Blog | - Part 4

Be More Productive with an Organized Desk Space

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

Every office worker has heard of the benefits of ergonomics or exercising before work, but fine tuning your work routine can go even further. Keeping your desk organized has been shown to improve the productivity of almost anyone stuck at a desk for eight hours per day. Whether you’re preparing for the challenge of moving the office or just preparing for yet another routine work day, try these easy tips for a more productive workspace.

Balance Cleanliness With Personality

Start by removing everything unnecessary that is cluttering up the surface. There’s no need for piles of old paperwork, scattered snacks and extra computer tools lying around, all of which can make it harder for you to focus. However, you don’t want to go overboard and end up with nothing on your desk. A few well-placed photos of your family or a small collection of decorations and art prints keeps the space feeling motivational and creative.

Add The Right Colors

Decorating with a bold art print can help inspire if you choose the right colors. Avoid red and orange, which are stimulating colors that may draw your attention away from your work. Stick with shades of green, blue and light yellow. If your ability to decorate your work area or desk is limited by your employer, try to get a similar effect by changing the background of your computer’s desktop. A colored light bulb in a desk lamp can also help create a new mood as you work without requiring a significant investment or a permanent change.

Move To A Window

This tip is hard to put into practice in a fixed office environment, but you can put it to good use in your home office or flexible co-working space. Getting a view of the world outside, even if it’s just people strolling by or a leafy tree, can significantly improve your productivity throughout the day. If there’s only one window in your office, try setting up a workstation next to it where you and your co-workers can take turns visiting for a few hours or a day at a time.

Bring In Some Life

Can’t see anything green outside due to your office’s location? Bring the beauty of nature indoors instead with one or two potted plants for your desk. For the heartiest desk addition, try an air plant. These spiky beauties can be suspended from a wall in a glass planter to leave more free space on your desk. Air plants are easy to maintain because all they need is a light mist of water every few weeks. Aloe plants, coin plants and even large floor standing Dracaena are also easy to keep alive with minimal care.

Clean Regularly

Finally, make a date with yourself to spend a few minutes cleaning the desk every Friday. Wipe down the surface, sort your items and remove anything unnecessary for the next week. It will make Monday so much easier to face.

Posted in General | Tagged desk, desk space, local movers, Moving, Office Organization | Comments Off

5 Things You Didn’t Consider When You Moved Office Locations

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

If you move your office to a new location with the goal of attracting more business, it will only work if you keep other, perhaps less obvious, priorities in mind. Although your geographical location is critical to the success of your business, it’s easy to overlook other factors that significantly impact the number of people walking through your doors.

Traffic Patterns

Consider whether your new office is located near well-traveled streets. After all, you want your business to be visible and easily accessible to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Access to major roadways is also important since you want the location to provide easy access for clients, business associates and your employees. If there are frequent delays caused by congested traffic on busy roadways, your company might not see the increase in customers you desired.

Parking Availability

Ask yourself whether the new location provides adequate parking facilities for clients, office staff and other visitors. You could lose customers if there isn’t parking nearby. Although providing parking can cost you extra money, access to free parking can help you keep your employees, too. Safety may be a consideration in addition to convenience when it comes to parking. The parking area should be well lit after dark and, depending on the location, have on-site security.

Easy-to-Find Location

A new office location should be convenient for clients and business associates to find. An office in an excellent business location in the hub of the suburb, city, or small community where your business is headquartered can have a positive impact on your success. Do your research in advance to determine whether the neighborhood or community where you plan to relocate is supportive of the type of business you run. Also, the type of business neighbors you have can benefit your own business, especially if they attract a similar target market.

Employee Commute

The time it takes your current employees to commute to and from the new office location could affect whether they stay on after the move. Any change can be difficult for employees at first, and if it lengthens their daily commute, you might lose some good employees who prefer a shorter one. While longer-distance commutes to work are becoming more common, they aren’t for everyone. Some employees might not consider the hours spent commuting and the higher vehicle maintenance and gasoline costs worth the travel. Employees who rely on public transportation may be affected as well, especially if a public transit system isn’t available to the new office location.

