How To Project Manage Your Business Renovation

If your business is having renovation work completed, or even an extension to your current premises, you may find that you get heavily involved in the planning process

By making lots of big decisions about what you want out of the works, you may quickly find yourself as the default project manager.

Being a successful project manager can be a very big undertaking, and it can be very daunting. However, with careful planning and good communication, you can run a tight and efficient ship. 

Create An Action Plan 

The first thing is to list all of your considerations; this will help you come up with an order that you need to do things in.

You will need to make sure that you have all of the relevant planning permission in place before you commence any work. 

During the work, you may need to relocate some of your equipment or team to a temporary area. If you need to rent temporary space, start searching for this as soon as possible.

If you have lots of equipment in your workspace, you should consider hiring small machinery movers to help. The logistics of moving out of premises can be challenging, and they will have the skills and experience to help. 

Think about all of the other types of contractors you will need. You may need builders, plumbers, electricians, decorators, as well as waste disposal firms and scaffolding hire. 

Get quotes from everyone, and work out at what stage they will need to be brought in. Make sure you have dates penciled in for them, but understand that often there are delays that can cause knock-on effects. 

Create a budget with a reasonably sized contingency. Making sure you plan for setbacks will mean that you will overcome them with greater ease. 

Communication

Throughout the project, you need to maintain excellent communication with all of your contractors. Find time to get regular updates as the work progresses and use this information to update any other contractors.

If you notice faults with any of the work, by all means, raise your concerns or ask questions about how they will be remedied. However, you need to remember to keep calm and avoid creating any undue stress and tension. Do your best to view every situation in a positive manner, and allow yourself to be solutions-based, rather than problem-focused. 

Reevaluate

Throughout the project, there will be times when things don't go to plan. Work can slip far behind schedule, and budgets can overrun. Try to get ahead of situations before they arise If you notice the signs of a stumbling block, ask what else can be done.
If there is a delay in receiving materials, can work begin on another part of the project? If a task is taking longer than expected, can people be moved from other jobs to help move things along? 

Constantly revisit your plan and ask yourself if it is still the correct course of action. Don't be afraid to change your mind. 

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