As you grow your business here in Fort Wayne, one thing to look out for would be eventually increasing your office space. While relocation can be a natural first choice, you can’t just uproot or put your operations on hold. If you have ongoing projects and long-term commitments or have built great relationships with clients in the vicinity, continuing to work while expanding or renovating your premises might be the only option.
Here’s how you can manage an office upgrade while you and your employees go about your business as usual:
Work with the right team
Any construction project isn’t to be taken lightly. With all the effort you’ve invested into considering this decision carefully and mapping out timelines and budget constraints, you need to be certain you’re working with the right team to carry out the job.
Review the contractor’s previous work to find out if they have successfully tackled similar projects in the past, and get in touch with former clients to obtain some feedback. A building contractor with experience in the Fort Wayne area is a bonus, as they would probably have a local network of suppliers and labor, which can help keep costs low.
Plan the movements
Both you and the contractor want to carry out the job during regular hours. It facilitates coordination and supervision, minimizes additional expenses, and helps ensure a smooth supply for the construction workers.
To make this happen, though, you’ll need to work out a plan of movements, and your current location and layout will determine the details. If possible, a smooth separation between the construction area and your workplace will allow your employees to go about their jobs while the contractor’s team carry on with theirs. But you have to allocate space to clear a path for the movement of equipment and people through your office.
Stagger schedules
Trying to remain productive in an environment where there’s construction going on is tough. There will be increased distractions and interruptions, which affect your employees’ ability to focus and lower morale. And on the contractor’s side, there can be large-scale tasks or heavy equipment that can’t be moved around or operated during regular working hours.
In this situation, it might make sense to stagger your schedules to some extent. Maintain your office hours and have your employees work in an environment free from interference, and let the contractor’s crew proceed at night or during weekends. This solution can operate smoothly, but most likely comes at a higher cost of labor on the construction site.
Work out new arrangements
Another option you can look into would be allowing some of your employees to telecommute or work remotely. While not all tasks can be accomplished from outside the office, you might find that your existing data management system allows a good level of flexibility and remote collaboration. You can also consider using a co-working space to get some members of the team working together while dealing with the restrictions at your existing workplace.
Carrying out a renovation or office upgrade is a big undertaking. Still, you can continue to handle business as usual if you explore and find the right approaches to dealing with the new situation.