Updating Address Change Online

With all the tasks involved in moving a business, changing your business address on all of your online profiles may slip your mind. Your business website alone requires multiple updates, such as making the change to your home page, about page, contact page, payment page and directions page.

But don’t stop there. You need to change your physical address on online business listings, professional directories, email marketing campaigns and social media profiles. You don’t want potential clients or customers going to the old address and not finding you there. Unless you wish to lose business, you need to keep your information updated. Listing a correct address helps make it easy for others to do business with you.

If you’re thinking of relocating your business, give Expert Relocation Systems a call. We can help make sure everything safely arrives at your new office.

Posted in General | Tagged local movers, Moving, Office relocation | Comments Off

A New Location Means New Amenities for Employees

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

When you start shopping around for a new location to accommodate your growing business after the local movers bring everything in, you’re likely considering space and functionality first. However, a great location offers more than just enough office space so that employees aren’t sharing desks anymore. Quality amenities please your workforce, which helps you curb turnover due to dissatisfaction. An attractive and engaging workplace also helps you bring in more qualified new workers when it’s time for hiring. Find out what kind of amenities to look for before signing a lease or putting money down on your next location.

Survey Your Employees

While it’s possible to rank amenities by usefulness or the “cool” factor, it’s far more important you match your extra services to the needs and wants of your actual workforce. A simple email survey sent out while you’re still shopping around for new locations can reveal exactly what your workers want. This prevents you from spending a ton on high-tech relaxation pods and space age trampoline meeting rooms when all your team really wants is a basic gym or space for working privately.

When surveying, start with open ended questions. Once you identify a trend, such as a common interest in fitness or food, you can narrow down your options by polling for preferences between the choices. For example, you get your first emails back and 89 percent of the work force wants some help with finding childcare for their children. Now that you know that, you can look for locations near an existing childcare center or talk to companies willing to contract an in-house care facility. If you get a response from both options, you can present the two ideas to the team and see if they prefer the full-sized daycare business or a smaller and closer alternative inside the building.

Popular And Useful Amenities

Of course, sometimes employees don’t have any ideas either. If you’re stuck trying to come up with helpful amenities all on your own, start with the basic needs of workers. All workers need healthy food, plenty of exercise and sufficient sleep to keep working at their peak efficiency. A kitchen stocked with tasty snacks is a start, but why not invest in a cafe where the meals are prepared for your team so they can get back to the office faster? Workplace gyms are a worthwhile investment too because taking a 30 minute break on the treadmill can dramatically boost energy and attention levels in employees. Finally, don’t shy away from the idea of a nap room. Wouldn’t you rather a tired worker take an hour off and come back ready to work at full speed instead of simply dragging around all day and getting little done?

In the end, it only matters if the amenities are used and make your employees happier. Instead of spending a ton right after moving with relocation services on fancy upgrades, start with a single upgrade everyone agrees on. It’s easy to grow from there as needed.

Posted in General, Moving Tips | Tagged amenities, local movers, Moving, relocation services | Comments Off

Make Your Business’ Move Simpler With These Tips

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

Your company can’t run or turn a profit without those bulky servers or oversized vinyl printers, but how do you plan to move all this equipment when it’s time to upgrade to a bigger and better facility? Many companies leave behind their own equipment and simply purchase replacements upon arrival since it can be such a hassle to relocate with big machinery. However, this is a waste when proper planning and the right team mates can make the move go so smoothly you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Hire a Professional Moving Company

Your first step in this process should be to hire a company who is experienced in making these kinds of commercial moves. That means hiring a company with the proper transportation, knowledge and skill needed to handle this type of equipment. They will know what precautions to take to make sure electronics are packed correctly and are in the proper environment, and you will sleep easier knowing your business will be back up and running in no time.

