Offices still play a vital part in many businesses despite work-at-home policies being implemented. The US is slowly starting to grow its economy once again, and quarantine procedures are becoming less restricted due to vaccines. Soon enough, offices will be the norm once again. But should you consider moving to an office when there are some advantages to working at home?
Working at Home
Many companies that have implemented a work at home policy have experienced a decrease in expenses. Since there is no need to rent or purchase an office space, money goes fully to operations. Utility bills are also much smaller when compared to years before the pandemic. A full-functioning office can reach thousands of dollars in electricity bills alone. Working at home helps reduce this particular expense since employees pay for their own utilities at home. The benefits of working at home seem very good for many companies. However, there are also disadvantages of working at home.
It has been found that some companies have experienced low productivity from the policy. Interruptions from work happen all the time when you’re at home. Additionally, various temptations exist that can force employees to procrastinate. Paired up with the lack of accountability because no supervisor watches over the employees and has a serious productivity problem. This is enough for many companies to take down their work at home policy and push their employees back to the office.
There are many reasons you would like to move to an office or a much newer office this year. Two of the main reasons for that are upsizing and downsizing.
Upsizing
If your company has received some growth throughout the years, then the old small office might no longer be enough for your growing workforce. This is when you should start considering upsizing. Aside from the new space you’ll be getting, upsizing also helps you update your office equipment and other things you might need in your new office. The main disadvantage here is that it’s costly. But it can be a worthwhile investment if you expect your employees to be more productive with all the new space you have given them.
Downsizing
If you incur too many costs than what your company can handle, downsizing might be a good idea to keep the expenses sheets balanced. However, costs aren’t the only reason why you should consider downsizing. Some companies do it because they have replaced their employees with automatons. It can also be a way to make everyone in the office more intimate and cooperative with one another.
Regardless of your reason, there are a couple of things you’ll have to do when moving to a new office.
Landlord and Fees
If you’re only renting, you’ll have to talk with your landlord regarding your contract. You’ll have to have accomplished the amount of time stated in the contract with your landlord if you want its incentives, such as your deposit fee. If not, negotiate with your landlord months ahead as to why you’ll be moving before the contract ends. This should give your landlord enough time to find someone else to rent your location. However, you might not get any incentives by ending the contract early, such as your deposit fee back.
If you own the place and are planning to sell it, the process is up to you. Just remember that you have to pay some fees for conveyancing or transfer land titles to the new owner. It can be quite costly, so make sure you have some funds dedicated to it. Additionally, you can try to negotiate these fees with your client to lessen its costs. Hiring a third party to handle it can expedite the process.
Hiring a Moving Company
Getting a moving company to move your office equipment can reduce your costs for the move. It’s also more efficient than driving the company back and forth to move the equipment. You also don’t have to worry about its logistics because the moving company will do that for you. So consider having a budget for a moving company when you’re planning to move to a new office.
Cancel Old Services and Utilities
Believe it or not, some companies who have moved to a new office end up paying for their old utilities down the line. This is because some of them forget to cancel or inform the services and utilities of that old office space of the move. Don’t let this happen to you. Inform them that you’re going to move to a new office and that you want to cancel or move their services to the new office. This can save you a lot of money once you’ve set up operations in your new office.
Moving to a new office doesn’t need to be complicated. By following our suggestions above you can save time and money on your move. If you’re considering a work-at-home policy because of the benefits it brings, then go ahead! Currently, the norm doesn’t need to be followed, and as a business owner, you should go with what you think is best.
