Office Moving Trends During the Covid-19 Pandemic

It goes without saying that the Covid-19 pandemic has ravaged the health of millions of people across the globe and disrupted or devastated economies. But how exactly is the pandemic shaping the way business conducted today, and where it is being conducted?

Companies are Downsizing

The Coronavirus has made it impossible for many small- and medium- sized businesss to survive. The conditions brought about by the pandemic have posed great challenges to even the largest multi-national companies. Some of these companies have been forced to make massive job cuts or restructure their workforces to keep their businesses afloat.

Goldman Sachs has cut 400 jobs or 1% of its 39,100-strong workforce, Nike has slashed 500 jobs, Airbnb laid off 1,900 of its 7,900 staff, Hilton Hotels reduced its workforce by 22% cutting 2,100 jobs, and Bentley is laying off 1,000 of its 4,200 workers. These are a few examples of the many cuts major corporations are making as a result of the pandemic.

In addition to massive layoffs, hiring freezes and preparation for addition cuts, many companies are downsizing their physical office spaces. With many staff laid off and countless others working remotely, they no longer require the same square footage and cannot afford to the carry the higher operational costs. This downsizing trend is growing amongst companies large and small, based both in the city as well as the suburbs.  

Downsizing Offices in the City

Some businesses with headquarters or offices in the city that have been hit hard by the pandemic are relocating to smaller, more manageable offices within the city. With a percentage of their staff laid off or working remotely, they don’t need – and often simply can’t afford – to maintain the larger office spaces they were accustomed to prior to the pandemic. The professional office moving team at All Jersey Moving & Storage is helping such companies execute efficient office moves so they can continue business operations with minimal interruptions. Our team has expertise in urban office moves for companies of all sizes.

Relocating from the City to the Suburbs

In addition to downsizing to smaller office spaces, many companies with offices in the city are opting to relocate to the suburbs where rent and operational costs are considerably more affordable. Some of these businesses no longer require vast office spaces because of mass layoffs or because a portion of staff are working remotely. Other companies which require greater square footage are moving to more remote areas where large office spaces are considerably less costly. There is also a category of companies that already have offices based in the suburbs which are choosing to downsize to smaller spaces to further cut costs to weather the storm of the pandemic.

Relocating to Offices that Allow for Greater Social Distancing

The term “social distancing” has become a popular and integral new word in our lexicon. Some companies have chosen to promote the work-from-home model to protect employee health and minimize work disruptions caused by unpredictable Covid-19 related work closures. However, some companies plan to maintain a physical office space with an in-person team.

In an effort to keep employees who cannot work from home healthy during the pandemic, many companies are becoming more sensitive to the importance of enabling greater social distance. Some of these companies are rethinking their more modern open-space floor plans, and are considering reverting back to individual office floor plans with minimal common and shared work areas. These companies are either moving out temporarily to allow for new construction or are relocating to offices that already fit their social-distance friendly design specifications. All Jersey Moving & Storage is helping such companies execute their office moves, and providing short and long term containerized storage options to those who need it.

Business Storage Needs During the Pandemic

When companies downsize, they often have furniture, files, equipment and other items that they no longer have room for. Some of these items can be sold on various ecommerce platforms or simply disposed of if they are outdated. However, there often office managers who wish to store costly systems, furniture and equipment as well as important and sensitive files, either until they are needed or until they can be sold at a fair price. In addition to supporting businesses with their office moves, All Jersey Moving & Storage providing short and long term containerized storage options to those who need it.

In the process of selecting a moving and storage facility you can trust that meets your office’s needs and budget requirements, take the following factors into consideration:

• One of the benefits of business storage is that it frees up valuable office space. Paying to use office space for storage is generally much more costly than using a storage facility like All Jersey Moving and Storage.
• At All Jersey Moving and Storage, when you rent storage space for your business, no long-term commitment is necessary. You can rent the space that you require for your business on a month to month basis without getting locked into a long-term contract, as is the case when renting warehouse space.
• Our storage facilities are the perfect place to keep your excess files, equipment, office furniture, medical/legal documents, and tradeshow displays safe and secure.
• All Jersey Moving and Storage can receive items from vendors and hold them in a safe, secure space until all items are received. Our team can then deliver the items to their destination and arrange them or install them as necessary. Clients ranging from logistics companies to interior designers find this service useful.
• All Jersey Moving and Storage is equipped to handle both large shipments and small deliveries, such as a few pieces of office furniture and packed boxes.
• Storage companies like All Jersey Moving and Storage are the perfect place to keep excess inventory that was required to meet seasonal demands.

