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.

Corporate events are a must-have for companies nowadays. Benefits like keeping employees happy, teambuilding, and even improving overall productivity can pay off for companies of any industry. On the other hand, finding an event or activity that everyone will enjoy can be difficult.

Thankfully, Chicago offers a ton of activities for employees with all different interests. Everything from bus tours to escape rooms, it shouldn’t be too hard to find one idea everyone can agree on.

Check out the list of the best corporate events in Chicago, IL:

1. Escape Rooms

One of the best ways to get to know your coworkers and work on those teambuilding skills, escape rooms will give you a challenge, other than work, to focus on. Within each room, you will be racing against the clock to solve multiple puzzles and escape using limited clues.

Escape rooms come in all different challenge levels as well as different themes. Whether you choose to escape from one of the most difficult space rooms or opt for an easier scavenger hunt on a pirate ship, you will definitely have something to talk about on the next business day.

Here are a few highly rated options:

The Escape Game

Fox in a Box Chicago

PanIQ Escape Room Chicago

2. Scavenger Hunt

Weather permitted, scavenger hunts are one of the best opportunities to become familiar with the city. Especially if your company is planning to move or has already moved to Chicago, you’ll find a lot of architecture, unique dining options, and other attractions, even if you don’t find what you are initially looking for.

Scavenger hunts involve various teams to search the city, solving clues that lead them from one location to the next. Race to the finish and you might get a prize!

Here are a few options:

Scavenger Hunt

Stray Boots

Windy City Field House

3. Sporting Events

This idea can seem a little original, but Chicago is known for it’s famous sports teams. Popular teams like the Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Bulls, and even the Bears are what make the harsh winters and expensive rents all worth it! Plus the seating available, such as the rooftops of Wrigley field or the box seats at the United Center offer a whole new experience to watching your favorite teams play.

All inclusive packages for corporate events are common, not to mention suites available for the employees. Load up from the dessert cart!

4. Indoor Skydiving

If you’re looking for an adrenaline rushing adventure, check into indoor skydiving at iFly. Suit up and pop into their indoor wind tunnels. Simply lean forward and up you go. There will be someone to spot you of course, but this option is a great way to take a break from the cubicle.

iFly locations are available in Naperville, Rosemont, and Lincoln Park. Be sure to check one out if you’re looking for something extra exciting!

5. Charity Events

If your team is interested in giving back for the event, volunteering as a group to a local non-profit is a great way to build relationships with your colleagues. Charities are always looking for helping hands (and donations) to help their cause.

Common activities for corporate events can include:

• Feeding the sick, poor, and others in need
• Walking dogs
• Walk to End Alzheimer’s
• Planting trees
• Food packing

If you have a favorite charity, you can reach out to them directly to see if they have events coming up that your company can attend. Remember every little bit helps!

6. Bowling

One of the activities that never get old, everyone loves to go bowling! Chicago is littered with bowling alleys, even with some that have different themes and food. Many also have fully stocked bars and kitchens so you can combine dinner and entertainment into one package.

For some companies, some bowling alleys offer private rooms, providing more convenience and fun to your experience.

Here are some options to choose from:

• The Lucky Strike
• 10 Pin Bowling Lounge
• Timber Lanes Bowling Alley

7. Game Shows

Team up against your coworkers to see who’s the fastest on the buzzer! You can choose from any game shows like Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, and more and battle against your friends.

Events like these will have your team laughing, doing physical challenges, and doing some critical thinking that will have the team talking for weeks. Step out of your cubicle comfort zone and up to the plate when facing off your coworkers through fast decision-making and being prepared to fail in front of everyone! This will ultimately build that company spirit that’s hard to accomplish everyday.

Check out these options:

The Game Show Game Show

Game Show Gurus

8. Dinner Cruise

If you have the budget for something a little more fancy, check out one of the cruises on the Chicago River. When cruising, you’ll see some of Chicago’s most prominent, updated buildings, everything from Marina City and Merchandise Mart to the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Willis Tower.

If you want to make the experience extra special, you can rent out the whole boat for a private event. Enjoy a 3-course meal and all that Chicago scenery has to offer with the convenience of the company of nobody but your coworkers.

Check out these options:

Odyssey

Mystic Blue

9. Office Party

Looking to save a few bucks? You can always host the party in the office. Order in food, bring some games, music, and drinks, and you have a party of your own!

Need some help moving things around? Chicago Office Movers can help move office furniture to and from your space if needed. With office decommissioning, we can have your furniture professionally moved and returned to the right places while working around your schedule.

Chicago Office Movers

Moving to or from Chicago? Chicago Office Movers is a full-service moving company that can help with anything and everything you need, from packing to crating to furniture assembly. Each of our movers is licensed, experienced, background-checked, and insured for your peace of mind. We are also able to move a number of specialty equipment like machinery, inventory, paperwork, and even lab equipment locally, long distance, and internationally.

You can be as involved or as hands-off as you prefer. We understand that you have work that needs to get done, and moving can easily take time away from operations; so we’ll take care of what you don’t want to deal with. Leave the moving process to us.

Get a Free Estimate

To get a free estimate on your commercial move, contact Chicago Office Movers at 312-244-2246 or fill out a contact form. We will get back to you shortly!

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.

The suburbs have been a haven for big business for decades. Chicagoland suburbs like Oakbrook, Schaumburg, and Northfield are a handful of locales that in past years exploded with growing businesses.

