Thriving businesses will have a need to upgrade facilities or relocate to a bustling hub in order to keep up with explosive growth. An office relocation is an exciting event. But insufficient planning can produce unnecessary stress. Follow this guide for out-of-state moves and relocate with ease.

An efficient and quick relocation is key to minimizing downtime and maintaining customer and employee satisfaction. Crossing state lines with a business in tow, however, is a daunting task. Coordinate logistics well in advance in order to return full speed to business operations.

1. Review the Current Lease

Six months prior to the office relocation, examine the current commercial property lease. Exiting the building sooner may result in losing the deposit. Be aware of any responsibility for costs associated with property damages (i.e., broken light fixtures or chipped paint) sustained during the move.

2. Look for Commercial Movers

Obtain quotes from at least three professional, full-service office movers. Experienced commercial movers improve the likelihood of an efficient and successful relocation across state lines. Opting for a low-cost mover with less handling experience could cost the business significantly more in the long run.

3. Create a Relocation Budget

Develop a relocation budget to deter overspending. Scale back on expenses (i.e., employees pack items, rather than movers). Consider moving coverage, especially if the business heavily relies on important machinery or equipment. Machinery that breaks during the relocation could halt business operations.

4. Designate a Moving Committee

Assemble a team of employees to execute the relocation. A moving committee made up of volunteers may be responsible for planning, packing, unpacking, and organizing. Appoint a move coordinator to ensure that employees have a point of contact for questions and concerns.

5. Notify Important Contacts

With the logistics in place, the moving committee should announce the upcoming relocation. Notify employees, partners, vendors, and customers about the move date. Provide the new office address and contact information to everyone who will be affected by a change in the business location.

For example, send the new business address to banks and financial institutions, phone company, insurance company, internet service provider, and printer service company. Also keep any professional organizations in the loop about when the new business address will go into effect.

6. Offer Relocation Program

Prepare employees in advance by arranging relocation bonuses and pay adjustments. Include site visits so that staff have the opportunity to scout schools and tour the new community. Offer reimbursements for moving expenses, like home buying, transportation, or temporary living.

7. Obtain the New Floorplan

In preparation for moving all equipment and furniture, obtain a detailed floorplan of the new office space. Plan the layout for existing furniture that will be transported to the new location. If necessary, consult a furniture company to purchase new office furniture.

8. Work with IT

Work with the IT personnel to devise a plan to set up computers and technology in the new space. If the IT team is unable to tackle the task, consult outside professionals. IT personnel should also be assigned to pack up company-provided employee laptops, monitors and other IT equipment.

Seek professional help for office equipment that requires special handling, such as complex machinery that must be disassembled or potentially hazardous materials. Moving companies will not transport flammable goods, like propane tanks, aerosols, or acids, so dispose of them prior to the relocation.

9. Pack Office Goods

Rather than utilize professional packing services, budget-conscious companies may elect to save on moving costs by instructing employees to pack their office goods. When pursuing a DIY route, provide employees with an ample supply of sturdy cardboard boxes, packing tape, and labels.

Important documents can get lost during the shuffle of a major office relocation. Or, unanticipated obstacles at the new office can delay booting up right away. Prevent the loss or damage of correspondence and paperwork by creating electronics backups prior to the move.

10. Confirm Utilities Work

On moving day, the professional movers will load the office goods onto their trucks. Before the last pieces of office equipment are loaded, confirm with the utility company that all power, internet and water are working at the out-of-state office location.

11. Install Equipment

Once the moving truck arrives at the new office, refer to the floorplan devised earlier to lay out the furniture and equipment. Work with the commercial movers to install the office equipment. Test that the technology, such as Wi-Fi, cable, phones, and computers, are functional.

12. Settle In

Unless the commercial movers handle the unpacking of office goods, designate employees to handle the task. Restock supply cabinets with items needed immediately. The more individuals involved in setting up an operative workspace, the faster the business can resume operations in the brand-new location.

Settle into the new space by welcoming employees with an office warming party. Consider leaving a welcome gift on each staff member’s desk. A welcome pack may consist of brochures about restaurants in the new state, treats to further energize employees, or a coffee mug.

Don’t forget, after you have moved to a new office, there are more to do besides decorating and organizing the new office! Read this blog to find out what you need to update when you relocate to a new office.

Full-Service Commercial Mover

A successful office relocation across state lines requires more than detailed preparation and organization. You need an experienced team of movers behind you. Companies on the move will find top-notch moving services from the commercial, long-distance movers at Chicago Office Movers.

