When business leaders are motivated by the familiar maxim, “The grass is greener on the other side,” they may just literally pick up and relocate to access more nourishing pastures. Companies shift locations for numerous reasons.

Here are the top reasons why companies move:

1. Access to the Best Talent

A company makes great strides when employees make quality contributions to services and products. In order to access talent with specialized skills, companies are willing to relocate. No longer are potential workers moving to where the jobs are. Companies now move to actively seek out top talent.

For example, a tech startup may relocate to San Francisco, a flourishing tech hub, to attract workers skilled in technology. Or, a business operating in the finance sector may shift to New York City, a key player in the financial market, to appeal to the right candidates.

Plus, businesses are willing to relocate to areas near top universities. The reason is clear: Leading companies benefit from continual access to highly qualified recent graduates, who have the skills to make a meaningful dent in the company’s output.

General Electric, for example, shifted its headquarters to Boston, Massachusetts from Fairfield, Connecticut. As a company with a 124-year history, keeping up with advancements requires access to educated workforces and agile tech companies. The relocation made the leaders’ goals possible.

2. Offer Quality of Life

Youthful, creative talent, like Millennials, are attracted to the hustle and bustle of city life. Cities that stay awake 18 to 24 hours a day are peppered with high-end dining options, luxury apartments, streams of entertainment venues and the convenience of public transportation.

Given that happy employees are more productive, companies are relocating their headquarters to where these young, educated, and skilled workers want to live, work, and play. Growing cities, like Denver, Seattle, and Boston, offer lifestyles that entice youthful workforces, making business leaders consider relocation a viable option to stay competitive.

3. Updated Facilities

Expanding companies may outgrow their existing facility, prompting the need to move to a more updated space. Rather than invest in the scarce time and capital necessary to build a brand-new facility, businesses make the practical decision to relocate.

A new office space may feature co-working environments to encourage collaboration, technology resource areas, plenty of glass, moss walls and generous amounts of desk space. Employees also experience rejuvenation when the company relocates. The boost in morale prompts workers to innovate.

4. Improve the Brand

Customers and investors make critical, initial judgments about a brand based on the company’s office. Business leaders jump at the chance to improve the message they want to convey to outsiders. Relocating gives companies an opportunity to enhance their brand’s personality.

Whether a company’s brand is youthful and fun or traditional can be easily inferred from a visit to the office. Business leaders know their brand’s tone can be transformed by shifting to a thriving city or moving to a contemporary office space.

Returning to the example of General Electric’s recent relocation, the traditional company aimed to keep up with society’s progress rather than be seen as an antiquated business. Their move to a major city helped shape their vision for a business that is able to cater to the current needs of its customers.

Similarly, ConAgra relocated its headquarters to Chicago to rebuild its brand. The decision to move was also partially prompted with the goal of attracting the type of new talent that would, in turn, help shape and reinvigorate the company’s existing brand.

The companies who actively seek to re-establish their brands through relocation efforts show customers and business partners that they are invested in staying current and are able to meet the current demands of the marketplace. Rather than stagnate, businesses aim to shine in evolving times.

5. Decrease Operating Expenses

The cost of running a business is extremely high. Hefty recurring expenses include commercial lease costs (which are based on the building’s square footage), high taxes ,and even environmental regulations. Companies have a reason to move when overhead costs skyrocket.

Marriott International’s headquarters, for example, is currently at nearly a million square feet. With the company’s lease expiring in 2022, the company’s CEO is considering relocating for many reasons, among which are to access a higher quality talent pool.

Companies seek to shift to a location where the roads are passable, public services, are ample and the financial stability of local and state communities is high. Leaders choose areas where utility services are dependable and will not interrupt day-to-day business.

Indiana, for instance, incentivizes businesses to move to the state with a credit that reduces corporate income tax liability. Similarly, Kentucky offers businesses an income tax credit. Louisiana, to facilitate relocations, gives companies a rebate that offsets relocation costs up to 25 percent.

With all the advantages surrounding business relocations, shifting a company is a challenge. When business leaders know they have professional office moving help, like from Chicago Office Movers, relocating becomes less of a hassle and more of an event to anticipate.

