There comes a time in the lifespan of any business when it feels as if you have outgrown the space you have or that space becomes outdated. If your company needs a total office renovation, there are ways to accomplish this without shutting down operations in the process. What you need to think about are ways to manage a seamless renovation so that you can continue to make money whilst you update and equip your office. It will be great to finally have the latest technology and an office space designed to promote an efficient team spirit.
What to Do with Your Office Staff in the Interim
Even before you start working with an architect on the functional design of your new office space, you need to think about where your team can continue working while the renovations go ahead. Sometimes, those renovations can take weeks, maybe even months, to complete and you obviously can’t take a hiatus that long.
You’ll lose money and almost certainly your clients will begin looking elsewhere for the services or products they have been getting from you. Have you considered leasing temporary buildings from a company such as Smart Space? Their buildings can be set up from 7 to 21 days of the order and while the architect is working on your office design so that by the time construction begins, your team can simply step into their temporary office. Whether you choose one large building or several temporary structures, the object is to have them on-site and constructed before renovations begin.
Where to Locate Your Temporary Buildings
Ideally, your temporary structures should be located adjacent to the main facility. Whether you operate a warehouse, a manufacturing plant, or even a showroom, your office team will need to communicate with the front-end staff throughout the day. If you own the property, simply decide the most convenient location where there is enough space to erect the temporary buildings.
Remember, your goal is a seamless transition to temporary office space and back again once the renovations are complete. Keep those temporary structures as close to your main facility as possible so that work isn’t interrupted during the move. This will require a well thought out plan, but it can be done. Many businesses throughout the UK have set up temporary operations during major renovations and you can too if you plan well in advance.
Moving Internet, Phone Services and Power to Your Temporary Office
As soon as you have the project start date agreed and the buildings on site, you should contact your service providers. They are usually very happy to help with connections you can use during the construction phase of renovations, and this is another reason why you should try to keep those temporary structures close to your main facility. It will only be a matter of moving the main cables to the new building so that you can quickly transition over to the interim office.
You may also require an electrician to run wires to your temporary office. No office equipment can operate without power and this is something you won’t be able to do without a licensed electrician. They will know how to keep it simple so that it can quickly be rewired in the new office once it’s complete and again, will allow for a seamless move if planned well.
Amazing Ideas to Be Found in Your Temporary Office Environment
One of the things many corporate administrators have found when working in temporary structures is that their teams seem to work better in an open space. You probably won’t go to the time and expense of setting individual offices for such a short amount of time, which means that everyone will have eye contact throughout the day. In fact, many businesses have altered their office design midstream because they see how well their office team works together in an open-office environment.
However, the reverse can be true as well. Maybe you’ve decided to go with an open office space but in the process of working in the open environment of temporary buildings, you find that your staff doesn’t do well in this environment. Whether the noise levels are distracting or the amount of foot traffic past their desks interrupts their focus, there are some offices that just don’t do well unless compartmentalized.
Wrapping It Up
As they say on film locations, “It’s a wrap,” meaning everything is good to go. Production is complete, your new office space is ready for your team to move back in and all without more than a day or two of interrupted work. Just remember to plan the expense of leasing those temporary buildings and moving services over into your budget.
Even so, the amount of expense is far less than the loss of business you would experience if you had to close your doors for an extended length of time. Just remember to plan in advance so that everything can be ready for your team to occupy their temporary office whilst construction is underway. If done right, you really can expect a seamless transition before and after the work is done.