As a highly rated commercial mover, Chicago Office Movers provides comprehensive relocation services for businesses of all sizes. We understand that an efficient move is critical to minimizing downtime. Businesses receive help with all facets of moving, from packing to move management and unpacking.

Companies with fragile equipment are also in good hands when they work with Chicago Office Movers. Our office relocation crews are experienced in machinery moving. We’ve moved office goods of all types, from appliances and server rooms to office furniture. We also assemble and install furniture.

Expect an efficient out-of-state relocation when you work with the experienced crews at Chicago Office Movers. We have earned a reputation for excellence with the Chicagoland businesses we serve. When you are planning an interstate office move, contact us for a free estimate.

Chicago events are scheduled to return this summer after over a year of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping through the city, nation and world. Residents of the city and neighboring areas can expect a summer filled with outdoor festivals, sporting events, art fairs and street fairs.

The gradual reopening of Chicago is made possible by city residents who follow the public health guidelines and help keep COVID-19 infection rates low enough to resume activities. Community, art and business leaders also contribute to the launch of summer events.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the Fourth of July holiday is the target date to fully reopen the city. Vaccination and public health department efforts help the city move closer toward this goal. Events are expected to follow state guidelines and will have limited capacity.

Chicagoans have plenty to look forward to this summer. The city will reawaken with the reopening of music clubs, theaters and festivals. The historic Maxwell Street Market is scheduled to return, as are the Grant Park Music Festival and a modified version of the summertime favorite Taste of Chicago.

May 2021 Events

1. Navy Pier Celebrations

Celebrations of the Navy Pier reopening will include 10 minutes of fireworks every Saturday night in May at 9 PM. Visitors may view the lakefront attraction’s celebratory sparks from its various public places, nearby beaches or while sauntering down the Lakefront Trail.

2. Immersive Van Gogh

Admirers of Vincent Van Gogh have a chance to appreciate the artist’s work in a new way. In the Germania Club Building in Old Town, animated versions of the famed painter’s work cover 35-foot walls and are accompanied by a delicate blend of electronic and classical music compositions.

3. Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The return of live concerts is heralded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this month. Head to the Symphony Center to listen to glorious works by composers, like Aaron Copeland and Samuel Barber, which are performed by musicians from the CSO’s percussion and brass sections.

4. Art: Lust, Love, and Loss in Renaissance Europe

This Memorial Day weekend, spend time at the art exhibit at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art. Absorb the moving artistry of Renaissance painters. The Lust, Love, and Loss in Renaissance Europe exhibit features 40 paintings, sculptures, prints and luxury wares.

June 2021 Events

5. Architecture River Tour

Water and architecture lovers will enjoy sightseeing with Shoreline’s Architecture River Tours. The award-winning, guided tour takes attendees on a 75-minute jaunt to see more than 40 of the city’s world-famous landmarks. Face masks are required on the vessel and in boarding areas.

6. Andersonville Farmers Market

Returning for its 12^th season, the Andersonville Farmers Market will be open on Wednesdays from 3pm to 7pm during the months of May to October. Shoppers can browse the colorful offerings of this hybrid market in-person or order in advance via their app or website for pick up.

7. Maxwell Street Market

Shoppers are surrounded by vibrant colors, scintillating aromas, and an overall satisfying cultural experience as immigrant communities sell food, clothing, and crafts. Visitors have flocked to the Maxwell Street Market since the late nineteenth century, when it was a vast Sunday morning flea market.

July 2021 Events

8. Frida Kahlo: Timeless

The Frida Kahlo: Timeless art exhibition will give museum-goers the chance to learn and understand Kahlo’s work and life. A 26-piece collection will be on exhibit as well as over 100 photos from the artist’s life. A Frida Kahlo-inspired garden offers visitors unique insights into this artist’s work.

9. Navy Pier Concerts and Movies

Navy Pier’s film screenings, concerts and festivals begin in July. Families may enjoy movies, like The Lion King and Frozen 2. Jazz enthusiasts can take in the sounds of The Water Color jazz series, which includes a tribute to The Blues Brothers, performed by the Chicago Jazz Orchestra.

August 2021 Events

10. Navy Pier Cultural Events

Navy Pier continues its musical concerts through the month of August. Local musicians perform in Live on the Lake! Free weekly, family friendly movie screenings may be enjoyed at the Polk Brothers Park. The children’s music series Wiggleworms will run every Friday morning from 10am to 11am.

11. Taste of Chicago To-Go

The annual Taste of Chicago will be modified this year due to the pandemic. This summer, the food festival will be known as Taste of Chicago To-Go. Pop-up cooking demonstrations and a series of special events will take place through the months of July, August and September.

