Plan the timing
- Pick a weekend or a holiday if you can, so work does not stop for long. Check the building rules, because some buildings only allow moves at certain times and may need the lift booked.
- Get the new office ready before moving day: power points, internet connection, cleaning, keys and parking space for the vehicle.
- Tell staff, clients and suppliers your new address and the date well in advance, and update it on your website and map listing.
Computers, files and equipment
- Make a backup of important data before the move, and keep that backup with you, not in the truck.
- Take a photo of how cables are connected behind each computer, then label each cable and each machine with the desk it belongs to.
- Pack files in numbered boxes with a simple list of what is in each. Keep confidential papers in sealed boxes and send them with a trusted member of staff.
- Printers, servers and air-conditioners need careful handling and, for AC and electrical items, a trained person to disconnect and refit them. Don't pull out live cables yourself.
Moving day
- Mark each desk and room in the new office with the same labels used on the boxes, so the team can put everything down in the right place straight away.
- Have one person from your office on both ends, with a copy of the plan, to answer questions.
- After the move, check that the internet, power, phones and computers work before staff come back, and report any damage the same day.