Choose a Commercial Moving Company

The commercial movers at Chicago Office Movers are licensed, background checked and unionized to ensure maximum peace of mind for all business clients. All movers are trained to carefully handle all office properties. Included in our moving services are planning, packing and unpacking.

Chicago Office Movers has earned a stellar reputation among its many clients, which include Northwestern University and Alcatel Lucent, among many other major institutions and companies. Whether your office is small or large, Chicago Office Movers is prepared to offer top-notch service.

We are available to move businesses locally, long distance or internationally. Chicago Office Movers will get business owners started with planning their corporate relocation and provide execution of the moving plan. A free estimate is available to businesses ready to embark on their new venture.

Get a Free Estimate

To request a free estimate with our corporate movers, contact Chicago Office Movers at 312-244-2246.

Office trends are forever changing, but one that has stayed in the loop for a while includes the number of companies opening their doors to pets. Job site giants like Careerbuilder, Monster, and more have been posting listings with benefits that include “pet friendly.”

Some sites even include lists of the top pet-friendly companies, as well as job opportunities, as a way to attract more job-seekers.

Pet Friendly Companies

In addition to the high percentages of pet-related businesses, giant companies like Amazon, Google, Ben & Jerry’s, Etsy, and others all allow employees to bring their pets to work.

But despite this growing trend, this can also bring a number of legal and health risks to the table. Here is a list of pros and cons of pet friendly offices.

Pros of Pet Friendly Offices

1. Reduces stresses and helps with relaxation

Statistics have shown that overall employee satisfaction and morale have increased after companies opened their doors to pets. They are also a point of common interest that can promote teamwork and communication – being that they are great ice breakers.

2. Financial benefit

Every pet parent knows that doggie daycare and dog walking services can be expensive, especially on a daily basis. Some just have no choice if they commute long distances or work long hours. But bringing their pet to work can eliminate a lot of these stresses, skipping the rush to get home from work or paying for someone to walk your dog.

3. Boosts Customer Perception

Many customers will react positively when seeing a pet in the office or when they are allowed the chance to interact with the pet; it can decrease their stress and improve their experience with the business. Having pets in the office can also improve the company’s image, giving it an innovative and progressive atmosphere.

4. Recruiting Tool

It’s been proven that pet friendly companies have a higher chance of recruiting and retaining employees long-term than those that are not. These employees also tend to work longer hours and have fewer absences because they don’t have to worry about rushing home to walk the dog or staying home to care for a sick pet.

After reading these pros, making the office pet friendly can really like a good idea. But as with every decision and trend, there are consequences. Making the office pet friendly is certainly not for every business, such as those operating machinery or in a child daycare for example. Make sure to check out this list of the cons before allowing employees to bring in their furry friends.

Cons of Pet Friendly Offices

1. Pets are a Distraction

While some employees may work longer hours and be more productive with pets, others won’t. Pets can be a distraction for both the owner and neighboring coworkers by barking, whining, and needing frequent walks. They can also attract others who want to interact and play with the pet, when they should be working instead.

2. Allergies and Phobias

The number of people with allergies to pet hair and dander will never improve. While some are willing to deal with the sniffles, others may battle severe reactions and even death when exposed. Some employees may have developed phobias of being around certain types of animals due to past experiences. To combat this issue, some offices are able to designate pet-free zones for those in these situations.

3. Damage to Company Property

As all pet parents are aware, pets can destroy anything, especially shoes. If pets are brought to the office, accidents will happen. Chewing the furniture, carpet, or peeing inside are bound to happen at some point. It’s a risk that all companies face the minute they say “yes” to allowing pets.

4. Legal and Insurance Issues

Nobody will know the pet better than the owners, but as they are animals, their behaviors can be unpredictable. An office environment will be foreign to any animal; therefore, all pets will have different reactions. Different reactions can include fear and being nervous, excitement, and even aggression.

In addition to their behaviors, dogs can trip and even bite coworkers, service providers, other pets, and even customers on company property. This opens the door to a number of insurance and legal issues. Before allowing any pets in the office, discuss all possibilities with an attorney as well as your insurance company to best prepare for the worst situations.

