In May, my firm moved from an office it had occupied for over 35 years to new space just across the intersection. I thought I had mastered moving, as my husband and I moved twice the previous summer, but I was surprised by the enormity of a firm move. However, I did learn some valuable lessons along the way:
Whether you are moving up one floor or across town, you still need to update your address.
Updating your letterhead, website, business cards, envelopes, etc., is obvious and an easy project to start early. Next create a plan to update your address on everything else. Be creative – we had an intern update all magazine subscription addresses, and I updated addresses for all organizations our attorneys belong to, since I could easily pull that info and plug it into a form letter. Create a list of what needs to be updated (such as websites and directory listings), and stick to it in the days surrounding the move.
Moving means getting in touch with everyone you know.
Unfortunately, we did not have a CRM system, so compiling a move announcement mailing list was cumbersome. That being said, all firms have several different resources to pull information. Create a team, meet regularly, and make sure at least one member is an Excel whiz. This project should start sooner rather than later, as it is routinely one where marketing departments run into problems. If you are compiling a list from scratch, think ahead. It might take a few minutes to pull additional data fields, but you may be able to use the list down the road. This is also a good time to update your personal contacts and reach out to an old friend, client, vendor or classmate. Who knows where a refreshed relationship might lead.
Take the time to unclutter.
Why move what you do not have to? After four-and-a-half years in my office, I came across things from my predecessor that I never referenced. Uncluttering took some time, but the firm gained so much more space when we got rid of all of the junk. I was actually able to move less furniture into my new office because I freed up so much storage space, and it is more organized.
Moves are stressful.
I have heard that building a house is one of the most stressful things for a marriage. There are so many decisions to be made, it is expensive, everyone has different ideas and everyone is busy. This is true for offices, too. Be prepared to see people at their best and at their worst. While you may be shocked by the petty things some people will complain about, you will be equally surprised by how willing people are to pitch in and help in any way that is needed. Someone suggested that we provide a welcome packet to everyone as we moved into the new space. We did, and it was a nice way to say, "we appreciate all you did for this move."
It is always sad to say good-bye to something comfortable and familiar.
Everyone had great memories and great stories from our time in the old space. But moving to new offices meant designing a space for all of the technologies we now embrace. It meant updating the décor. It meant planning so people can work more efficiently. Since we have moved, people are happier about coming to work. People dress up more. The move may have been stressful, but now that we are settled in, we are happier. It is hard to say good-bye, but sometimes, in order to move forward, you have to move out.
Although I think that I am going to settle in for a bit, I have had enough moving for a while.
Taryn Elliott is the marketing administrator at Kightlinger & Gray, LLP and the Indianapolis City Group co-chair for LMA Midwest. For more information about the Indianapolis City Group, contact Taryn at telliott@k-glaw.com.