HOWELLS SOLICITORS ON THE MOVE!
20 Jul 2009
Howells Solicitors is showing its strength during the credit crunch by purchasing new offices in Swansea’s SA1 waterfront development as its south-west Wales business operation expands.
The new office, based within Langdon House, is home to seven members of staff, specialising in conveyancing, family law and wills and probate. The Howells team are now easily spotted, as they are proud wearers of a brand new Howells uniform, not to be found at any of the other four Howells offices in South Wales.
Philip Howell, partner at the firm, said: “Over the last two years, we have seen a large increase in our client base across South West Wales and in order to expand further, we needed a larger office to support our needs.
"The staff were keen to have a uniform to match the look of the new office and we were happy to accommodate. They are a friendly, approachable team, including two Welsh speakers, who are all passionate about the area. We are delighted to announce our commitment and expansion plans for the South West.”
As a law firm, Howells deals with many office relocations for its business clients and they understand that it can be a stressful time. The firm has therefore produced a helpful list of practical tips for moving…
HOWELLS TOP FIVE TIPS FOR MOVING OFFICE
1. MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED |
When moving office, it is vital that you plan everything out in advance. Make sure you are familiar with your new location and offices; take measurements of the rooms to ensure that furniture will fit and make sure that a floor plan is created, clearly identifying where everything will be placed. |
2. BE PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED |
A move of any kind forces you to think on your feet and you need to be prepared for anything. Take nothing for granted during your move and make sure you have back up plans in place, in case the move takes longer than expected, or the set up of phone/internet connection does not run as smoothly as anticipated! Consider holding a ‘site visit’ for your staff prior to the move – they may pick up on potential problems that you have missed! |
3.ANTICIPATE DOWN TIME |
Moving can be unpredictable and delays happen. Make sure you communicate to your clients that you are moving and consider providing them with an alternative contact number for you, such as a mobile number. In anticipation of down time, set up a temporary office at your home, so as to keep things running during the move. |
4. MAKE SURE YOU COMMUNICATE |
Communication is key when it comes to an office move. Make sure that all staff have seen the floor plans and know their allocated location prior to the move so as to avoid too much fuss during on the day. To help the movers, use coloured labels to indicate which furniture belongs to which floor and make sure the movers know where everything is to be placed. You can also use name labels to ensure that individual employee’s belongings do not get lost during the move. |
5. DON’T GO IT ALONE! |
If you are a small business, you may not have dedicated IT personnel. If this is the case, don’t be afraid to call in some outside help to assist you with the more technical aspects of the move. An IT professional will help you to re-wire your new office; to help you get your phone lines up and running and your computers back online. If you are not technically-minded, you don’t want to go it alone and risk prolonged down-time. |