The Move to the City

However, recent demands for cutting edge technology and the people behind them spur companies to rethink and re-strategize. Businesses that once soaked in the luxury of their suburban locale, with ample parking spaces, quick access to highways, and quiet surroundings, are now moving to the city. The shift in mindset is not restricted to Chicago, but takes shape all across the country.

McDonald’s, Kraft Heinz, and ADM Move to Chicago

McDonald’s corporate headquarters is one example of a transnational company that has shifted from its cozy base in Oakbrook to an exciting nine-story building on Randolph and Carpenter Streets in Chicago. Motorola, based in suburban Schaumburg, as well as Kraft Heinz and ADM, have also made the move to the bustling city of Chicago. Long gone are the days when people moved to where jobs are—these days, companies are shifting to reach a new type of employee.

Why Companies are Moving to the City

The city boasts plenty of lure. City life offers vibrancy, diversity and opportunity. A tax incentive gives companies reason to eye the city landscape. Companies are relocating to the city to gain access to a younger workforce and, as a result, to stay competitive in the new digital playing field.

Work with Millennials and Technology

Cities are teeming with tech-savvy millennials. As computer technology roles are now nearly equivalent to the high-level positions of CEOs, corporate leaders are seeking to fill their top ranks with exceptional talent.

People under 35 and with expertise in IT prefer the slew of opportunities and attractions that cities feature. Tech professionals, like those who build e-commerce tools, prefer the endless choices of dining spots in the city in comparison with the humdrum of a single, suburban corporate cafeteria.

Millennials are also reluctant to buy cars. Rather, top talent favor public transportation abundantly available in cities. In Chicago, Fulton Market is bustling with brand new apartments and the finest restaurants in the city. The Chicago Loop, with its burgeoning business district, is also attractive for Generation Y talent. Suburban companies are taking note of millennials’ tendencies and uprooting their suburban bases in favor of city ones.

Opportunities for Companies

Companies are quick to note that 140,000 college graduates are produced each year by local colleges. When companies post jobs in their downtown hub, their human resources departments are flooded with four to five times more applicants. Despite the congestion, Chicago continues to lure companies and a highly qualified workforce.

Access to Customers

Technology is making giant leaps and giving customers the ability to make purchases with their smartphones. Companies want to win the new generation of customers that are using technology to buy products. Businesses also are aware that customers are increasingly avoiding the long trek to the outlying suburbs to shop.

Access to Digital Operations

Businesses thrive with instant access to the digital hubs of other companies. McDonald’s, for instance, shifted its digital operations to Chicago to be near the digital bases of Yelp and eBay.

Rather than meander in the remote suburban office park, young professionals seek to easily mingle with similar creatives. Companies with hubs in the city offer innumerable opportunities for invaluable interaction with like-minded professionals, allowing creativity to flourish far more readily.

Access to Airports

Being in major cities, many companies have access to airports, which is an advantage for businesses with international clients, interstate customers, or overseas locations. Executives can be at the airport terminal in under 20 minutes.

Downsize to Save Costs

Companies are rejecting the open spaces of suburban locations. Rather, businesses in recent years have elected to downsize, making doing business from the city an optimal choice. Kraft Heinz, once based in suburban Northfield and employing 2,200 people, now has its headquarters in Chicago.

With cost-cutting efforts, Kraft now has 1,500 employees working in downtown Chicago. Motorola retains 1,600 employees in its suburban Schaumburg space, while 1,100 workers operate from its downtown Chicago location.

By eliminating the isolation plaguing suburbs, corporate campuses create an open atmosphere. Brand recognition is developed by and associated with where businesses are located. Technology companies are opting out of the tree-lined ponds of the suburbs and choosing the buzz and exhilarating activity that city environments offer.

Ability to Work Remotely

Telecommuting and collaborative work environments have offered employers the chance to reduce the office space required per employee. Three decades ago, each office worker required 200 square feet of office space. Now, 125 is the standard. The reduction in necessary office space makes operating out of the city, where space is scarce and costly, financially feasible.

Moving Your Business to the City

Tech companies are keen to see the major advantages of moving to the city. When your company is planning to dive into the benefits of recruiting, mingling, and doing business in the city, turn to Chicago’s most renowned corporate mover, Chicago Office Movers. As a moving company dedicated to corporate relocation, Chicago Office Movers will skillfully handle your office move from start to finish.

Work with a Professional Mover

Upon providing a free estimate, Chicago Office Movers will help you with planning and corporate relocation. Once a moving plan tailored to your unique business needs is formalized, the plan will be executed. Our team of licensed and background-checked union movers will carefully pack and unpack office property. Insurance and service contracts are offered for maximum protection. You’ll receive tracking information so you are fully aware of the moving truck’s location at each phase of the move.

No matter what type of business you are relocating, Chicago Office Movers has the experience and qualifications to make the corporate move seamless. Included in the list of goods Chicago Office Movers has professionally moved are science lab equipment, artwork, IT systems, cubicles, electronics and office furniture.

Get a Free Estimate

Chicago Office Movers offers professional experience to ensure your office move happens on time and within budget. Our dedicated team of specialists stand by to answer any questions about your corporate move.

Give us a call at 312-244-2246 or fill out a contact form to receive a free quote!