Ultimate Corporate Relocation Guide

January 2, 2023 / Posted in Moving Tips
Maya Brown

Born in Atlanta, Maya has called many places home in her lifetime. She's a content writer and moving expert who loves to help people relocate smoothly.

No matter if you’re a small business owner or a CEO of an international company, going through the process of corporate relocation is no small task. From moving your entire office to a new address to preparing your employees for changing their home, here’s everything you need to have on your corporate relocation checklist for it to go over smoothly.

Office space with people working
There are a lot of things to think about when you're transferring your office to a new location

When It Comes to Companies, What Is the Process of Relocation Like?

Everyone who’s done it at least once in their life knows that organizing a move can be a challenging and stressful task. It’s never really just packing and getting to a new home. There are a lot more things to consider. And when you’re planning to transfer your entire office, there are even more things to think about. You’re not only changing your business address, but you’re also changing your employees’ lives.

So, how does employee relocation work? Whatever the reason for the move is, the corporation has to transfer a certain number or all of its employees to a new branch. Business owners are the ones that decide on who are the potential candidates that would be beneficial to the new branch in order for their business to function properly. Of course, at the end of the day, it’s the employee’s decision to move to another state.

Creating a Corporate Relocation Package Will Help Employees Decide on the Transfer

When an employee is asked to move for a job, the first thing they wonder is – what should I ask for corporate relocation? What does relocation mean in a job? Sure, they won’t have to think about getting a job in a new city, but it will still be a difficult decision to make, especially if they were to relocate with kids. That’s why it’s important to create a special relocation package that outlines all details of the transfer as well as the financial benefits.

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The Incentives You Should Offer Your Transfer Candidates Should Fit in With Their Specific Circumstances

There is a wide range of benefits and incentives you can cover with the package, and you should create it according to the specific situation of the chosen candidates. Besides taking care of certain expenses, you can offer other incentives that will help the candidate make their final decision on leaving their home.

You should think about offering child care or elder care assistance in the new community, as well as job support for their spouse that will most likely have to leave their current place of work. It’s a good idea to also provide a temporary home because house-hunting can sometimes last for months. If it’s a move on the global level, you should offer international cultural training to help them adjust. In one way or another, the expenses for the long-distance moving services should be reimbursed, including the transport of their vehicle by an auto-transport company.

The Three Main Types of Coverage Packages for Transferring Candidates

When it comes to the policy of transferring a part of your business to another place, there are three types of coverage packages you can think about:

  • The lump sum is the oldest model of coverage that is slowly going out of use. It entails that there is a single payment of money and that the corporation has a fixed amount specifically for this situation. With that money, it is up to you to find the cross-country movers fit for the job.
  • Managed budget package is a new model of coverage that is starting to be implemented more and more these days. You will receive a single payment of money again, but you will also be provided with professional movers that will help you with everything concerning the move.
  • A fully covered package is a policy usually for employees in high-level positions, and it entails exactly what it sounds like – everything is covered by the company, from the initial planning to the expenses.

The Best Way to Handle a Corporate Relocation Is to Start Planning Ahead

As you can probably tell by now, relocating your business is not something that can be handled by organizing a last-minute move without the help of long distance movers. If you need a few weeks in order to prepare for an efficient move privately, for a corporation, you will need at least a few months to plan everything accordingly, or even more if it’s a global transfer. So, start planning in advance so you can discuss it with your staff and take care of everything on time.

Figure Out the Company Budget to Inform Your Staff About What They Can Expect

We’ve already discussed the main aspects you should think about when it comes to transferring your staff. There are a lot of expenses and incentives to think about, so create a moving budget as early as you can to know what kind of resources you are working with. Then you will know the type of coverage package you can offer to your employees. The best policy is to note everything down and organize it as if it’s just another part of the business.

Open communication with your staff will affect work life in a positive way. When your workers are informed and updated about the whole process, they will know what’s going on and what to expect. Also, you will be able to learn about all of their concerns and figure out what are the best incentives for each person you’re thinking about transferring.