Having a Pet Policy

Having a pet-friendly office environment is a great way to retain employees long-term, but there are drawbacks that all companies will face. Thus, the need to have a pet policy is crucial. This should include what types of pets are allowed, stating the frequency and/or which days pets are allowed, how they are to be contained, and placing an animal on probation (or permanently banning them) for destruction or showing aggression.

Becoming Pet Friendly

Many companies may own the building in which they operate, but others may lease from an association. Whether or not that association allows pets is up to them, so the employer may have no say in whether to allow pets or not. If having a pet friendly office is something you believe in, make sure to discuss this with the building manage before signing any lease. Otherwise, you may need to look into owning the property instead.

Help with Moving

Looking to move to a pet friendly building? Allow Chicago Office Movers to help. Our union professionals are each trained, experienced, background-checked, uniformed, and insured to safely relocate your business. Whether moving across town or across the country, our full-service moving company will work with you - regardless of what you need moved – to ensure that everything arrives to your new location safely and on-time.

Chicago Office Movers also has the resources to move a number of specialty items, including industrial equipment, desks, office furniture, lab equipment, and servers.

Free Estimate

For a free estimate on your next commercial move, contact Chicago Office Movers at 312-244-2246.

Access to a high-quality talent pool, greater workspace, and company expansion are among the top reasons businesses relocate. Hiring professional assistance with this major event offers to relieve many of the stresses associated with a company relocation. Preparing staff for the imminent transition, however, falls upon the shoulders of the business owners.

How to Prepare Your Employees for an Office Relocation

1. Communicate

The decision to relocate, whether to a building across the street or to one out of town, affects employees significantly. Workers will be obligated to consider changes to their commute and re-evaluate childcare situations. Plus, if the new office is significantly further away, your employees will have to deliberate whether or not to relocate. The routine of employees’ everyday lives will be disrupted, making it important to relay the news with sensitivity.

Respecting your employees’ time and contributions means giving them appropriate notice of the relocation. Use an empathetic approach to notify your employees well in advance—at least two to six months—of the move. Loyal workers will be motivated to change gears to better suit the new work arrangements.

Provide a concrete moving date, the new business location and how employees can best prepare for the new office. In addition, give all workers the new office address, phone number, parking amenities and public transportation options.

Keep all employees regularly updated on the move. Frequently sending emails and placing signs regarding the office move helps ensure workers stay in the know. Employees tend to lose trust in the company or experience resentment when managers fail to provide adequate information about the relocation process. Keep communication lines open, making yourself available to answer emails or discuss the move in group meetings.

2. Boost Morale

Along with communicating the relocation plan, give your employees a good reason for the move. Will the new location allow the company to reach a larger number of customers? Can the employees expect better access to technology and other workplace infrastructure improvements?

Involving those who strive every day to deliver optimum service offers a boost in morale, so that they can continue giving their best even in the new office environment. Ask workers for input on the new office layout and ways their new workspaces can help them achieve their finest work. Employees who feel included tend to demonstrate positive feelings toward the company.

Business owners might create transition teams, assigning groups of employees to take charge of certain aspects of the move. Involvement gives workers the opportunity to ask questions, address concerns, and be an integral part of this important milestone in the company’s history.

3. Reorganize

Starting fresh in a new town, city or state provides ample opportunity to declutter and reorganize. Prepping for a new office is the apt time to discard unnecessary paperwork and files. Instruct your employees to pack essential files, paperwork and any small equipment. Provide sturdy packing boxes, labels and plenty of shipping tape to streamline the process.

4. Assign Teams

Relocating an office requires the effort and abilities of everyone in the company. Delegate important tasks to employees to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

For instance, establish a committee to be responsible for double checking the lease dates of the new building. This team should also ensure the utilities (gas, water and electricity) as well as janitorial services and security systems are set up to operate upon the arrival date. This committee could also be given the task of obtaining keys to the new building and receiving necessary parking details.

A second liaison may be instructed to get ahold of the map to the new building. Having employees who are familiar with the new layout is extremely beneficial on moving day. These workers can instruct moving personnel where to place office furniture, including desks, shelving, equipment and other property. If your office features specialized equipment, permission from the vendor may need to be acquired. This second committee can request and obtain necessary authorizations.