Chicago promises a flurry of exciting events this summer, especially as COVID-19 restrictions ease. The aforementioned events are in the planning stage; details may change, depending on the success of reducing coronavirus metrics. Check schedules before heading out to the events.

Work with a Commercial Mover

Companies planning to relocate to Chicago this summer can be assured that their employees will have plenty of recreational opportunities in the city. While these summer events will keep staff entertained, count on Chicago Office Movers to handle your corporate relocation with ease and safety.

Chicago Office Movers is an experienced commercial mover. We handle all aspects of your move, from start to finish. Our crews safely and securely pack office goods, obtain street permits for unloading, and coordinate shipping for both long-distance and international moves.

Businesses that need storage services can count on Chicago Office Movers’ secure storage facilities. Your goods will be unpacked carefully at the destination to prevent damage. Our union movers disassemble furniture and equipment and provide dependable reassembly at the final destination.

Our numerous satisfied customers attest to our expert relocation services and competitive pricing. In fact, the relocation specialists at Chicago Office Movers will ensure your move stays within budget. By working with a reputable office mover, like us, you can expect a seamless relocation.

Get a Free Estimate

Chicago Office Movers is available to handle every detail of your move into or out of the city, state or country. We also skillfully handle international relocations. When you anticipate an office or corporate relocation, choose Chicago Office Movers.

Call us today at 312-244-2246 for a free estimate.

Bringing style to a cubicle is a DIY task. No hard and fast rules come into play when uplifting the mood of an office cubicle. The best part of designing the interior of a cubicle is that your personality takes center stage. Add a splash of color, throw in a few accessories, and end up with a comfortable, lively work space into which you can retreat for the entire workday.

1. Embellish a Cubicle Wall

You are surrounded by three walls when working inside a cubicle. As a first tip, these panels deserve the most attention. Decorating the walls is super easy, especially given the cushion-like texture of standard cubicle walls. Tack up calendars, favorite photos, and framed art in a cinch.

Feeling dramatic? Take the cubicle wall panels to new heights. Cover the entire expanse of the panels with colored fabric or wallpaper, like shimmery aqua blue for a tropical feel, bright yellow to evoke the cheeriest of temperaments or even camouflage for the occasions when you feel like hiding out.

When you fancy a new look, the existing wallpaper or fabric can be easily switched up. The temporary nature of hanging wallpaper onto cubicle panels makes altering the ambiance of your cubicle simple and quick. Change out the panel décor as often as you fancy!

2. Perk Up the Floor

The dull carpeting of the cubicle floor is no match for the vividness of a spectacular floor rug. Add a hefty dose of personality to your office cubicle by laying an eye-catching rug along the floor. If you kick off your shoes during the daily grind, the soft rug will keep your feet cozy.

3. Add Plants for Vibrancy

Nature may not thrive in the well-contained atmosphere of an office. But you don’t need trees to experience nature from nine to five. Several plants flourish in the bright, white lights and cool temperatures of an office environment. Just remember to water the plants so they stay hydrated.

Known for growing in limited natural light, the fern is an ideal plant for cubicles. If your cubicle features a window, set an Aloe Vera plant along the windowsill. The trellises of the English Ivy plant accentuate the desks of any cubicle. Little time for care? Bamboo plants are low-maintenance.

4. Add Some Light to Influence the Ambiance

Lamps come in all sorts of sizes and designs, from liquor bottle lamps to rustic design lamps to comical vintage lamps. Unique floor lamps, custom table lamps, bookend lamps and hanging lamps add massive flair. A mandala lamp shade, for instance, is a perfect conversation starter with colleagues.

Bring a lamp into your cubicle and plug it in for warm, subtle lighting. The golden light of a lamp boosts an officer worker’s mood and streams a cozy ambiance throughout the cubicle atmosphere. Say goodbye to harsh office ceiling lights with the placement of a desirable, functional lamp.

5. Add Little Furniture

While hauling in a sofa will not pass in a cubicle space, bringing in shelving might. Cubicle panels are ideal places to install shelving or vertical bins. Shelves can be painted to your preferred color. Supplemental shelves add a personal touch while serving the functional purpose of refining organization.

Office workers may also bring in their own chair to add vibrancy to the cubicle. Consider a brightly colored ergonomic chair to increase physical comfort, an upholstered chair that matches your preferred cubicle color scheme or a chair that features a no-nonsense, contemporary design.

6. Make it Your Own

Adding items that are personal to you like pictures, drawings and handcrafts are some of the best ways to really personalize your workspace. This can also improve productivity as you feel more comfortable being surrounded by memories that are unique to you.

