For many business owners, deciding when to expand operations takes time. Some owners shy away from this prospect because of the amount of stress that comes with the construction process. A project of this size does not lead itself to a stress free environment. However, with proper planning, there are ways to minimize the stress for you and everyone involved.
Inform Your Employees
Before any plans are made for your new project, it is important that you inform your employees. After all, they are the life and soul of your business and have helped make it what it is today. Put together a meeting so that you can discuss your future plans for the business. This is a great way to get your employees excited about the future. The earlier you let them know, the more chance you have of your employees sticking with you through the changes that are about to happen. A loss of a valued member of staff would be a shame, especially when the business is about to take a massive step forward.
Have A Budget In Mind
One mistake that many business owners make when they are having a new workspace built is by not setting a budget beforehand. Pick up quotes from builders, electricians, plumbers, and decorators so that you’re able to put together a figure that you can stick by. Once you have quotes from everyone, keep them safe. If a contractor tries to charge you more, refer back to the quote you were given. Be ready for any changes that might put you a little over budget, but stay as close to your original figure if possible.
Safety First
While builders and other contractors have their own safety regulations, you should put together a set of rules of your own. This is especially important when it comes to your employees. Speak with your insurance provider to see what kind of accidents they can cover to help you build your handbook. Things like insisting that your builders use structural engineering from truss design to ensure that your new building will be as safe and as well built as possible is a good example.
Market Your Expansion to Your Customers
An essential part of building a new workspace for your business is marketing your move to your customers. The same theory comes into place that you’re using for your members of staff. Perhaps your store or premises was convenient for some of your customers, and they will now have to make arrangements to visit your new store? Letting your customers know as early as possible will also help generate a buzz for your grand reopening.
Take to social media so that you can promote the launch of your new building, and advertise an opening party for everyone to attend. Alternatively, you could create a promotional code that people can use within the first week of opening your new premises. Anything that can help bring more people through your doors and generate excitement will help your business.
Find An Optimal Location
Deciding on where to build your new shop is the most difficult decision to make. Maybe you want to find a spot that isn’t too far away from your original one. Perhaps you’d like to move closer to a town center to bring in more customers? Or maybe you’ve found the perfect spot in a residential area that would make their lives much easier by having you there. Either way, think long and hard about where your location is going to be so that you don’t risk losing out on any customers.
Obtain Design Help
It’s not just where you’re going to build your new business premises, it’s how it’s going to be built too. The design really does matter when it comes to ensuring that your customers have the best experience as possible. Consider appointing a project manager that can help you create the perfect design for both customers and staff alike.
Create a Work Plan
Finally, it’s important to create a work plan for both the building site and your current business location. It’s likely that you’re going to be dotted between the two locations to ensure everything is running smoothly, so take a look at these items to include in your work plan:
- Appoint a second in command to run your business while you’re dealing with the new building issues. This will help you relax and concentrate properly on the job at hand.
- Set everybody a list of tasks that need completing each day so that you know everything is going to get done while you’re making sure the new build is going smoothly.
- Visit your new building at least once each working day to make sure that the builders are following plans and to help resolve any issues that may have cropped up.
As you can see, building a new premise for your business doesn’t have to be as stressful as you may have originally thought. Put these steps into action and you’ll soon find yourself opening your new premises, wondering why you didn’t do it before! Good luck!
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