moving, and reach out to our team today! We look forward to working with you.

The post The Benefits of Office Relocation first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

Plan Ahead

Nothing can ruin a move quite like not being prepared for it. What day are you moving? Will the office be conducting business as usual that day, or will you be dismissing your employees early? Knowing these things ahead of time will help you keep things running with as little downtime as possible. Many business relocations are planned anywhere from six months to a year in advance, and larger moves can take ever longer to plan. Keep that in mind as you prepare.

Hire Professional Office Movers

As easy as you might think it is to just get a truck and move everything from point A to point B on a budget, this is a terrible mistake. Items may get lost or broken, and you might even have an issue with an employee getting injured in the process. When you hire professional office movers, such as Washington Express Movers, you can be sure that we have the experience, resources, and manpower needed to move everything quickly and efficiently. Also, we have insurance. If something goes wrong, you won’t be the one footing the fill.

Check Your New Building’s Requirements

Some properties can be a bit more stringent than others when it comes to hours of operation, parking lot requirements, and elevator reservations. Check with your new building manager before your move to ensure that everything is in place. You don’t want to have everything packed up and arriving at the new building only to find that the building is locked outside of normal operating hours.

Update Your Printed Material

If your business cards, letterhead, envelopes, and other distributed materials have your old address, make sure to update these! The last thing you want is for a client to send something of importance to the wrong location. Even if you do forward your mail, this can increase the amount of time it takes for it to arrive at your new location. Having these items printed ahead of time sets you up to distribute these items to your employees after the move with no in-between time to worry about.

Take Inventory

Make sure that all your items are accounted for. If you have a larger company, put your supervisors in charge of their own department’s inventory. That way, you can stay focused on the office move as a whole instead of worrying about smaller items that could go missing along the way.

Be Properly Staffed

It’s a good idea to have two managers there during the move. You can keep one at the old office to oversee things being packed up, while you can put another manager at the new location to guide the office movers as they drop off the items. However, don’t have too many managers on hand – otherwise, they might get in the way of our office movers and slow them down!

Keep Your Electronic Needs in Mind

If you are a largely electronically based company – many companies are, these days – then make sure that these items get moved quickly. You will want to ensure that all data cabling has been installed and tested before the IT team gets there to set up your network and equipment. Keep an IT professional in the new location to assist anyone who needs help setting up their new workspace and electronic devices.

Contact Our Team of Office Movers

If your office is ready to make the transition from one space to another, then it’s time to contact the professionals at Washington Express Movers. We are proud to serve businesses like yours in the Washington D.C. area, and we would be happy to help you in any way we can. Contact us today to get started and tell us about your moving project!

The post Tips to Make Your Office Move Smooth first appeared on Washington Express Movers.

That’s why you need to consider hiring commercial movers when it comes to your Washington D.C. office move. Planning ahead, timing the move well, and meeting your goals beforehand will all help smooth over the process. Read the following reasons why it’s best to keep your employees out of the moving process.

Your Employees Will Be Distracted

Each one of your employees matters. We know this, because otherwise, you wouldn’t be paying to keep them around. Because of this, you need to be able to keep all your employees focused on the task at hand while they are in the office. When you give them moving responsibilities, they lose their attention to their jobs. Instead, they begin to think about the move itself. Let those thoughts go to the professional commercial movers at Washington Express Movers instead of your employees.

Your Employees Likely Have Not Done This Before

Sure, many of your employees have probably moved their homes before. However, that was moving their own personal items – not the office materials. They may feel added stress about moving expensive electronics, and they might feel added pressure if they don’t believe they are capable of moving all their office materials on their own.

Electronics are Expensive and Fragile

There is always a risk when moving items from one office to another, but this risk is only heightened when you trust your employees to load up their own items in the backs of their cars where they cannot be properly secured. Electronics are expensive, and they are fragile. This risk increases when they are not packed properly for moving! Trust the professionals over the amateurs to save your business money.

You Might Be At Fault for Injury

If your business isn’t filled with professional commercial movers – and we doubt it is – then you might be at risk of a lawsuit if one of your employees is injured during the move. Your team doesn’t know how to maneuver heavy items through Washington D.C.’s office spaces, so don’t leave anything up to chance. Let us take care of the heavy lifting instead.

Security Might Be an Issue

Typically, your business is quite secure. You may require your employees to have access cards, you probably lock the doors at the end of the business day, and you probably have a detailed and secure filing system for important documents. When you allow your employees to move things at their will, all of this becomes susceptible to theft or a security breach. When you call in our commercial movers, you can be sure that we have a plan in place to keep all your information and items secure during the move.

Your Employees Might Not Know How To Move Things

Do your employees know that copy machines need to have all fluids removed before they can be moved from your office to the new one? Ours do. Leaving your expensive equipment at the mercy of your employees is never wise! Make the smart decision and contact a team that has done this hundreds of times before. We know exactly how to handle all the tricky equipment in your office, as well as the heavier items.

Your Employees Need a Chance to Settle In

You are moving them to a brand new office! We are sure that they want to spend the time moving getting familiar with the space and setting up their new workstations. While our commercial movers handle all the hard work, your employees can focus on moving forward, working with the clients, and getting cozy in their new space. Once your employees feel more at ease and, dare we say, at home in the new space, they will be back to conducting business as usual and keeping your clients happy.

Contact Our Commercial Movers Today

If you are ready to put your big office move in the hands of our professionals, then it’s time to call Washington Express Movers. We can handle your move from one Washington D.C. office to another. Your employees don’t need the added pressure of a hard move, but we thrive on it. Contact us today and let us know how we can help you.

The post Top Reasons to Not Use Employees While Your Office Moves first appeared on Washington Express Movers.