In addition to adding pictures of family and friends, you can also add pictures of your favorite things, such as an animal, plant, flower, car, etc. This is your own space so you can personalize it according to your preference!

7. Incorporate Some Quotes

Adding some inspiring quotes can go a long way and even give you some motivation for those Mondays where you just don't want to be at work! We're also not talking about "Live Laugh Love", but something from celebrities or world figures like Walt Disney, Tony Robbins, Abraham Lincoln or Albert Einstein.

You can certainly achieve a lot if you adopt their strategies and views on life as they certainly did something in life to be successful! So why not surround yourself with your favorite quotes. Below are some of our favorites:

• "The best way to predict the future is to create it" - Abraham Lincoln
• "The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." -Walt Disney
• "The pessimist sees difficult in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficult." -Winston Churchill
• "Don't let yesterday take up too much of today" -Will Rogers

8. Keep It Organized

No cubicle or office will look good with a ton of decorations and no organization. With a few file organizers, mini desk shelves, pen holders and room to put your papers, you can keep things neat and organized. Outer order contributes to inner calm! Here are some more tips on office desk organization.

Some of these organization accessories can also be personalized. So if you want to paint or draw on them, or even add some stickers, go crazy! The sky's the limit.

9. Make it Seasonal

Of course you can never forget the holidays! what better way to decorate the office space than to incorporate some holiday pizzazz! Whether it be streamers and little party favors for the new year, a little Christmas tree or menora for December, or some colorful leaves in the fall, there are a ton of trinkets available on Amazon to scroll through.

Some people go as far as setting up a whole fireplace right beside their desk, complete with garland, plants and a holiday picture above. That's definitely going above an beyond!

Others have completely gift wrap their entire desk and everything on it! There's also those that set up an entire Christmas village, complete with little lights and cotton padding for snow.

Bonus tip: Think ahead of how these accessories will fit on your desk before purchasing. Many customers make the mistake of buying a ton of items and not having enough space to place them all. That's how things become cluttered.

10. Give It a Theme

Many cubicles have a whole theme incorporated into their working space. Some are straight blue, purple and pink while others will have a full football field mouse pad that covers their full desk space. Other ideas to consider are Disney, holidays, flowers, retro, beach, nature and patterns.

Just be sure that the theme is appropriate and doesn't contain anything offensive or too personal to make others uncomfortable as they will still be walking by.

11. Add Accessories for Gusto

Unless you have a tendency toward minimalist design, go all out with accessories. Even standard office supplies, like deep blue paperclips, markers and bright green pushpins, can be decoratively housed inside mason jars to simultaneously serve as office supplies and brilliant cubicle décor.

Play with washi tape. The variety of designs makes decorating with the tape fun and unique. Stick the colorfully designed tape around the edges of file cabinets or around table-top jars. The ornamental tape provides beautiful accents to any materials or objects upon which it is adhered.

Have fun with paint. Large rocks may be painted in metallic colors, like silver or gold, and strategically placed next to books. The rocks serve a dual purpose—as decoration and as bookends. Add metallic sheens to the tops of the mason jars or trays that house office supplies.

Toys are not just for kids. Mini action figures, stuffed animals, and building blocks line some cubicle shelves for a brilliant effect. A themed approach works best. Customize your work space with a sci-fi theme or an animated one. Avoid the mess of clutter or items considered inappropriate for work.

When your office cubicle is dull and dreary, take decorating your workspace into your own hands. The options for infusing your cubicle with humor, vibrancy or scintillating color are endless! Once you take to reinvigorating your space—just once or every few weeks—your colleagues are sure to ask who is your new office cubicle designer.

Moving Cubicle Decorations

Whether your office cubicle décor features attractive pastels or bold hues, you’ll require the services of a dependable mover, like Chicago Office Movers, during an office renovation or remodeling project. As Chicagoland’s premier office mover, Chicago Office Movers handles moving office goods from start to finish.

Included in the company’s comprehensive business moving services are disassembling cubicles and office equipment, packing and labeling boxes, unpacking and setting up in the new space. Moving specialists also are available to provide assistance with the installation of furniture or appliances.

Moving to another building during an office renovation demands the help of experienced professionals. Chicago Office Movers is equipped with the manpower and equipment to make moving an easy task.

Expect only quality service and exceptional work from our skilled movers. Chicago Office Movers is dedicated to serving Chicagoland’s large and small businesses.

Get a Free Estimate

Before the office renovation or remodeling is set to start, contact us at (312) 244-2246 to get a free estimate from Chicago Office Movers.