How long have you been ignoring the signs? One year? Two Years? After you’ve parked your car, have you been turning your eyes to the sky and ignoring the employees who are circling the crowded parking lot? Are you telling your clients the chipped and sunken cement steps at the front door add character to your building? Well, it’s time to accept the truth – you need to move your office.

No one said moving is easy, but if you, the boss, are starting to notice little issues that make you feel your present location is an uncomfortable fit, then you can be certain your employees, and possibly your clients, have made that decision some time ago. The following list will be helpful for business leaders who have been avoiding the decision to pack it all up and decamp to another location that better suits your needs.

Five Reasons Why You Should Move Your Office

• If you can’t squeeze one more employee into your crowded office without creating a domino effect, you need to find a more sizable space. View this growth as a good omen – your company is progressing. If you can see continuous expansion in your future, choose a new space that will accommodate that growth, either by adding elbow room with a renovation or building an addition.
• Does your company budget include a parking subsidy, so your employees don’t have to leave home extra early just to circle the block multiple times, trying to find a parking space? Choosing to move your office into a building that includes a parking lot for your staff and clients may prove to be worth the move.
• Maybe you’ve been in your office location for several years and you’re beginning to notice your area of town is looking a little worn with vacant storefronts and less foot traffic. More than likely, there is another part of town that is experiencing a rebirth, with new restaurants opening and businesses relocating to new builds and renovated structures. Take a closer look at this up and coming part of town. Dine in the restaurants, speak to the business owners, read news articles about the area and ask a couple of realtors what they know about the changes taking place in that district. This might be a good time to relocate to a new neighborhood, even if the real estate costs more.
• Overbooked meeting rooms can be a positive indication that your staff is collaborating more often, always a plus for creative thinking. On the other hand, having to reschedule a seminar or meeting, because the company lacks enough conference rooms with the necessary technology, is unproductive and causes a lot of frustration.
• If limited space has forced you to move your departments to different buildings or floors, you’re interrupting the flow of accidental connections and encounters, as well as informal chats between your staff. These little moments of interaction are known to produce opportunities for creative thinking and productivity. Relocate to a space where your employees, who seldom encounter each other in their work environments, have more opportunities to connect, whether at the office café or kitchen, going to and from the restroom or just passing in the halls.

Don’t Forget to ask Your Staff What They Think

Take the time to talk to your employees and ask what an office move would mean for them. How would it affect them? Do they think a move would be an improvement for the company?

Explain to them why you’re considering a new location for the office. Whether you’re a small business owner and can hold a meeting during a catered lunch or your company is large and you design a survey for your employee Facebook page, you need to know what your staff has to say.