Sometimes it takes an office move to help your company realize you’re holding onto a lot of things you don’t need.
When moving companies create estimates for an office move, one of the key factors they consider is the weight of a company’s belongings. So, if your company hopes to have a thrifty office move, you should consider what you do and don’t need before the process starts.
But before going over what needs to go, it’s best to understand the how, when and why of junk disposal.
Evaluation Phase
You can’t wait until the last minute to begin sorting out what your company will and won’t take with you during your office move.
At least two months before the move, your staff should begin evaluating your office belongings. This includes equipment, furniture, file and other miscellaneous materials. There are a few factors you should consider during the evaluation, such as the age of the item, whether a new version of the item is available and the cost of replacing it.
Once you’ve decided which of your belongings will go into the trash and which you’ll keep, you can then plan out how you’ll dispose of the items you’ve deemed unnecessary. There are companies that specialize in removal of unwanted items from offices, but again, their estimates are at least partly based on the weight of the removal. You can help curb some of these costs by donating the items you’re getting rid of or giving them away to employees.
Of course, it’s hard to get rid of anything. You can almost always come up with an explanation for why an item in your office holds some value. As you’re going through your company’s assets, make sure you consider whether you need to take the following items with you to your new office.
1. Office Furniture
We all know how quickly furniture can deteriorate. Families replace their home furniture on a regular basis. Office furniture is no different.
There’s no better time to refresh your company’s office furniture than during an office move. The furniture in your office sends a message to all of your company’s stakeholders, including your customers, suppliers and employees. You can improve your company’s image by purchasing new furniture upon arriving at your new office.
But what to do with your old furniture? We mentioned before there are professionals available to remove your old chairs and couches for you, but this can be costly. Instead, consider donating the items to a local Salvation Army or Goodwill chapter. Organizations such as these have the equipment to deep clean the items and then sell them to the public, with some of the proceeds going to charity.
You can also give the furniture away to employees, as well. Your company could even organize a company “garage sale” where proceeds are donated to a charitable cause decided on by your staff.
2. Technology
Very few items become out of date or even obsolete quicker than office technology. Even a decade ago a fax machine in an office would be commonplace. Try finding a modern office with one now.
To keep up with how rapidly office technology progresses, you need to regularly evaluate whether your current equipment holds your business back. A great time to do this is during an office move.Talk with your IT team to get a better sense of whether your office’s computers, copy machines and other equipment operate efficiently and help your company achieve its business goals. If some equipment isn’t up to snuff, it might be time to move on.
Before tossing out your office technology, though, you first want to make sure all files are backed up, transferred onto your new devices and then removed from the systems you are doing away with.
Once your data is transferred and then wiped, you can then work on getting rid of the office technology your company no longer needs. Donation is again one of the best options for your company. Local school districts are almost always in need of new technology and would be willing to take it out of your hands. You can also choose to sell the equipment online or in person. Once you’re finished selling or donating the equipment, you can then recycle what remains. First, however, check local regulations on the disposal of technology.
3. Old Files
There’s no better time than now to digitize all of your company’s paper files.
Older companies often hold on to paper files from the days before the world went digital. In most cases, there’s no reason at all to take them with you if you’re moving offices. Research companies that focus on digitizing paper documents and have them help you upload the files on to your company’s systems.
After they’ve confirmed the files are backed up, launch an office shredding party! See how quickly your staff can shred all of your company’s files before the office move. If there are any files remaining after the shredding party, or if your company just holds on to a lot of files, hire a commercial shredding company to pick up your materials and shred them off site.
No matter what route your company chooses to take for your office junk disposal, be sure to look at how it impacts your budget. A budget can help you set limitations for your move and come to difficult decisions whenever you reach an impasse.