Our storage facilities provide a secure, remote location to store important files and documents. Law firms, insurance companies, accounting firms and doctors' offices take advantage of our secure storage facility.

To simplify the decision-making process, we've laid out the factors to consider when deciding between self-storage vs. containerized storage as well as shared tips about preparing for storage.

How to Ensure a Successful Office Move

Don't Try to Do It All Yourself. An office move is a tremendous undertaking and the associated to-do list can be overwhelming. To ensure that your office move runs smoothly, it's of utmost importance that you hire an experienced moving company that has the proper techniques and equipment necessary to conduct a commercial move. Many moving companies only do commercial and office moves occasionally, and lack the necessary expertise for a safe and efficient office move.

All Jersey Movers and Storage has expertise in this specialized type of moving. Our office moving teams have access to the resources and special training required to get the job done, and do it right, whether we're moving boxes, technological equipment or systems furniture. We have the proper masonite, corrugated wrap, and door jamb protectors that keep your goods safe throughout the move. When you select a reputable moving company, you can rest assured that your furniture and other valuable items are in good hands. What's more, you can save yourself and your staff from sustaining less-than-pleasant back and knee injuries that often arise with inexperienced movers.

Another important reason to choose a reputable moving company is that, in the event that an item is damaged during the move, the company is insured. This protects you and gives you much-needed peace of mind.

As excited as you might be to move into your new office space, business moving can be frustrating if you experience service delays. That's why it's important that you choose an office moving team that will arrive on time and work efficiently so you can get your business back up and running with as little disruption as possible.

Don't Leave it All Until the Last Minute. You wouldn't put on a business conference without preparing for months in advance. So too, you shouldn't start preparing for your office move two weeks before you have to be out of the office and into your new space. If you can plan ahead, try to give yourself at least eight weeks (although 12 is even more ideal!) You need time to hire a mover, decide whether you want to keep your systems furniture, organize a packing schedule, clear out the clutter, and more.

While advanced planning is optimal, the pandemic has necessitated some businesses to move to more affordable offices with little notice. At All Jersey Moving & Storage, we always do our utmost to accommodate last minute moves whenever possible. We also try to arrange for moving scheduled that allow for minimal disruption, including evening and weekend moves.

Don't Have "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen". Office moves can feel overwhelming. If you're a business owner with multiple departments, you might feel like you're running a circus where the juggling act has spun out of control. The key to allowing professional business movers to do their job effectively is making sure that your team members are clear on what their roles and responsibilities are leading up to and during the move.

When it comes to packing, all employees should be responsible for their personal packing before the move. Provide your staff with tips on how to pack and unpack their supplies safely and securely. On moving day, all preliminary packing should be complete. Equally important to note is that only personnel involved with the move should be at the office on moving day. This way, your office movers have the space to move your boxes and furniture safely and on schedule.

An Office Moving Company You Can Trust – All Jersey Moving & Storage

To say the least, most businesses are going through trying times as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. From layoffs to restructurings, businesses are doing what they can to survive until the situation stabilizes and improves. Many companies have concluded moving to a new office is a necessary course of action to reduce costs during these turbulent, challenging times.

Is your company downsizing, relocating or even temporarily closing? All Jersey Moving & Storage is a top-rated New Jersey moving company that can help make sure your office move is smooth and bump-free. We also offer businesses long- and short-term containerized storage solutions to help facilitate seamless moves.

Most businesses have already suffered as a result of the pandemic. All Jersey Moving & Storage is dedicated to ensuring your office move is efficiently and expertly executed, ensuring minimal disruption to business. We do our utmost not only to protect your valuable furniture systems, files and equipment during the move, but also ensure your team is able to get back into the office working as soon as possible.

Contact us to discuss your move and storage needs, and we will arrange a free on-site estimate.