Moving plan

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Dancinbaer

Dancinbaer

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Apr 26, 2002
Posts
1,267
Loc
De Pere, WI
I would like some suggestions/ ideas from other framers who have moved their shop from one location to another, (both store fronts). I'm only moving about 2 blocks down the same street. New landlord has given me the first month rent free to move in. I've moved all my moulding and my saw from home to the new location.

My thought is to set up the new show room and move framed pieces over to new place. Then over time move vacu-press, under pinner, storage racks. Then finally just close for a couple days, move all remaining equipment from existing location and setup new location.

Soon I plan to send out post cards to existing customers announcing the move. Also will place an ad in the local paper. I have an announcment running on the local cable channel. I have a large banner to hang at the new location saying I'll be in there August 1. I have signs on existing shop saying I'm moving and where.

Any other ideas? Suggestions? Things you should or should not have done when you moved?

Thanks,
 
Well Denny, I wish you good luck and a speedy move. It is always a bit traumatic trying to figure out what to do first. I made the mistake of boxing up all the stuff I had stored in all my workbenches and moving that over towards the beginning of my move. I should have moved the benches first so I had a place to put all those boxes of hand tools, supplies, mat board, foam core, and all the other stuff that I had in those benches!! Those danged boxes were in the way for everything we wanted to do until such time as we got all the benches positioned and unloaded those boxes into the benches!

In my case, I conned a couple of my young strapping strong buddies to help me move and we got the entire inventory, equipment, tools, supplies, benches, customer counter, and all the miscellaneous stuff like easels, display stands, and retail racks moved in one weekend counting Friday! It was a back breaking effort and we were moving 20 miles away but we kept our focus (well, they kept their focus, I whined mostly!) and got most everything in the general area that we wanted it to be by Sunday evening.

It required the use of an 18' car hauler trailer, a 26' box truck, and about 4 pickups to get the job done that quickly but it can be done.

One thing you don't want to do is keep your business down any longer than possible to make the move happen. The more you are closed the worse the impression is for those who are casual shoppers or don't bother to read all the signs that you have posted all over your storefront.

(Duh!! So when did you move???):shrug:

Again, good luck and happy moving!! (Ouch!!)
 
Do a floorplan of the new place and make little matboard or paper cutouts of the shapes of your equipment and benches and such. If you need a 4x8 foot space for the moulding, cut a piece of paper that size to represent that.

This way you can move stuff around and see how it fits and the flow.

You will also see what you need to move first and last. This way you don't move something that will be in the way of something that needs to fit in the back.
The advance planning is the most important part.
Do it all at once if you can
 
I suggest doing as much build out as possible before making the move. As Tom mentioned having the infrastructure ready to put stuff away once it is moved will drastically increase the efficiency of the move.

2 years ago Jeff Rodier and I moved a 4000 sq ft warehouse and a separate 1200 sq ft retail store into a new 3000 location (yes it took a big shoehorn). We made some mistakes in how we dealt with this move and are still paying for some of them to this day.

I do feel that a move is good for the soul, it helps to refocus you on what do you really need. Most of us tend to be collectors and after a while it can get overwhelming. Just ask Val.
 
FrameMakers said:
I do feel that a move is good for the soul, it helps to refocus you on what do you really need. Most of us tend to be collectors and after a while it can get overwhelming. Just ask Val.
Click to expand...
Uh....yup. But I am now a Reformed Packrat!! Being a victim of Rob and Baer's Great Packrat Intervention was quite and an eye-opener, (Rob, did you get any "after" pictures?) For those of us not moving, I guess if we got into the mindset (aka "pretending") of moving, it would help lessen the urge to Packrat. My seperation anxiety of little scraps of matbd, moulding, foamcore, glass, etc. isn't so anxious now, I just pretend Rob and Baer and Ellen are still here, glaring at me and saying "Out, D a m n Scrap, out you go!"

Good luck with your move, Denny, sounds like your biz is moving right along for you, and congratulations for that. Are you still working your "day job?"
 
Val said:
........Are you still working your "day job?"
Click to expand...

Ahh..yup. One of the really nice things about the new location, it's just across the alley from my full time job.

framah said:
Do a floorplan of the new place and make little matboard or paper cutouts of the shapes of your equipment and benches and such. If you need a 4x8 foot space for the moulding, cut a piece of paper that size to represent that.

This way you can move stuff around and see how it fits and the flow.

You will also see what you need to move first and last. This way you don't move something that will be in the way of something that needs to fit in the back.
The advance planning is the most important part.
Do it all at once if you can
Click to expand...

I have a copy of AutoCAD. Drew up the new floor plan. Measured all my tables and equipment, drew them up. In AutoCAD moved things around and came up with a plan.

FrameMakers said:
I suggest doing as much build out as possible before making the move. As Tom mentioned having the infrastructure ready to put stuff away once it is moved will drastically increase the efficiency of the move.
Click to expand...

My brother is a remodeling contractor. I have him scheduled to come in to put up some slotwall panels to hang framed pieces and put up carpet on the wall for corner samples.

Thanks,
 
Throw away all your scrap before you move. It will just get damaged, and you will accumulate new when you get to the new place. I still have the pile of scrap from my move in September of last year. It's still packed up.

Also, don't let your friends transport open boxes of glass on their leather seats. The shifting glass cuts little uniform slices in the leather on the seats. Hypothetical, you know. (I didn't know he did put the glass up there, I know what it does to my fingers, so it must do the same to cow butt too).

dave.
 
if your former LL will let you---put a rather largish sign in the window of the old place for as long as you can.........and visit the new tennants with a plate of goodies and a fist full of new biz cards(you did get some, yes?)----hoping that when former custs. show up they will be redirected to you!--possible even forge a good enough relationship with new guys for them to allow you a smallish sign somewhere fairly prominent for a looong time?????????
 
looks like you are well on your way to a successful move. I did the one building to the next move myself. Here's a few pointers.

  • Measure your doorways and tables ... make sure they will fit through.
  • Open boxes of glass should not be moved on a handcart ... especially on uneven pavement.
  • Corner samples ... 1 row per box
  • Make nice with your now neighbors as they will be redirecting your traffic.
  • Send a mailer to your customers alerting them of your move. Why not throw a moving party, and let them scavenge through all you were going to throw out.
  • Donate scraps and bits to the local art clubs and schools. Have them lined up to "come and get it" on a particular day.


Good luck!
 
hire movers. i did everything myself: painted, installed new carpet, built tables, installed alarm/security cameras, dry wall.....and moved every piece. it took too long and i should have hired people to do the work so i could be framing. best of luck. moving just sucks.
 
Moving is a great time to clean out clutter, & what a great feeling that is. I have just relocated my business, & had a good idea of my new space & where everything would work best.What I won't do is spend a lot in advertising my move. I have paid my daughter & her friend to call existing clients (the special ones I called myself) to explain the relocation, and about 2 months before my move I handed out cards with my new address and the date. However, at my previous location I was still getting clients from the former business coming in, expecting to find them there...they'd been gone for over 2 years. The previous business had also been advertising daily on our local radio station & weekly in local papers...for 2 years. So in my opinion, save your dollars. Offer to give a talk on what you do for local business groups, schools...get out there & do some marketing...costs time, but gets your face out there! Good Luck!
 
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