Make A Plan

Every move needs a plan, but commercial relocations with big equipment need a very detailed itinerary. The best moves happen in chunks so you can get at least some of your servers or other machinery back online before having to move the rest of the equipment. Known as a sequential or segmented relocation, this type of move requires good coordination between your relocation services provider, employees and the owners of both the new and old facilities. Duplicating equipment by ordering new pieces and starting them before the move also works, but it costs a lot more than a well-planned transition.

Keep Things Together

Aside from having to drain hazardous fluids that can’t be transported by road, try to keep each piece of machinery as intact as possible. While filled server racks and assembled stamping presses are much heavier, the movers can compensate for that fact with high quality hydraulic lifts. It takes much less time to move in and connect a complete piece of equipment than it does to figure out where each server and switch fits back in the rack. Reassembling electronics is especially challenging because you need expertise to make sure everything is reconnected the right way.

Don’t Forget Backup

It’s always possible for a piece of equipment to go missing or get damaged in the move, no matter how carefully the professionals handle each box and crate. You can just replace manufacturing machinery, but high-tech servers, computers and other electronics contain data that isn’t so easily replaced. Transition to a cloud-based backup system at least a few weeks before you start packing up so that there’s no information lost just because of a physical mistake.

Invest In Better Packing Materials

Sensitive printers, servers and high tech sensors require more than just some packing peanuts to protect them during relocation. While jostling and bumping is still a threat, so is static electricity, moisture and heat. Discuss the sensitivities of each piece of equipment being moved so that the movers can arrive with plenty of wraps on hand. There are space-age foams that block heat and dissipate electricity during transit, and managing moisture simply requires sealed plastic enclosures and a little extra care during packing and unpacking.

Posted in Moving Tips | Tagged local movers, Moving, Moving Tips, relocation services | Comments Off

Tips For Buying A Basic Office Computer

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

Office computers need to be reliable and have enough power to handle your workload. Consequently, there are certain features you should look for when buying a new computer for the office so you can serve your customers and clients better.

Dual Core Processor

When it comes to processors, one of the primary things to consider is buying a computer that can handle all the work you do. It’s essential to purchase at least a dual core processor. There’s probably no reason to go to a quad core processor for your office unless the type of work you do involves a large amount of graphics. Otherwise, a dual core processor will give you the speed and stability you need to work on multiple computer tasks at one time.

Adequate Memory

A computer should have enough memory to save all of the office files. For most offices, 250 gigabytes of space is plenty. If you only save files from Word, Excel and PowerPoint, 80 to 100 gigabytes could be enough; however, 250 gigabytes will give you added assurance without costing a bundle.

Working Memory (RAM)

Working memory (RAM) is another important consideration when buying an office computer. For most office work, a computer with at least 4 gigabytes of RAM will give you the memory space you need. Not having enough RAM can cause your programs to run slowly or even shut down if you try to open multiple windows at the same time.

Office Suite

If you are a business manager who uses word processing, databases and spreadsheets, choose a computer that comes loaded with an office suite. Many businesses also use slide shows or presentation software. Some computer models come pre-loaded with these software programs, but sometimes you must request a particular software program as an add-on.

Multimedia Features

Make sure the computer model you choose for your office includes all the multimedia features you need to do your job. Buy a computer with a webcam if you intend to use video conferencing to connect with clients or business associates. A computer also should come equipped with internal or external speakers.

While most computer models come with at least a CD-ROM, you might want to consider a DVD-ROM if you rely on video media for your business. You will need to buy a computer with a CD burner or DVD burner if you want to burn information onto a media disk.

Expandability

Look for a computer that will allow you to expand its power and performance. Many models allow you to add more memory and hard drive space. Some computers are designed to allow you to enhance their capabilities by adding more optical drive as needed. The office computer you select should have the capacity to grow as the business grows.

These are some of the key features you should look for when shopping for an office computer. The specifications of the computer you choose will provide you with the basic functions you will need for your office.

