How to Develop a Business Relocation Proposal

Relocating offices can be a challenging and time-consuming process. Therefore, having a well-organised and carefully planned business relocation proposal is essential. This will ensure a smooth transition and bring significant advantages to your business.

Whether you’re moving to increase in size, access new customers, or better adapt to the changing world of work, a strong and well-planned strategy is a key part of the process. 

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know to make sure you execute your office relocation strategy flawlessly, from who should take responsibility for the plan to how to build it up, next steps, and how we at Knight Frank can help you find the right space for you.

Who Should Own the Office Relocation Strategy?

Before you get into the details of how to build your business relocation proposal, you need to clearly establish who in your organisation is responsible for your strategy. 

How you split this up will differ based on your business’s size, sector, and structure. 

Still, there are some general tips to keep in mind. 

First, you should know what goes into a business relocation proposal. 

You need to assign responsibility for: 

• Research and scoping 
• Decision-making and detail
• Presentation and selling 

Research and scoping can begin at a high level. You want someone with a strong sense of your company’s overall vision. CEO input is crucial here, to help consider what precisely you want to achieve with your office move, and to have final decision-making authority.

CFOs, meanwhile, bring financial expertise and deep knowledge of your business’s accounts and can help analyse the costs and potential benefits of a move. 

An office manager or facilities manager will bring valuable insights on the day-to-day operations and requirements of the current office space, while HR staff can provide input on employee wellbeing and the impact of the move on the workforce. 

Finally, your marketing and communications personnel will be best placed to present your proposal, both within your organisation and, later, externally. 

The most important thing to remember when assigning responsibility is to ensure that you have buy-in from key stakeholders across your organisation. While you want to avoid the dangers of having too many cooks, you also don’t want to miss out on key insights by leaving out someone important. 

For best results, put together a dedicated team to work on the proposal. This should include representatives from each of the relevant departments in your company, as well as a leader with overall project management responsibility. 

How to Create an Office Relocation Proposal 

Once you know who in your organisation is responsible for which aspects of your move, you can get started on developing your proposal.

Define Why the Move is Needed

The first step in developing a business relocation proposal is to clearly articulate the reasons behind the move. 

These can include:

• Needing more space to grow
• Searching for better access to a larger or more diverse workforce
• Saving money, either to optimise operational costs or to downsize
• Moving closer to a target customer base
• Adapting to changes in the world of work, including hybrid working 

Whatever your reasons for moving, it’s crucial you list them clearly before moving further with your proposal. If you don’t know what you aim to achieve from your relocation, you’ll find it impossible to identify the right space for you.

Define the Benefits of the Move 

Once you’ve established what you want to achieve by moving, you need to outline the benefits the move will bring you. You know the goals you want to achieve: now you need to consider how your move will help you achieve those goals.

If you’re seeking a new space that better suits your business, your business relocation proposal should outline how specifically it will benefit you. 

Consider questions like: 

• What new equipment does the move give you access to, and how will you use that equipment? 
• What benefits will the move provide to your workers and customers, and how? 
• If you’re moving to a better connected area, how will those connections help your business to serve its customers and grow?

Define the Risks of Not Moving 

And, of course, you need to look at the other side of the coin: what are the potential downsides of staying where you are?

This will be easiest if there are problems with your current space - inadequate facilities, say, or cost increases that make it difficult for you to continue operating. 

Inflation, high interest rates and rising energy costs can also add to the risk of staying put. If your current space is in an old or inadequately insulated building, energy costs will likely be a particular concern.

You should also consider any issues that your workers have raised. Do they find the current location difficult to commute to, for example? If so, staying might have a negative impact on staff retention. 

If you chose your current office location several years ago, you may also find that it is not optimised for a changed working environment. Flexible working and work from home are here to stay, and you need to make sure that your company has an office location that is fit for the new world of work. 

You may also find that you have simply outgrown your current location - that you need access to a market that is bigger, more diverse, or just different. 

Define the Costs Involved

Finally, you need to pay close attention to how much this will all cost. 

Any successful business relocation proposal should include a detailed list of expenses and a realistic estimate of a budget for the move. 

Make sure to be comprehensive here: include everything, from renting or buying the property to transporting furniture and equipment, to any repairs, refurbishments, or redecorations you might need to undertake to make sure the new location is perfect for you.

Next Steps in an Office Relocation Strategy

Once your business relocation proposal is mapped out and approved, you can move on to making a more detailed office move plan. 

You’ve made the business case for your move, so now you can turn to the nitty-gritty: how you’re going to execute your strategy, including a detailed timeframe for the move.

Then, you’re ready to move on to selling your plan - communicating what you’re doing and why to your staff, stakeholders and customers, and showing them how they’ll benefit.

How Knight Frank Can Help You Relocate Seamlessly

Relocation planning can be difficult to get right, but the benefits can be enormous. And choosing the right space is one of the most important parts of the process. Luckily, here at Knight Frank, we’re experts in office moves. If you’re considering putting together a business relocation proposal, why not get in touch?