5. Work with a Mover

You may even wish to delegate to a third committee the job of hiring a professional moving company. This third team could be tasked with the additional responsibility of bringing on furniture installers, design firms and necessary contractors to ensure an easeful transition.

The committee should seek a professional office mover who is experienced in office relocations and offers valuation coverage. This group of employees can also be in charge of getting moving quotes and determining whether or not the mover offers fixed rates.

Shifting offices is a team effort. Ensuring success starts and ends with a constant flow of communication among employees and between business owners and their staff. Upon the move, a company’s culture has plentiful chances to reinvigorate. While relocating an office is a taxing burden, the results are well worth the financial investment, time, and energy.

Chicago Office Movers

If you plan to hire or designate staff to handle hiring an office mover, turn to Chicago Office Movers. As a professional office moving company with licensed and union movers, Chicago Office Movers takes the hassle out of moving day.

Chicago Office Movers are experts in office moves of all sizes. Our numerous awards, years of experience, and five-star reviews are validation of our professionalism and skill. Area customers include Northwestern University and Alcatel Lucent, among many other small, large and well-established businesses.

Included in Chicago Office Movers’ comprehensive list of services are paperwork storage, the option for short- or long-term storage, availability to move locally, long distance, or internationally and insurance contracts. Our professional movers have the manpower and equipment to shift all types of office goods, such as IT systems, lab equipment, electronics and cubicles. We also handle packing and unpacking, alleviating business owners of this time-consuming task.

At Chicago Office Movers, we take pride in our professional team of movers, years of experience, and essential equipment.

Free Estimate

For invaluable office relocation advice and a free estimate, contact Chicago Office Movers at 312-244-2246.

As a small town with a big city feel, Chicago lures businesses far and wide. Micro restaurants, like EL Ideas, and locally owned bakeries, like Do Rite Donuts, have as much success in the Windy City as Fortune 500 companies in the area, like Boeing Co and Motorola Solutions.

Despite being an underserved city, with a worrying crime rate, poverty, and unemployment, the following telltale characteristics make businesses in Chicago thrive.

1. Location

A company located in a major city like Chicago attracts other businesses. Many leaders at the most successful Chicago companies have their roots in the Midwest, either growing up here or attending school in the area. Their connectivity means they have access to countless invaluable contacts with whom they can strategize or brainstorm with the purposes of advancing their businesses.

O’Hare Airport is 45 minutes from Chicago’s downtown, making greeting traveling clients a breeze. Chicago business people who travel know the city’s central location gives them only a two-hour flight to New York or a four-hour flight to San Francisco. Meeting seamlessly with regular, sporadic or potential customers is a convenience and boosts business.

2. Reputation

A wealth of businesses in Chicago are proud to boast of a stellar reputation. Several of the country’s biggest companies have made Chicago their home. MillerCoors, Trans Union, and ACNielsen are just a handful of well-recognized names in Chicago business.

A reputation of excellence is critical for many corporations in Chicago who transact business with international customers; in such scenarios, maintaining a solid reputation is key. Successful Chicago businesses rely on their first-rate reputations to attract businesses on the other side of the globe.

3. Source of Customers

Big businesses in Chicago attract quality customers. For example, the majority of customers for a Chicago-based technology company will be Midwest firms. Chicago’s increasingly diverse economy leads the city to possess one of the biggest sales regions. Given several major business headquarters are situated in Chicago, the city has innumerable opportunities for B2B transactions.

4. Spirit of Cooperation

Chicago has the reputation for being a community of friendly people who support colleagues, business partners and, generally, each other. Chicagoans are known for exuding humility, offering respect and lacking entitlement.

Entrepreneurs, for instance, have the tendency to cooperate and collaborate. The selfish mentality of “what’s in it for me” is virtually nonexistent in the Windy City. The environment of cooperation floods the city’s business climate with continual enhancements.

5. Skilled Workforce

Chicago is home to tech savvy workers, entrepreneurs and software developers. The city offers an endless stream of opportunities for like-minded and even dissimilar employees to exchange ideas and, consequently, cultivate advancements that are beneficial to business.

