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There are many reasons for finding yourself in a position to want to move your business, from practical to financial considerations. It could be that you don’t own the property you are currently operating out of, and you need to move to a bought property to minimise your outgoings. On the other hand, you may have realised you are not in the optimum area for your business or that your manufacturing property is actually worth more in real estate.

Should any of these situations arise, you’re sure to find yourself faced with all of the challenges of moving an established business. This challenge doesn’t have to be a negative one however, with the right careful planning, you can present the move as an opportunity.

First of all, you need to investigate potential places to move to and you’re likely to want to employ the help of a property specialist, to ensure you make the right choice. Once you’ve established your new base, it’s a good idea to write a timeline to help you make sure you’re able to effectively organise all of the aspects of the move.

You’ll also need to very clearly split and apportion tasks to outside contractors and internal members of your team, ensuring all areas of responsibility have been covered. This is also a good time to investigate any permits or new types of insurance you may need to secure for your new premises. Shop around to ensure you find a reputable and trustworthy moving firm, and fill them in on all of your specific needs at the earliest possible date.

Be sure to pay several visits to your new building before the proposed moving date, and give your electrical or IT team plenty of time to create floor plans. This is the only way you can safely assume that all of your machinery and IT equipment will be quickly and easily accommodated after the move. You will also want to carry out an inventory of your current premises and work out how much of your assets need to come with you and which should be sold or stripped before moving.

Apply for new phone and fax numbers and organise an internet connection as a priority and ensure these will be operational prior to the move. This is crucial if you want your switchover to be as smooth as possible, as even a small amount of downtime can cost you dearly as a company.

Check that all other utilities will be ready for you, such as water and power supplies. Depending on the kind of building you move to and the nature of your business, you may also need to consider generator hire or installing water solutions to ensure your staff have everything they need.

Set up a trip to the new office for all of your staff, preferably before they start work there, to allow them to acclimatise to the new space and get rid of any feeling of uncertainty.

As an Urban Planner working for the last 5 years in small and big locations, I have understood one thing that in order to restore the aura of Ancient Indian cities that existed in past, it is appropriate to concentrate on sustainability in energy usage, transportation and city administration while implementing any new policies. So, my big concept for cities in 2012 is encouraging urban sustainability that would help in improving the plight of our cities. Lately we have seen a sudden upsurge of new cities encouraging new urbanism and sustainability but while building new cities we should not forget our close to 3,500 cities that requires immediate attention. I would specifically like to mention those cities that already existed and requires strong policy measures for sustainable development and its successful implementation.

Sustainability is not a recent fad in India; infact city planning started early- almost 4,500 years back, with the Indus valley Civilisation. The cities of Mohen jo Daro and Harappa were amongst the world’s earliest and most unique examples of urban design but unfortunately in modern India, development in towns and cities has somehow not kept pace with the sustainability and durability measures.

With globalization and increasing job opportunities in metropolitan as well as tier II and III cities, people from villages and small cities are tempted to migrate for better standard of living. Since, core areas in existing cities are already congested with no space for proposed housing, development authorities and private developers are building housing in suburban areas that leads to problems related to pollution and congestion from private vehicles commuting to core areas for work. Without adequate transportation facilities such as BRTS and TOD’s people rely on their private vehicles for transportation that can have significant impacts on the city’s environment. Vehicles account for between 20% and 25% of the world’s energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Thus while expanding our city limits to accommodate more people it is important to encourage sustainability in commuting systems by introducing BRTS, local rail system, pedestrian friendly walking, cycling, transit oriented development.

Energy usage in a sustainable manner is another focus area that can help in building sustainable cities. With depleting water and power resources it is important to encourage renewable power sources such as solar energy and wind energy to meet power requirements in residential and commercial buildings. In India many states have started giving incentives for developers promoting these technologies in their projects. Besides that, encouraging rainwater harvesting and efficient storm water management network also leads to sustainable development in cities.

In order to achieve all the above stated objectives, it is important for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs’) to strengthen their financial position by improving their efficiencies in order to ensure sustainability of infrastructure investments. We can build new cities by encroaching natural habitats but if we don’t make our city administration strong and effective it would be difficult to tread on the path of sustainability.

While planning for an Urban Sustainable city, it is critical to analyse proper urban planning and Urban Sustainability while proposing any new policy for development. The success of the urban sustainability depends mainly on efficient ULB’s and inclusive development with appropriate funding mechanism in place. A joint effort by the governments, civil society and the private sector and an impartial political interest with a national vision only can save the urban centres of India from the challenges associated with climate change and population impact.