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Seeking advice. Moving. Anyone done it?

Cathy Coggins

Cathy Coggins

Frequent Poster
Messages
462
Loc
Kissimmee, Florida
Company
Needle Craft World
The shop has survived the worst of the economy. Numbers are brighter. Cool things in the works.
Well, I have been mucking about with the idea of moving for a few years, Chickie is a Chicken in this regard.
Such a big prospect. And one of the best and worst things you can do to a business.

My clientele is from all over, the framing and the retail. I am 5 miles from Disney World, and moving can confuse people, especially when they travel 1000 miles. And Commercial Space for rent is NOT getting any cheaper despite the economic conditions. Places have been empty for years and years and the rates have gone UP.

Space is scarce in my retail and framing shop. Need new equipment and no place to put it. Kissimmee 192 is a bit dicey in ambiance. AND, the new taco shop, on the other side of me with the THIN walls....has started doing karaoke. OMG, the soundtrack to the Bovine intestinal track with tacos!!!

I need to move, it's slow season for me. Advice? What pushed you off the ledge when you moved your shop?
 
Be ready for some heavy lifting and gets lots of family to help! We moved between Christmas and New Year of 2012. We worked long days and got everything moved to the new location and the old location cleaned up. We opened the doors January 3, 2013 at the new location. Not everything was in place but we could work on small items.

1) So when you find the space and set the date, Get all items finished and out the door before the move! You do not want to move client pieces if at all possible. If you tell them you are moving as soon as you know they will be glad to help by getting their items picked up.

2) reduce inventory as much as possible

3) close down for the move, do not try to be open and move it will drive you crazy!

4) Prioritize - what needs to go where, where is safe storage for items, and do not count on anything being organized when you move it, you will have to resort every matboard and stick of moulding if you have help

5) we rented a large Uhaul and had several trucks, cars and trailers to use

6) You have to roll with the punches! Try not to be to OCD with the help you get

I was lucky, I had lots of family to help and only had to feed them.

GOOD LUCK!!!!
 
Hiya Chickie,

I suggest first making a priority list, maybe including items like these:

* High traffic location/road visibility
* Easy access & egress by car/parking near the door/handicap access
* Low cost of rent/fees/common area maintenance/utilities
* Favorable lease terms (duration, restrictions, liability for HVAC equipment/plumbing fixtures)
* Square footage at least ____
* Good lighting
* Ease of buildout/convenient layout of walls/rooms/spaces

After you decide your concerns and prioritize them, then go shopping. Local brokers for business real estate might be of great help, and may cost you nothing, especially if you find one who can help negotiate the lease. Also, have an attorney review the proposed lease before signing.

Make scale drawings of several alternative layouts for your retail area(s) and your workshop, taking into account the lighting, electrical outlets, work flow, inventory locations, clean vs. dirty production areas, etc.

I've moved twice in 25 years and enjoyed both adventures. However, I never want to do that again, as I'm getting too old for all the work.
 
Interesting thread. I like to shift at some stage in the future and know where I do not want to shift to.
Not near a pub or gambling outlet.
When I shifted house years ago I hired a big truck since I have a trick-license. Everything went into that truck in one day and one go. Set up what we needed immediately and the rest was stacked up for later unpacking. Returned the truck the following day and cleaned up the old house.
 
Moving is also a great opportunity to throw away the detritus that has been building up. When I moved in 1989 to my present location, I threw away two dumpsters full of mailing tubes alone (and yes they were nested inside each other).
You are going to have some special challenges with all the products you offer on the textile side. I would make sure the new displays are in place well in advance of moving.
 
In 1991 I lived above the premises where I had my framing business and custom furniture business. Sold all the furniture making machinery and equipment and moved the framing business to one location and moved our home to another location all at once. Hired a removal company to do the move, which made it simpler.

I planned where all the framing stuff was to be located at the new business location and directed the removalists where to put it.

The most difficult part was cleaning up the furniture manufacturing areas. Took three truckloads of hoarded stuff to the tip!

Initially the new framing premises had plenty of room for swinging many cats, but that changed over the years and when I closed down last Christmas, sorting, dumping and packing took a very long time, even after all the large machinery had been sold and moved out! Nightmare!
 
Mikki does karaoke:shocked:?

Owning your real estate and having a stand-alone building have lots of advantages, but there are also disadvantages. Make a list and see what seems to work best for your business. Maintenance on real estate can be a real problem if you are not well-versed in what keeps a building running. There are some pretty good checklists out there. Check the SBA website.

Be mindful of what Ellen said about location & cost. It is very difficult to overcome a less desirable location; it is so much harder to get customers in the door. It takes so much TIME (and I am talking years) to get established in an out of the way location, not to mention money to get your location known to even your regular customers. I think in the end you can pay for what you really need in rent, or you can save money on rent and lose money on lost opportunity, advertising and maintenance. It all is a wash in the end.

Here is a personal observation. I am highly visible about 2 blocks from city hall on the busiest non-interstate route in the state. The traffic count is enormous. Many, many people are stopped at the light in front of my store daily. It is easy to get in and out and parking is plentiful. I have been here 20 years, and still at least once a week someone asks me how long I have been open because they never noticed me before! (and I have good signage) Although lots of things are in my favor on the face of it, many businesses that depend on visibility and traffic spent 10 times what I did to be in just the right location mere blocks away. (McDonald's probably spent more on the market study than I spent on my building).

As for moving in general, if it will increase traffic and business, i think it is worth the hassle. I wouldn't recommend it as a way to reduce expenses unless there is a drastic need or you are working toward a near-term retirement.

One of the intangibles about moving is that it can inspire and energize you, especially if you can move into a space you have designed to meet your needs after years of adapting to the available space. Happiness is worth a lot. For most of us, we spend as much or more time in our businesses as we do in our homes. It is important to be happy with it.

I would think one of the downsides of any move would be getting used to where you have put things, especially those specialized tools you only rarely use. I mean really, can't you imagine this scenario: Now lets see, where did I put that mat smacker? Did I lose it? Give it away? Did I ever have one?:shame:

Personally, I think you have the energy and savvy to prosper whatever you decide.
 
Last edited:
Gregory K. Norris said:
Here is a personal observation. I am highly visible about 2 blocks from city hall on the busiest non-interstate route in the state. The traffic count is enormous. Many, many people are stopped at the light in front of my store daily. It is easy to get in and out and parking is plentiful. I have been here 20 years, and still at least once a week someone asks me how long I have been open because they never noticed me before! (and I have good signage) Although lots of things are in my favor on the face of it, many businesses that depend on visibility and traffic spent 10 times what I did to be in just the right location mere blocks away. (McDonald's probably spent more on the market study than I spent on my building).
Click to expand...

I get this remark too, I think it may be more an ice breaker for conversation, I would not be surprised to find we all get this question.
 
You're right Randy. An icebreaker -never thought of that. I get that question once a week after having been here for two years.
"It's good to see a new business in town."

Greg's comment about maintenance of the building is spot on too.
Now if you rent and the roof starts leaking, all you have to do is contact the landlord and it will be fixed without you footing the bill.
 
Is relocation an absolute necessity? You gave valid reasons to stay where you are. Is opening a "satellite" shop front a viable option. Your existing clients know where to find you, you have the opportunity of increasing your market potential and there is no upheaval.
Pete
 
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