Change is an inevitability, and therefore it is crucial that we are prepared for change as and when it happens. At Blenheim accountants it became increasingly clear that to handle change we needed a new office. We are an expanding business with new clients and more staff members, and unfortunately our offices were not expanding at the same rate.

Our current office. A large amount of space that allows us to all work in the same environment without getting in each others way.

The main priority was a bigger office within a relatively local area. After hunting around we found a suitable building at least three times the size of our previous workplace,which is easier for clients to find, more accomodating, and its open plan creates a healthier and more integrated working environment. (New office pictured right)

Yet despite all the benefits moving is not without its pains, these were ours:

• Telecoms: proved to be the most problematic, moving in on the 23rd of May our telecoms wasn’t up and running until 10 days subsequent to the move.
• Time: It takes longer than you think! I had to postpone a holiday in order to make sure I was available, so make sure you grantyourself a generous amount of time to complete the moving process.
• Contact: it is easy to overlook the shear volume of cards, supplies and digital material that hold your address. Not only is it important to update this information, but it is vital that you let your clients know
  where you are and how they can find you.
  

  A comfy accommodating corner for clients to wait.

• Address: following on from the previous point finding out the address of your new building is easier said than done. We found that our new offices had been renamed, but this name was yet to feature on the side of our building. Then there’s the problem of door codes, gate codes and who to go to if there is a problem.

There’s no way of avoiding problems entirely, but there are certainly things you can do to ease the difficulty of moving, so here are my five top tips:

1. Plan: plan, plan and plan again. Trust me when I say that you can never be too prepared. Having every last facet of your move thought out will be hugely beneficial to the process.
2. Read: I understand that reading through old and new leases isn’t the most exciting of jobs, but it is definitely worth it. For example our old lease required us to redecorate which included re-carpeting.
3. Use local small businesses- we were disappointed with a particular large telephone broadband provider, as they simply didn’t seem to care about their level of service. We worked with small local companies including Cannard Computing (http://cannard.co.uk) and environments 4 business (http://www.eforb.co.uk), and I honestly cannot recommend them highly enough.
4. Funding: moving can create all sorts of hidden costs such as new furniture and rent deposits. It is crucial that you understand your costs, and have the necessary funding to cover them.
5. Team: I cannot thank my team enough for all the help and support they offered throughout the entirety of the move. Having a strong team behind you takes away some of the stress that accompanies a complex move.

Finally the most important thing to remember is why you’re doing it. It will be worth it in the long term.

Moving is exciting, enjoy it!

Our new boardroom! Perfect for meetings both within our own business, and with clients.