With several top universities in the area, Chicago businesses have ample opportunities to recruit exceptional talent. The surge of new graduates relocating to the East or West Coast has passed; more qualified graduates are choosing to remain in Chicago to either start their own businesses or contribute their skills to a major corporation.

5. Transport Options

Accessible transportation is vital for competing in business. Varying means of transportation connect businesses with suppliers, customers and chain partners. Customer satisfaction heavily relies on the ease of transportation. When transportation is difficult, businesses have less available means to serve customers.

Chicago offers plentiful transportation options, making conducting business with a client on the other side of town relatively easy. In fact, Chicago has a public transportation score of 8.1, the highest in any US city, according to Chicago Reader.

6. Growth Potential

Chicago businesses have growth potential that result from the rise of economic opportunities. Consumer spending in 2014 was a major factor in the city’s business growth. In 2014 alone, business expansions in the city brought in tens of thousands of new jobs and over six billion dollars in investments.

Industries that make a continual impact in Chicago include manufacturing, retail, insurance, finance, digital/media, transportation and healthcare. 

7. Employees’ Quality of Life

Workers who enjoy the neighborhood in which the live tend to stay in the organization in which they work—or at least stay in the same area, finds Harvard Business Review. Environmental reasons play a pivotal role in whether top talent stays in a company. Skilled companies give their talent reasons to stay; as a result, employee turnover is low.

Given the importance of environment, successful Chicago businesses offer employees numerous avenues for rest, relaxation, and leisure. Employees are surrounded by affordable fine dining options and extravagant shopping centers.

Plus, in comparison to San Francisco or New York City, Chicago’s housing market is reasonable. Renters can find luxury accommodations with pools and tennis courts rather inexpensively in the city, making living and working in Chicago feasible.

Chicago Office Movers

Chicago is a unique city, a town of big businesses, small companies and supportive individuals with a spirit of cooperation. When you discover that Chicago is one of the country’s most ideal cities in which to conduct business, you may decide to relocate. If relocating your office is on the horizon, turn your attention to Chicago’s most renowned moving company, Chicago Office Movers.

Specializing in office relocation, Chicago Office Movers handles every aspect of the move, from start to finish. Customers have several options when moving, including short- or long-term storage, paperwork storage, insurance contracts, corporate relocation planning and unpacking to complete the move.

Chicago Office Movers safely and securely move office equipment, IT systems, antiques, science lab equipment and office furniture, among a variety of other goods.

Who We Have Moved

Whether your business is moving locally, long distance or to an international location, Chicago Office Movers will provide the most optimal moving experience. The union movers have shifted the businesses of several well-known entities, including Northwestern University and Alcatel Lucent.

Get a Free Estimate

Chicago Office Movers takes the hassle out of business relocation. You work with highly trained professionals who are licensed and background checked. Give us a call at 312-244-2246 or fill out a contact form for a free estimate on your next business move.

Having a cluttered working space can significantly impact productivity and stress levels. When everything is scattered in piles, nothing is prioritized, and you feel pressured to get everything done at once, it can be hard to get anything done.

Add moving into the mixture and things get much more complicated. Finding a moving company, packing, coordinating with employees, and notifying contacts of the address change are only a few steps in the moving process. BUT there are some ways to make this process a little less stressful and a big part of that is decluttering. While it can take some time to sift through everything in your working space, doing this will not only save a lot of time and money during the moving process, but help you to be more efficient and productive in the long run.

Check out these 10 tips for decluttering your office before moving:

1. Start with Nothing

One of the most common ways people declutter is starting with their cluttered space and removing things. But this doesn’t often work because you still end up with a lot of stuff.

Instead, try clearing everything from your space and then adding items you need a little at a time. This means clearing out the top of your desk and drawers, putting them in a box, and start working. When you need something, grab it from the box, and give it a home on your desk. After a few days, you will find what you really need vs. what is “nice to have,” making it easy to get rid of the unnecessary items.

2. Consider What You Really Need

If you feel a little uncomfortable about starting from scratch, you can also think about what you really need at your desk and what can be donated or thrown away. Did you know that we clutter because we think everything is important. When going through your belongings, think “Do I really need this item? Is it still usable? Am I keeping because I really need it or I might need it?”

