As one of the top corporate moving companies in the nation, let us say “Congratulations!” Your business is moving up and you’re moving – to another office! You may know all there is to know about moving your business forward, but chances are, you know very little about moving it to a new location. You need some office packing tips.
Questions about moving a computer without losing your data? How to pack furniture that’s already packed with your own files? We’ve got it covered. Here are some office packing tips that might help take the load off moving.
Helpful Office Packing Tips
Color Coding: If you’re dreading the move, why not put a little color in it? If your boxes are color-coded, you’ll be able to tell what’s what and where it goes before you open it. You can color code by department, by floor, or by individual offices to make your transition run more smoothly and a little more pleasing to the eye.
Labeling: We never want to put labels on people, but we do want to put them on boxes when we’re moving. As time-consuming as it is, everything that goes into the van needs an itemized label and not just a scrawled description.
Labels that are printed legibly and posted where they can be easily seen will end up saving you time in the long haul. You can set up your new office in a familiar way and get everything up and running asap.
Trust us. A few seconds of specific labeling will save hours of man-hunting for a specific item. Nothing kills office productivity more than a 27-minute search party for the 3-hole punch or a remote for the TV.
Inventory: If you run an office, you probably already know the value of taking inventory.
Taking inventory before you leave for a move will help to make sure nothing gets lost during the move and everything is present and accounted for, even if labels fall off.
Office Packing Tips for Electronics
Computer Cables: In these days of technological overload, there is much talk about unplugging, but when it comes to our computer cables, unplugging is probably the last thing you want to do. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts for packing computer cables. For best results, remove the cables one at a time, put them in a large plastic baggie and label them individually so you know which computer they belong to.
Computer Monitors: Computers may be a little easier to organize than cables, but they’re also a lot harder to replace. Packing computers take a little extra TLC to make sure they get where they’re going with the minimum amount of trauma. The best office packing tip for computers is to wrap them individually. Never put them in boxes or in contact with any kind of tape, packing or otherwise.
If you can store the computer’s data on a hard drive, do it, but keep in mind, it is no guarantee that the data won’t be lost if your computer gets bumped around a lot in transit. Wrap your monitors in heavy blankets secured with tape. Don’t stack them on other items when in the truck, and don’t stack other items on top of them. Remember, that’s some precious cargo you’re haulin’! If you’re really concerned about losing data, back it up on an external hard drive or use an online service.
Printers: After all the computer dismantling, you may be tempted to just throw your printer in a box and go, but printers are actually quite delicate objects. Before moving, tape down scanner lids and covers and remove cartridges. If you are moving a fax machine or copier, follow the packing instructions that come with the device. Damage done due to improper moving may not be included in the warranty policy.
Headache Free Tip: Don’t worry about looking for the manual. Most likely there will be a digital version available online.
Bring the IT team Into It.
If you are moving a corporate office, alert your IT team at least 3 months before your move so they can start preparing for the transfer of the technical equipment. They’ll determine whether any upgrades are necessary and make sure your electronic transition goes as smoothly as possible. Here is a helpful checklist of IT questions to consider from a technology standpoint when relocating your office.
Office Packing Tips for Furniture
Desks: Anyone who works in an office knows that workers spend most of their time at their desks, which means a lot of stuff accumulates in there over time. Unfortunately, before you move, you need to empty it completely.
In order to do that with as little disorganization as possible, take all those writing implements and paper clips and store them in baggies or envelopes and tape them inside of the desk drawer. Pack books and papers into a crate along with any glass receptacles. Wrap all glass objects in newspaper before packing.
Bookcases: Another thing that needs to be emptied completely before packing are bookcases. After boxing up the books, remove the shelves and tape them to one another using packing tape. Pack any shelf pins into a plastic bag and tape to the frame of the case to avoid getting lost.
Upright Filing Cabinets: The good news about upright filing cabinets, is that you can move them with contents intact, so they can save you some time in the “long haul.” Tighten up the internal drawer to make sure contents stay in place and lock the cabinet if you can. If not, use stretch wrap or filament on each drawer to prevent it from sliding out.
Lateral Filing Cabinets: Unlike their upright cousins, lateral filing cabinets cannot be moved with their contents inside. Lock the contents of the filing cabinet in a crate, and tape or lock drawers as above.
Tips for Packing Office Décor
Take Down Decorations in Advance: Decorations are the last to go up and the first to come down when your moving. Start considering the configuration of your new office ahead of time when determining which objects come with you and which will be left behind.
Artwork: When packing framed artwork, you’ll need brown paper, packing tape, and some soft blankets to protect your picture during transit.
- Lay out the brown paper and lay the glass frame against it.
- Wrap the piece in the brown paper in the same manner as you would use to wrap a present.
- Wind packing tape around lengthwise and width-wise to make sure the paper doesn’t move during your move.
- Pack small photos and frames together and wrap each one separately in its own sheet of packing paper.
This will keep the glass intact in case the road is bumpy.
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and get packing! Just make sure to start planning early and use these office packing tips to make your move run as smoothly as possible. When it comes to packing tips, we’ve got tons more that can be helpful to you with an office or personal move.
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