Whether you enlist the help of a program, project or construction management team or handle your business move in-house, one thing is a must: stay organized.
Download our free Business Move Checklist and Business Move Coordination Tasks here to keep organized and make sure your company doesn’t miss a beat when it comes time for this exciting but challenging time in every business’ evolution.
When it comes time to make a new home for your company, be sure to have this helpful resource at your finger tips.
Business Move Checklist
- Select a move committee. This is typically made of representatives from IT, HR, Operations and other interested and qualified people.
- Establish a preliminary relocation budget.
- Determine whether the move warrants hiring a third-party move management consultant. If so, interview and hire third-party partner.
- Coordinate moving of servers with IT provider/support.
- Contact telecommunications/data provider to schedule a cut-over date.
- Contact telephone provider to get new numbers or move existing.
- Order data circuits and/or specialty circuits (check for lead times).
- Order phone lines for elevator, security and any other item that may require a phone line.
- Confirm your long distance carrier or change it.
- Determine if any equipment requires specialized or approved vendors to move it. This could include copiers, lab equipment, certain electronics or manufacturing equipment.
- Check existing lease for restoration requirements/conditions for returning current space to landlord.
- Reserve the building elevator (existing for move out, new for move in).
- Order keys from the building.
- Contact the building to confirm locations of signage.
- Hire signage vendor to plan, get approval for, and install new signage.
- Obtain a qualified mover by interviewing 2-4 companies, depending on the size of job.
- Order new letterhead, business cards, forms, and other printed marketing materials.
- Coordinate updates to your website, email signatures, and any place else where your address appears so they can be implemented on the day of your move.
- Notify your clients of change of address.
- Contact the post office for change of address.
- Contact your bank for change of address.
- Notify vendors of change of address (coffee service, vending machines, etc.).
- Contact the IRS for change of address.
- Change address with any publications that are delivered to office.
- Notify insurance carrier of change of address and new office’s requirements. Obtain certificates of insurance for the landlord, and any entities required by the lease.
- Contact the Franchise Tax Board for change of address.
- Contact the Employment Development Department for change of address.
- Contact the Secretary of State for change of address.
Business Move Coordination Tasks
2 Months Prior to Move:
- Coordinate with IT on server move, desktop, and PBX timelines.
- Assemble ‘Move Team’ with each department having a ‘Move Liaison’.
- Schedule weekly move coordination meetings – prepare and distribute weekly minutes & schedules.
- Review & define areas of responsibility
- Move sequencing/timeline preparation
- Collect all furniture layout plans from employees for their new spaces.
- Common areas (coffee/break rooms, copy rooms, etc.)
- De-installation & installation responsibilities – coordination of timing
- Prepare lab equipment ID matrix of all equipment moving (if applicable) – check/review special equipment installation compatibility/requirements (coordinate with users).
- Develop preliminary move schedule.
1 Month Prior to Move:
- Assign move numbers/labeling/tagging scheme – prepare floor plans/layouts.
- Create employee move packets and instructions on how to move.
- Prepare agenda for employee move orientation meeting.
- Create public relations campaign with press releases to highlight new location and/or office-warming party.
- Secure off-site storage location for old files
- Discuss and agree on move insurance needs with company.
- Modify new space to meet equipment demands as necessary (coordinate with users).
- Determine security procedures for the move.
- Coordinate to add your listing to lobby directory at new site
- Fine tune move schedule.
2 Weeks Prior to Move:
- Finalize move schedule.
- Hold employee move orientation meeting.
- Distribute employee move packets.
- Schedule packing material and label delivery.
- Prepare employee welcome packet to the new space (restrooms, gyms, break rooms, copy rooms, etc.).
- Move team preparation for move – channels for communication, change requests, etc.
- Schedule move day on site help.
- Create a list of emergency contacts, cell phone numbers, and vendors that includes moving company, building management, utilities, telecommunications, etc.
- Identify ‘lost and found’ at both origin and destination.
- Identify move command central – for mover and employee inquiries.
- Select cleaning vendor for post-move.
Move Week:
- Schedule additional packing material and label delivery.
- Tag and label destination site – room numbering and equipment IDs.
- Mount ‘You are here’ floor plans and color-coding instructions.
- Schedule training for all emergency procedures at new location.
- Distribute contact lists for emergency/on site/on call lists.
- Review and finalize all move sequences/schedules – distribute to move team.
- Prep building for move – surface protection, corner guards, etc.
- Distribute new security ID cardkey entry badges.
- As close as possible to moving day – change locks and access codes at new location.
Move Day(s):
- Assign origin and destination move liaisons.
- On site help to coordinate move related questions, etc.
- Complete job walk each day of move of schedule/completion/damage, etc.
- Prepare ