Chapter Detail
Here is a summary of the information-rich, problem-solving tools
in each chapter.
Why Bother to Move At All?
If you are not sure yet whether your business should relocate,
we offer advice on issues that will help you make this decision.
We compare the cost of relocating with cost of staying. We have
developed a working business relocation budget
to assist you in making the right financial decision. You can
compare the costs of several properties (offices) you are considering.
You can automatically forecast your costs for the entire period
of the lease. These are compared to the cost of staying where
you are and renewing your lease. We also provide this budget in
electronic format, so it can become your customized working budget
for the entire project .
In addition to financial issues, we also explore the important
"soft dollar" issues that affect people. These are not
so easily translated into dollars, but they are critical to a
successful relocation. Mishandling these issues can literally
bring your business to its knees. We help you identify these critical
issues that include image, productivity, employee turnover, and
the impact your move may have on your hard-earned customers and
loyal suppliers.
But that's only the tip of the iceberg...
Finding and Planning the
New Space
If you have decided to move your business, this section guides
you through the complex process of building an effective site
planning team. This includes your broker, architect, interior
designer, relocation consultant and project manager. You may decide
to hire one or more of these outside specialists, or to perform
some or all of these functions yourself. We discuss all the pros
and cons.
We discuss in detail the key issues involved in finding the new
office space. This includes working with an architect and commercial
real estate broker to select a site that meets your exact needs.
We offer advice on how to select a site that minimizes employee
turnover and dissatisfaction.
We also provide an exercise in space planning. While we don't
provide legal advice, we do cover the issues that must be explored
during a lease negotiation. We also discuss the important issue
of the build-out, or tenant improvement allowance.
To help you coordinate the relocation effectively; we help you
create your internal office move project team. These are the people
within your firm who will actually carry out your plan. The section
explores the necessary preparation for the move and development
of your working floorplan. Now, the best part is just starting...
Turning Dreams into Realities
Once you have selected your new office space, it's time to start
the actual move management facilities planning process – the task
of planning the new interior space.
You may have some experience dealing with construction people,
but most of us are babes in the woods. We have no idea who does
what. This is where the guide really provides some help. We explain
the entire process of the build-out, including what you should
expect to get, and how much you should expect to pay. We provide
helpful tips on how to hire a general contractor, and most importantly
on how to control costs and avoid construction delays
.
In this section, we also explore the office technology
issues that must be coordinated with the build-out.
These include office telecommunications, cabling, and security
systems. These are the vendors you must hire
for the build-out, and we provide advice on what to look for and
on how to make good business decisions , even
if you are not an expert.
Once you have selected your vendors, we provide some suggestions
for getting everyone to play together nicely. Coordinating everyone's
activities relating to the tenant improvement project is easier
with this guide. The two killers of every build-out
are scope creep and delays . This section provides
concrete advice on how to avoid construction delays and
cost overruns . Wait. There's much more...
Coordinating the Move
We offer advice on being your own move coordinator, and on hiring
an outside consultant to help you. There are so many details to
coordinate that many businesses need outside help. Whether you
hire someone or do it yourself, this coordination will reflect
the planning and preparation you put into the office relocation.
Either way, this chapter provides all the details you need to
plan a perfect office move.
We tell you what to look for when hiring an office move consultant
and moving company. We help you identify the critical issues you
will perform, and what should be accomplished by your moving company.
This includes taking inventory, labeling, packing, obtaining permits,
protecting the facility, notifying the proper authorities, arranging
for special handling, preparing for archived storage, clean-up,
etc.
We share some war stories so that you will avoid the most
common mistakes made during the actual move.
This chapter ends with a discussion of the critical items normally
forgotten in the rush of a move. The section "Don't
Let These Items Fall Through the Cracks" can be
a lifesaver.
Keep reading, and I'll show you some tools that will really simplify
your life...
Communications
Nothing destroys relationships faster than poor communications
(or failure to communicate at all!). We provide actual
sample letters and memos for you to use when communicating
with your employees, customers, vendors, service providers and
suppliers about the business relocation. These cover your office
move announcement, follow-up memos, moving and packing instructions.
By using these communication tools, you can increase customer
retention, reduce employee turnover, and guarantee a smooth transition
with your vendors and suppliers.
The chapter ends with a checklist of the vendors and service
providers that you might need to notify.
Get ready for a shock. I'm going to share with you my foolproof
methods for hiring the perfect vendor every time.
Choosing the Right Vendor
How many times have you purchased a service and gotten
burned by the vendor you selected? You got two or three
estimates, interviewed the vendors, checked their references and,
you thought, made a good decision. Then the vendor didn't show
up on time, or began the project and then disappeared! Worse yet,
the vendor didn't possess the necessary skills to perform the
job to your expectations. How did this happen?
We've all had this experience. The problem is that most of us
are not experts in the service we are about to buy. It's always
our first time. We are rookies. We got fooled because the vendor
told us what we wanted to hear, instead of the truth .
We only learned what not to do after it was too late. As they
say, the best education comes with a large tuition bill.
Making a mistake like this for your office move can cost big money.
If you make rash, poorly informed decisions, you'll pay for it
in the end. Imagine buying a telephone system or computer networking
equipment from a vendor that burns you. It could cost
your company hundreds of thousands of dollars
in lost productivity or poor reputation. Whether it means a late
delivery, improper set-up, inadequate manpower, or generally poor
service, these bad vendor selections will cost you plenty. And
a bad vendor can jeopardize the entire office move
. Selecting the wrong General Contractor could cause
the office move to be delayed, costing you a bundle in penalties
and extra rent. Selecting the wrong furniture vendor could cause
delays and cost overruns from other vendors, like the electrician,
computer networking vendor or cable installer.
You can't afford to make any mistakes when selecting
vendors for your business relocation. The selection of a bad vendor
can reflect on your judgment as a professional manager. You know
who everyone will be looking at when things go wrong – you! All
the other vendors you hire will think less of your abilities if
there's a rotten apple in the barrel.
This guide can help you avoid delays and cost overruns
by making the right choice of vendors. It is a generic
guide that works with any product or service. The guide covers
everything from finding potential vendors to making the final
decision. It guides you through the process of finalizing your
list of vendors, examining their strengths and weaknesses, investigating
their company's management structure and asking the tough questions.
Once you have finalized your list of vendors, the guide shows
you how to write an RFP (Request for Proposal)
that produces complete proposals you can compare on an "apples-to-apples"
basis. This RFP has teeth in it. It compels vendors to think about
how they will perform for your project, and how they will recover
when (not "if") something goes wrong. It probes deep
into their company strengths and weaknesses, telling you what
you need to know, not what they want you to hear.
Next, the guide shows you how to compare the proposals
submitted by the vendors. This guide really
cuts through the fluff .
It helps you aim the laser beam of truth right through the sales
hype and boilerplate provided in most proposals. It gives you
the specific questions you must ask in order to find the truth
about their company. You know vendors will put on their "happy
face", and you want to know what your experience will really
be like.
The guide provides tools to help you score the responding vendors'
proposals. The Vendor Comparison Chart and scoring
matrix strip away all the fluff and cut to the heart
of the vendor's offering. The guide looks at the intangible factors
that make a great vendor great, and these are quantified to help
you score the vendors. It looks at purely tangible factors as
well. These include cost, warranty, and vendor support, among
other things. It helps you uncover hidden costs
that may be incurred.
This guide provides the weapons you need to make these critical
decisions correctly. It goes way beyond the "price and 3
references" proposals most of us are familiar with. Using
this guide, you may discover some diamonds in the rough. You may
find that the big, well-heeled vendors are really not as well-heeled
as you thought. You will be amazed at what you will discover about
these vendors, after you cut through their marketing pitch.
How's that for separating the bologna from the buckwheat?
Actual RFPs
The guide includes 9 actual complete RFPs
(Requests for Proposal) that are already written for you. They
are ready for you to use in procuring products and services for
your business relocation. These were designed specifically to
make your job easier. These can literally save you
hundreds of man-hours , and they are included at
no additional charge.
Consultants charge $3,000 or more for
writing an RFP for you! Some technical systems are so complex
that you could pay $25,000 or more to have an expert write the
RFP for you. This manual makes writing your RFPs so easy and cost-effective,
that you could save over $25,000 just from these
tools alone!
The RFPs have everything you need to solicit proposals from prospective
vendors. You only need to substitute your company name and information
in the appropriate places.
The RFPs are very thorough . They help you think
about your requirements so that nothing is omitted. But the most
valuable aspect of these RFPs is that they compel the vendors
to provide meaningful information about their
company strengths and weaknesses. This is a far cry from most
vendor proposals. Most are filled with nebulous fluff and sales
puffery that has nothing to do with their ability to complete
your project!
Here is the line-up of the pre-written RFPs included in the guide:
• Architectural/Interior Design Services
• Tenant Representation (Real Estate Broker)
• Commercial Office Space
• Relocation Consulting Services
• Furniture Moving Services
• Telephone System
• Communications Cabling
• Systems Furniture (Modular)
• Electronic Security System
You can see how an office move is made much easier when this much
work has already been done for you.
