Moving your business premises can be a complicated matter; there are so many factors that you need to take into consideration. First and most important is the decision that you make when looking for new premises, as location can be crucial to success. Then there is the actual moving process and afterwards, of course, the actual settling in to your new surroundings. There can be many things that you need to consider, and this is especially true when you have a manufacturing business, in these instances choosing new premises can make it much harder than just simply moving from one office space to another.
Location
The location of your new premises will always play an important factor in your final decision. If you are in the manufacturing industry, whatever your end product is then you will want to consider the accessibility of your new location. It is important that all of your suppliers are able to get to your new premises easily to deliver everything you need to continue manufacturing, but it is equally important that you are easily accessible for any distribution of end product that you may need. Not being able to get your product out onto the market easily due to any problems that you encounter with accessibility could affect your business and therefore your profits.
Previous Use Of Premise
It will depend entirely on what the premises were used for before as to how easy it will be to move in and how much work you will need to do to make it suitable. Obviously, you will need to make sure that everything you do complies with all the appropriate Food Standards Agency (FSA) regulations o that you don’t fall foul of the law.
Hygiene
In is a requirement under the law that the layout of any food premises should:
· Allow or the easy cleaning or disinfecting of the premises
· Protect against any build-up of dirt, prevent any dirt from getting into food and also prevent condensation and mould on surfaces
· Allow good food hygiene practises to occur
· Prevent pests from gaining access and living in the premises
· When appropriate ensure that you can keep food hot or cold, during preparation, storage and if being sold.
You will need to make sure that there is sufficient room to move any machinery and furniture around to allow for thorough cleaning of your premises on a very regular basis, any gas appliances should be installed using flexible hoses to help with this. You will also need to provide adequate lighting and ventilation as well as the appropriate number of sinks; if you are not using a dishwasher then at least two sinks for utensils, a further one for the preparation of raw meat and another for things like fruit and vegetables. If that isn’t enough you will also need to provide hand washing basins near to any food preparation areas, all of which should be clearly labelled.
Defined Areas
It is very important to make sure the areas within your food manufacturing business are clearly defined to prevent any issues. Where appropriate use PVC strip curtains, as they can provide you with an effective temperature control as well as offering a barrier against noise and pollution and even work as a form of pest control. PVC strip is anti mould and fungi and can even kill bacteria making it the perfect choice of plastic door curtain in any food preparation areas. PVC roll is also a good alternative to use as a partition between areas and as a barrier against noise and air pollution.
Considering all the above when moving into your new business premises is sure to set you off on the right foot in your new location.
