Office Moves

Set moving date

• Each person should pack his/her own office the day before the move.
• If new space requires remodel, ask for staff input on their work area requirements.
• Be sure you have sufficient electrical, telephone, and cable capabilities for current and future needs.

Notification of Move

• Advise current customers & vendors of upcoming move several weeks before the move. Give clients directions or maps to your new location. Update map and directions on firm web site, if applicable.
• Get a small red stamp that says, “Note new address.” Use this next to letterhead on all correspondence mailed for the first couple of months after the move.
• Have your receptionist incorporate a message regarding the move when answering phone calls.
• Change the recorded phone message for the office main number to include a notification of the new location.
• Change the email signatures and announce your move in red bold fonts.
• If your staff have direct phone lines, ask them to include a brief message about the new address in their voice mail messages.
• Order and be prepared to mail formal notices of the move as soon as the move is completed to:
  • Clients
  • Friends/family
  • Vendors
  • Government agencies
  • Post office and other package delivery services
  • Others you do business with
• Contact your telephone company. Do this as soon as you know you are moving because you want to be sure your new phones are installed by the time you move. Also, if using print advertising, you will need to be sure you meet the deadline for advertising in the next year’s phone book. If you must change your phone number, arrange for a referral message to be placed on your prior phone number. Check if automatic forwarding is available. Call your old phone number to ensure that your requested message or message and automatic call forward service is in place. This may not be the case if using VoIP systems.
• Notify the post office and arrange for forwarding of mail.
• Notify the insurance company of your new address and inquire if any riders are needed for the move.

Printing Needs

• Notify your bank and arrange for the printing of new checks.
• Arrange for new business cards to be printed. Also, letterhead, envelops, etc. if you don’t use computer-generated letterhead.
• Arrange for new signs on the door, building, etc.

Website

• Notify your website designer that your office will be moving as soon as you know you are moving to allow changes to be made to the website, including any hyperlinks to office location maps from mapping services.
• Notify any affinity group, membership organization, or marketing portal websites, such as Google and Bing that list your office address of your new address and phone number.

Preparing for Moving Furniture and Equipment

• Arrange for movers. Check references.
• Contact telephone company about installing new lines for phone, fax, Internet, etc. Arrange for this to be done well in advance of move or you may be in the new office with no phone access.
• Arrange with computer consultant to set up equipment/network at new location. Don’t plan computer upgrades to take place at time of move or you may find yourself without the use of your computers.
• Arrange with copier company to have the copier set up at the new location.
• Decide on the layout of furniture and equipment in new office. Measure spaces to ensure current furniture and equipment will fit. Be sure there is adequate space around equipment for repair people to make repairs.

The Actual Move

• Each person should pack her/his office.
• Label each box and label each drawer with a corresponding number. This way the morning after the move when you absolutely have to have something you know was kept in drawer “32,” you can go to box “32” and find it.