It is time to move your business to a new location, hopefully to a place with more of the kind of traffic you need to maximize your customer base. Moving anywhere and moving anything can be a stressful situation, but there are things you can and should do to make that move as efficient as possible. When it is your livelihood, you want to ensure that everything is smooth and systematic and that clients and vendors know where to find you.
Send out postcards and emails before you move, explaining where you are going and (if necessary) why you are moving. No matter the reason, make certain you put a good spin on it so customers understand how the new site is better for them. When the move is complete, repeat the process with emails and postcards to ensure that current customers know that you are now at a new address. Sometimes mailing a magnet or something similar with a bill that includes the new address and phone number can help customers remember that you have relocated and where.
Next, contact everyone who has your old address so the address can be changed. If there are billboards, update them. If there are internet directories, update them. Make sure phone books have the accurate address listed too.
Invite people to come into the store or office as soon as everything is moved in, and give them a reason to stop by. Offer a free hotdog and drink if they stop by on the first Monday you are at the new locations; offer them a discount if they come in and order something at the grand opening. The goal is not only to get existing customers to come by the new place so they will have the new location memorized, but also to attract new people into the new space. Also, do not forget to look through your client lists for people who used to be regulars but have not stopped by recently. This is a great chance to get them back into the store.
When people move store and business locations, it is always to improve the bottom line. With a few preparations, and a little extra time before and after the move, the move can pay off right away.