There's No Move if You Don't Find an Appropriate Office Space

One of the first things that should be written down on your to-do list is finding an office. Searching for the perfect workplace can take a while, so it’s important to start on time. While you’re looking at different office spaces, you should think about the location, size, and pricing. As soon as you’ve decided, inform your staff because they will need to start planning accordingly. You can advise them to use research tools such as AreaVibes in order to find the best neighborhood for them.

This Is Not Something That Can Be Done Without Professional Services

As we’ve mentioned already, the most popular coverage is the managed budget package which entails that every service needed for the cross-country moving is covered and taken care of. It will obviously be super difficult to pull off this move without the help from professionals that have years of experience. So, find reputable movers, and by doing so, you’ll know that half of the job is done.

Research Is the Key to Having a Good Experience With Professional Movers

It’s a nice thing to help out a newbie company, but when your business is in question, the best thing to do is to go for a reputable long-distance moving company that has years of experience and service. Then you will be sure they know how to handle a demanding move such as transferring office spaces and that you avoided falling victim to any relocating scams.

You can research yourself or ask for recommendations – it’s a good idea to contact a business partner that you know has gone through this process. To check if a company is legitimate, you should ask to see an insurance certificate. Checking that they have a legitimate insurance policy will protect your property from any damage that could occur during loading and unloading.

Woman and one of the long-distance movers smiling
When you hire experienced movers, half of the job is already done

If You Know What Services You Need, Finding the Best Long-Distance Moving Company Will Be Easy

Relocating offices without professional help is almost impossible, whether you’re a small business owner or a CEO of a global corporation. It’s a good idea to go for one company that can take care of every service you require rather than using several providers. So, before you contact your chosen professional movers, figure out what kind of assistance you need.

If you’re relocating to a smaller office, you’ll probably be left with excess chairs, desks, and electronic devices – storage service is the best way to solve this problem. If there are vehicles that need to be moved, contact a car shipping company that will provide auto-transport services for you. For the most valuable cars, you should also think about getting enclosed transport.

When It Comes to Packing, You Should Also Think About Hiring a Professional Service

For bigger moves, especially if they’re on the global level, relocating furniture from the office sounds like an exhausting thing to do. That’s why you should think about booking packing services and letting your movers take care of everything. But, if your business is on a smaller scale, it is possible to go without it – you just need to know all the essentials for packing efficiently.

So, let’s do a quick crash course if you’re up for doing it DIY-style. First things first, decluttering the space is recommended before any packing starts for obvious reasons – you will have less to pack. Get packing supplies such as boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, and packing peanuts. Take special care when packing fragile items, and also use anti-static bubble wrap for wrapping electronics. Remember, if it becomes too much to handle at any point, you can opt for professional help. But if you stick with it, check out this helpful video to learn how to pack like a pro:

Contact Your Affiliates and Take Care of Important Documents

To make things easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of everyone you should contact and inform about the change of address:

  • Business partners,
  • Clients and other work affiliates,
  • Insurance companies,
  • US Postal Service,
  • IRS.

Now is a good time to also remind you to transfer your utilities because it’s one of the most important things to take care of in order for your business to start working as it should. And while we’re on the topic of things no business can go without, it’s good to mention that you should organize your important documents. Make a binder with documents to ensure they stay in one place, and always know exactly where they are throughout the whole process.

People sitting around an office table
It's time to get to business as usual but in a fresh new environment

It’s Time to Decorate the New Office to Ensure a Productive Working Environment

Once your office has a new address, it’s time to think about the most fun part – how to decorate it. It’s important to always deep clean the space before the move-in, and you should also think about getting some new furniture or at least a few plants.

Having the new space a bit different than your old one can boost morale and productivity, but you also shouldn’t make too many changes. The seating arrangements should probably stay the same because they are organized according to functionality. Once everyone settles in, it’s back to business as usual!

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