One way to think about it is if you don’t remember that it was there, you probably don’t need it. But after answering the questions above, you should have a good idea of what to do with the items – even if you don’t like the real answer.

3. Organize by Priority

After figuring out which items to keep and get rid of, next is deciding where to put the items you do want. This is important since you will want quick and easy access for the items you use the most. If your desk has drawers, organize them in the order of importance, starting with the closest drawer and working your way down.

If you use a lot of paper, use the left-to-right method. When work comes in, keep it on the left, moving it toward the middle as you work on it, and shift it to the right once it’s completed. This way, you and others will easily know what is done and what you have to do for the day. It will also be clear for the tasks to be completed next.

It’s normal for clutter to start building again after decluttering, but just remember to keep up with the flow of paperwork and not to let that or other items pile up in your working space again.

4. Attack the Hoard of Cables

Especially if you have a complex server, multiple computers, not to mention charging cables, this can quickly turn into a chaotic mess. But there are some simple tricks to tame the hoard. It may sound strange, but attach rain gutters to the bottom of the desk to keep them off the surface. You can also look into cable boxes for an efficient way to hide everything.

5. Identify the Most Cluttered Spots

If you look at your working space at a distance, you may not find the cluttered spots. But you might be surprised that if you took a picture, you might find them easily. Take a few pictures with your phone and try it out.

6. Expand Your Working Space

If you really have a lot of important stuff, you may want to consider enlarging your work space (or invest in extra storage space). But in terms of enlarging the space, there are a few cost-effective ways to do it rather than buying a brand new desk.

If you have a small office space, think vertically instead of horizontally. Some ways include raising your monitor and mounting shelves to the wall, making use of every inch at your desk. As long as everything stays organized, this is a good solution for items that just cannot be thrown out.

7. Use Hidden Areas

If you don’t care to use traditional shelving, you may want to use pegboards for hiding cables, routers, and other equipment behind your desk.

You can also hide things on the back of your monitor or use clips and magnets to mount papers and supplies to the wall. You may be surprised at what you can accomplish.

8. Designate a Spot for Everything

Everything you need on your desk should have a home in which it fits neatly next to everything else. If they don’t, then the whole desk becomes a home for everything.

If you’re having a difficult time organizing, you can use the breadbox test to make things easier: if it’s smaller than a breadbox, put it away in a canister or drawer.

9. Clean Off Your Desk Every Evening

Regardless of how clean you keep your workspace, it’s normal for it to get messy throughout the day. This is okay because you’re working and being productive. But when things are not cleaned up regularly, the working space will become messy over time.

To prevent this from happening, clean off the desk at the end of the day everyday. Taking 5 – 10 minutes each day to straighten things up is a lot easier than tackling large messes every few months. You will even feel more motivated to come into work every day knowing you have a clean desk.

10. Don’t Overdo It

While everyone needs a clean, organized working space, you can overdo it. Becoming obsessive with maintaining a clean working space can result in wasted time that could have been spent working. A good rule of thumb is to think that if something wasn’t wasting your time in the first place, there’s no need to organize.

Recognize when it looks “good enough” and when it’s time to stop worrying about decluttering and get back to work. Keeping your working space spotless can, in fact, make an impact on your productivity. You may even forget why you started organizing in the first place: to be more productive and efficient at work.

Decluttering Before Moving

Moving is a great time to declutter since there will be less items to move after you’re done. While it does take extra time to go through and organize your belongings, it will be well worth the investment instead of spending extra time to move junk you don’t really need.

Need Extra Help?

If you’re running particularly short on time before moving, Chicago Office Movers offer professional decluttering services as an add on service to the move. As a full service moving company, we can also handle a number of other tasks to help you save time, including decommissioning, shredding, furniture assembly, move management, and more.

Moving everything from warehouses to libraries, you can count on us to move your business safely and efficiently. Our professionals are trained, insured, background-checked, and experienced to pack, move, assemble furniture, and provide any other service for which you might need.

Free Estimate

For more information, or to request a free estimate, contact Chicago Office Movers at 312-244-2246.