Long distance business moving is one of the most challenging and impactful things any company will ever do.
593 U.S. public companies moved their headquarters from March 2022 to March 2023 alone. That is a 29% increase from the previous year.
But instead of looking for innovative solutions, most business owners are handling their long distance moves the same way they would a local office transition. But moving across the country is a completely different process that requires creative solutions and smart planning.
Without a new approach to corporate relocations, businesses are facing weeks of downtime, damaged equipment, and cost overruns.
This article is going to break down the innovative solutions that smart business owners are using to make their long distance moves seamless and low stress.
Let’s get to it!
What you’ll discover:
- Why Long Distance Business Moves Are Different
- Innovative Technology Solutions for Business Moving
- Strategic Planning Methods That Actually Work
- How To Minimize Downtime
Why Long Distance Business Moves Are Different
A long distance business move is not a simple case of packing up your office and loading a truck.
Your move requires you to transfer your entire business operation across hundreds, even thousands of miles while keeping your company running smoothly.
This is what makes it difficult:
When you move your office down the street, you can send an employee over to get something you forgot the next day. If you break something in transit, it is no big deal.
You can just buy a new office chair or file cabinet.
But what if your office is 1000 miles away?
You can’t load everything and ship it in one fell swoop. You need to break up your move into phases.
With corporate relocations, you need a long distance moving service for your business that understands these complexities. This means working with trusted long distance moving services that specialize in business moves and have experience with creative technology solutions and detailed long term planning.
For example, if you lose internet connectivity in your new office, you can’t just drive over to the old office and plug in a new router.
Your local IT guy will not be able to show up in an hour and fix things. He will be driving cross country.
That is why so many smart businesses are starting to reframe their long distance moving needs.
Innovative Technology Solutions for Business Moving
Your IT department and technology infrastructure is the backbone of your long distance move. But to protect that infrastructure, you need the right tools.
While you may be tempted to use local IT and long distance moving companies, you will not have as many innovative solutions as you would from specialists.
Real-Time Tracking Systems
Would you like to know where your equipment is at all times?
The most innovative long distance moving companies are using real-time GPS tracking and RFID tag monitoring for your equipment.
This gives you access to the location of all of your equipment at any time during your move.
If you have employees on the road setting up temporary offices, they can coordinate their arrival with when the equipment will arrive.
If there is a delay at customs or a flat tire, you can immediately notify your team and adjust your plans.
Better yet? This data can help your IT department prepare for the move by tracking what is happening with each piece of equipment.
Digital Inventory Management
Handwritten inventory lists are a thing of the past. At least for businesses that want to have the best chance of their move going smoothly.
By using digital inventory management tools, moving companies and IT departments can photograph and catalogue every piece of equipment.
You and your insurance company will both have a permanent record of what was in each box during your long distance move.
This technology can integrate with your existing asset management software so your IT department is up to date with where each piece of equipment is during your corporate relocation.
Cloud-Based Coordination Platforms
The most innovative long distance moving companies are using cloud-based coordination platforms for all of their business moving needs.
This enables you to coordinate every aspect of your move from a single platform.
Schedule different phases of your move, coordinate multiple moving crews, and even generate and send reports to executives.
You can even quickly approve changes to the routes or times that the moving company would like to use for the move.
This gives you a level of coordination that was not possible in the past.
Strategic Planning Methods That Actually Work
Guess what most business owners do before a move?
They try to plan their entire move in a weekend session. But if you have ever done that, you know it is a disaster.
Successful long distance business moves actually require years of advance planning. The average cost of moving a home in 2022 was $6,852, which is 10% higher than it was just two years ago.
To make up for higher housing prices, 61% of companies have offered more generous cost-of-living increases of 19% to employees since 2023.
This means that a greater number of employees are willing to accept relocation offers to take new positions.
That is good news for companies that are moving to more expensive areas, but it also means you will have to account for employees in your move.
The Phased Moving Approach
Instead of moving everything at once, break up your move into different phases.
Start with non-critical items, like furniture and supplies. Move secondary equipment next, then critical servers and systems last.
This approach minimizes downtime and keeps risk low.
Employee Communication Strategy
Your employees are your biggest asset during a move. They are also a big source of stress if they are not properly informed.
Create a robust communication strategy with frequent email updates, Q&A sessions to address employee concerns, and temporary work policies during the move.
Backup Plan Development
Let’s face it:
Something is going to go wrong during your move. It is inevitable.
The businesses that do the best during corporate relocations are the ones that plan for the inevitable. Have backup internet providers at the ready and temporary workspaces planned in advance.
Hope is not a plan. Plan for everything going wrong.
How To Minimize Downtime During Your Move
Downtime is the enemy of any business move.
28 million Americans move every year, but business moves require special consideration because every hour of downtime costs money.
Parallel Infrastructure Setup
This is where innovative businesses really shine…
Instead of shutting down their old office then setting up their new one, they run both locations simultaneously.
This means setting up internet and phones at the new location, installing critical software systems, and preparing backup communication methods.
Yes, it costs more upfront. But the reduction in downtime more than pays for itself.
Weekend and Holiday Moving
Most businesses move during the week. That’s exactly why you shouldn’t.
Moving during weekends or holidays gives you uninterrupted time to set up systems, less traffic for moving trucks, and more availability from contractors.
Modular Technology Solutions
Smart businesses are moving away from traditional servers and embracing cloud-based solutions before their move.
When your email, file storage, and business applications are all in the cloud, your physical location becomes less important. Employees can work from anywhere while you handle the moving process.
Wrapping It All Together
Long distance business moving doesn’t have to be a nightmare that brings your company to a standstill.
With the right innovative solutions and strategic planning, you can relocate your business across the country while maintaining productivity and keeping costs under control.
The key is to work with experienced long distance business moving specialists, leverage technology for coordination, plan your move in strategic phases, and set up parallel systems to minimize downtime.
But not all moving companies understand business relocation challenges. Choose wisely, plan thoroughly, and your business move can become a competitive advantage.