Contrary to moving home, moving a business to a new location has one primary differentiation: you still have to run the business during the move. For that reason, it can be next-to-impossible to plan and execute a successful relocation while still aiming to keep the doors open through the process. With a little planning, the move doesn’t have to be very stressful, however.

1. Appoint One Employee To Oversee the Move

Depending on the size of your organization, this can be either an upper-level executive or someone in mid-management that you feel has a special eye for organization. Whoever it is will need to have unfiltered authority from point A to point Z, in nearly every capacity of the move itself: planning, delegating, organizing, and moving. Make sure this person is also aware of the responsibilities of the move, such as negotiating contracts with the movers and utility companies, as well as ensuring that all employees have the proper amount of supplies. Most likely this person will be removed from their current duties at the actual job itself, for the time being, so be ready to re-delegate their work to pick up the slack.

2. Take a Full Inventory of All Assets

Before a single item is touched, make sure your employees write a thorough inventory report on the assets at hand. Not only does this protect against employee theft – which costs companies nearly $50 billion a year and is especially possible during a move – but it also keeps your inventory levels current while you’re moving to keep the business operable.

3. Tally All Possible Expenses

Not only will you have to consider the cost of hiring a moving company (get free quotes from Cheap Atlanta Movers) or packing supplies and employee time, but you’ll also have to consider the cost of breaking utility contracts and lease agreements. Hardly any of those things expire at the same time so that you can count on at least one early termination fee. Moreover, you’ll have to get quotes from your insurance company on lost or damaged items during the move and potential loss of revenue during the move itself.

4. Let Vendors and Customers Know About Your Move

One of the oft-overlooked itinerary items during a move is letting all relevant parties know about your new location. It’s not as easy as letting a few people in customer service know about the move; often, vendors will want a couple of weeks to reorient their logistics in their system to acclimate to your new address. Moreover, your customers will need to know where to find you as well. Your most loyal customers will most likely be aware of any new changes in your operations, but the casual ones that are used to you being in a new location will not. Make sure you advertise on social media, print media, local classifieds, and even direct mailings to let people know about your move.