Posted in General | Tagged computer, local movers, Moving, office, relocation services | Comments Off

Ways to Stay Fit While At Work

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

Even if you spend nearly all of your workday at a desk, there are steps you can take to help you get in shape. While getting up and moving around the office is the best way to stay active, sometimes during the day, it just isn’t possible. Fortunately, there are some great exercises you can do while seated at your desk.

Work Your Legs

Purchase a mini-pedal exerciser, also known as a desktop cycle. You can buy one for as little as $30 or $40 dollars for a basic model. A desktop cycle is a small set of pedals (much like you find on a bike) that you can use either on your desktop or on the floor. When you’re ready, push your chair away from your desk to set up the cycle. Pedal your feet until you get tired. When using the pedal exerciser, you can pedal fast, slow or rotate between fast and slow.

Consider purchasing a set of ankle weights for the office. Wear them while lifting your feet slowly off the floor and holding there for about 20 seconds. Repeat 10 to 12 times.

You can also exercise your legs with easy-to-do movements throughout the day. Simply sit and tap your feet. If your employer allows it, play music and tap your feet to the beat. Another easy exercise is to march in place sitting at your desk. Move your feet and knees the way you would if you were marching in place while standing.

Get Strong Abs and Arms

Use your office chair to exercise your abdominal region. Sit with your feet slightly raised off the floor. Hold onto your desk and move the top of your body from the left to right, using only your abdominal core region. If you have a swivel desk chair, you can do the same exercise, using your tummy region to swivel slightly left and then right in your chair. Move to each side at least 10 times. Repeat the exercise at different times throughout your workday.

When it comes to your shoulders, you can exercise them with just a few simple movements. Shrug your shoulders 10 to 15 times while talking on the phone or working on the computer. Another exercise is to shrug your shoulder toward your neck. Hold a pencil between your shoulder and your neck without letting it fall to the floor. Repeat the exercise a few times on each side. You can also loosen up tight muscles by slowly rolling your shoulders forward and backward.

You can get in a quick arm workout by keeping a set of small dumbbells at your desk. Throughout the day, perform 10 to 15 repetitions of dumbbell exercises, such as bicep curls. Or, you can hold a dumbbell vertically in your hand as you bring your arm forward toward your shoulder. Reverse and repeat the exercise using the opposite arm. Another great way to exercise your arms is with the desktop cycle: place it on your desktop and pedal with your arms.

There are lots of ways to move your feet, arms and core while working at your desk. So don’t let a desk job stop you from staying in shape.

Posted in General | Tagged exercise, local movers, Moving, office, relocation services | Comments Off

Try Buying New Chairs to Increase Productivity

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

Since hiring new staff members and training them takes weeks and a surprising amount of money, most businesses are better off trying to boost the productivity of existing employees when facing a crunch. Whether you need to put the finishing touches on a new product or want to catch a new client, don’t ask more of your workers than they’re used to doing unless you’re ready to help them reach those stretch goals. A quick investment in a whole new set of chairs for the office could be just what you all need to hit that deadline without feeling stressed.

The Power of Ergonomics

So how do chairs help so much with office productivity? The secret lies within the science of ergonomics. This buzzword simply encompasses all the studies done on efficiency in the workplace, but for chairs specifically it refers to careful design to prevent physical fatigue. Most people don’t think of sitting in a chair as a difficulty, but the poor back support offered by most office chairs means your back muscles are working harder than necessary to hold you up. Swapping to a properly designed chair amps up the back support, reducing the work your body does while you’re sitting and leaving you feeling a lot better at the end of a long day.

Fewer sore backs and less wrist pain in your office team means fewer distractions when you’re all working towards a difficult goal. It also boosts productivity in the long run because your employees won’t feel as stiff and achy after spending weeks stuck at a desk for eight hours a day.

