Moving house can be time-consuming and stressful at the best of times but if you’re also running your own business, the process can seem even more daunting.
If you are a business owner or a senior executive at a company, taking time off to handle your move may not be an option. So how do you keep things going at work, while making sure your house move also goes smoothly?
Make a list
When you’re moving house, there’s a lot more to do than simply packing and unpacking. Make a list of everything you need to tackle from redirecting your post to informing utility companies. Once you’ve written your list, map it into a rough timeline. Knowing exactly what needs to be tackled and when will help you organise your time more wisely and you can work out what tasks can be completed in advance to save time before moving day itself.
Outsource as much as you can
When you’re already running a business, the last thing you want is more work on top of your day-to-day job. This is why it is wise to outsource as much of the move as possible so you can still focus your time and energy on your business. Use a professional removals firm like Andrew Porter Limited to handle the move itself and use a packing service. Andrew Porter offers a full packing service and will supply all the necessary packaging materials. This means you can just leave your house as normal and all your items will be carefully packed and taken to your new home without you having to do a thing. You will be assigned your own move co-ordinator who will act as your point of contact and answer any questions you might have. We can even arrange insurance for your belongings while they are in transit to give you peace of mind. You could also consider hiring a virtual assistant to handle some of the admin tasks related to moving house.
Use automated messages
If you run your own business and need to stay responsive, use automated messages so you can stay on top of things even when you’re busy with your move. If you know you’re going to be tied up with tasks relating to your relocation for a certain amount of time, set an out of office on your email so people contacting you still get a response and know when you are next available. If you post on social media as part of your business, plan some posts in advance and schedule them to go up when you’re busy so you remain visible. If you have a team of staff, make sure they know you are in the middle of a house move and may need to delegate some of your usual duties.
Office in a box
If you work from home – either full-time or just some of the time, make sure you create a portable office so you can keep working even when the move is in progress. What you put in your office in a box (or bag), will depend on what you really need for your day to day work but you will probably need a laptop, a portable wifi device, phone, chargers, notebooks, diary and any important paperwork you might need access to. You can keep this portable office with you so you can carry on with your work no matter what happens, including while you get things properly set up in your new home.