What To Look For

Not all chairs touting themselves as ergonomic actually meet the body’s needs. Start by picking chairs that go up extra high and low so each employee can get the perfect height. Desk workers should sit with their backs pressed firmly into the chair and with both feet flat on the ground, so adjustable chairs are the only way for everyone to find the right fit. After height adjustments look for adjustable arms, head rests and even seat backs. Being able to adjust the depth of a chair by moving the back allows each user to get plenty of support against their back, regardless of height or body type. Finally, don’t forget about adjustable lumbar support cushions. Either invest in gel or buckwheat cushions employees can arrange as necessary, or pick chairs with built-in lumbar sections.

Avoid Trends

Don’t assume that just because a certain office chair came out this month or has a high price tag that it’s worth investing in for your office. Stick with well-tested chairs that have earned endorsements from real doctors and spinal health organizations. Since you’ll likely want your employees enjoying their new chairs for years to come, stick with known brands that offer warranties on their equipment. You can’t stay productive, no matter how well-organized your office is, if your ergonomic chair falls apart on you.

Posted in General | Tagged local movers, Moving, office, office furniture, productivity, relocation services | Comments Off

You Can Save Your Office Money by Saving Energy

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

A well-run office aims to spend as little money as possible on daily operations so funds can be available for things like expansion and employee bonuses instead. There are a lot of ways to trim expenses in the office, but few of them pay off as well as energy efficient changes. Trimming down the utility bills each month pays off in the long run, as long as everyone keeps following the same rules. Make these easy changes to see immediate reductions in your bills.

Lighting Improvements

The flickering fluorescent bulbs used in most older offices don’t save much energy and hurt productivity by causing headaches. Swap them out for LEDs carefully adjusted to provide the same intensity and color of daylight. Daylight is the most productivity-boosting type of light, and long-lasting and energy efficient LED bulbs are far less expensive than skylights and sun tunnels.

Blocking Heat

Tired of running your A/C at top speed all summer? Block out the heat by installing inexpensive window films or basic blinds. If you’re planning to relocate your business soon, consider a location surrounded by mature trees to provide shade for a cooler summer.

Switch to Laptops

Many offices still use desktop computers because you can order inexpensive and basic business towers in bulk from the major manufacturers. However, switching to laptops means using 1/5th of the amount of electricity. Set up work stations for your team to use laptops, which offer more flexibility, including sitting and standing positions. The options for more ergonomic work will improve productivity as you cut down on expenses for electricity.

Set Up Sleep Settings

Every printer, display screen and computer in your office should shut down or go into sleep mode when it’s not in use for more than 10 minutes. These sleep modes save you hundreds of dollars on electricity over the course of a year, and they can extend the lifespan of your equipment as well. Consider automatic shutdown settings, too, so lights and electronics do not get left on over night or during the weekend. Don’t just use screen savers and expect to save energy.

Increase Air Movement

If your air conditioner isn’t keeping your office evenly cool anymore, you might need more blowers and fans to distribute the cool air. Adding cubicles, tall shelving units and other additions that block air flow change how the space cools and heats. An inexpensive blower upgrade might be all you need instead of overpriced cooling bills or a complete A/C equipment replacement.

Ask Employees to Adjust to the Climate

One employee wants the office to stay at 80 degrees year round, while another requests cooling anytime the temperature shows 65 degrees or higher. Request that your employees bring sweaters and their own fans to work so they can adjust their work area without making the entire office change for their needs. This allows you to set a lower thermostat in the winter and a higher one in the summer for continuous savings.

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Packing Your Electronics: Moving Tips Every Company Can Benefit From

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

When it’s time to move a commercial office, the biggest pain and headache can be trying to move the electronics. Phones, computers, printers, fax machines, and more all need to be packed away carefully and then eventually put back again in the new building. Local movers might not always be careful and it’s almost impossible to remember where every little thing belongs when the boxes are opened a few weeks later. The following are some tips that any company can use when relocating and trying to pack up their electronics safely, while also remembering where they belong.

Take Pictures

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s especially true when it comes to moving. Before packing up all the electronics in the building, consider taking pictures of where and how they are plugged in. This can jog your memory later when you finally get around to unpacking all those boxes. It’ll be easier to remember where every plug is supposed to go in order to serve its full purpose in the office.

Follow the Manufacturer

All large and small electronic items come with a manufacturer handbook that not only tells you how the item works, but how you should pack and store it. You will be able to read up on the best way to pack them for safety and even know what temperatures all your electronics should be stored at. Follow these instructions as closely as you can, the manufacturer knows best when it comes to protecting your electronics.

Do Not Mark the Boxes

Thieves are always looking for something that they can snatch up quickly, and marking your boxes gives them a sense of which ones they should be digging through. Avoid marking boxes with expensive electronic equipment in them, and always try to label boxes as discreetly as possible. You don’t want to make yourself an easy target during the move.

List Your Components

The truth is, you will more than likely be taking apart large electronics to help save space in the moving trucks. This means that you will eventually have to put them all back together. In each box, keep a list of the components that should be in there. This way, you can make sure that everything is accounted for and have an easier time putting it all back together.

Line the Boxes

Whether you are using crates or boxes, lining them with packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or another packing material can help minimize damage. You can also add other packing materials as you pack to help fill in the empty spaces, creating a cushion for all the items. If you pack properly, your equipment should remain safe throughout any journey it may need to take.

Why Choose Expert Relocation Systems?

Offering relocation services to the Austin area, Expert Relocation Systems strives to help move your business from one commercial building to another. We only work with commercial businesses, meaning we know how to handle anything that you may throw our way. If you are looking for quality services and a dependable team contact us today for a quote.

Posted in General | Tagged Austin commercial moving, Business Relocation, moving electronics, packing electronics | Comments Off

The Best Packaging Material For Your Valuables

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Expert Relocation Systems

Moving an entire office can be extremely difficult. Between small loose supplies and large scale appliances, everything seems so fragile when it’s being packed into large boxes. However, there are packaging materials perfect for packing away those fragile items, keeping them safe and secure through storage as well as the big move. Here are just a few you might want to try.

Inflatable Products

Air filled cushions put a barrier between box walls and the items inside. They are resilient to popping and allow for items to slightly bounce about, without hitting each other, or the box itself, full force. It’s one of the best options for providing cushioning around objects large and small. These types of products can often be a little more pricey than the traditional newspaper packing method, but it’s much safer for the fragile items found in a commercial office building.

Packing Peanuts

The “traditional” packing material, these small peanut shaped foam pieces are meant to fill the empty space within packing boxes. This means, they create a cushion between small items. They even stop large items like fax machines or computer monitors from hitting the sides of the box they are packed in. Not only are packing peanuts affordable, but they can be used for a variety of different packing tasks, making them one of the best moving materials you can invest in.

Styrofoam Shapes

Large scale office items such as printers, computer towers, and scanners can be unique shapes that don’t fit with traditional packaging. This is where Styrofoam shapes come in handy. These sturdy shapes provide a cushion between items that fit into those awkward places that other packaging materials just can’t seem to protect. Pair these with another method for optimum safety of your office valuables.

Bubble Wrap

Great for wrapping up small fragile items and pairing with other types of packaging products, bubble wrap provides an air cushion for item safety. Be aware, however, that boxes that might go through rough handling may not be the best choice for bubble wrap, as harsh handling can cause it to possibly pop, putting fragile items in danger.

Who Is Expert Relocation Systems?

Expert Relocation Systems is a business that offers relocation services and work as local movers to help commercial buildings pack up and move with ease. We have expert materials; we use HIPPA approved crates, not boxes, which stack higher and hold more weight than standard boxes. This saves time for our team and room on our trucks, which saves you money. Go with the team who has your best interest at heart and specializes in moving commercial businesses. Interested and want to learn more? Contact us today for a quote.

Posted in General | Tagged commercial relocation, Moving Tips, Office Move, Office Moving Company, professional movers | Comments Off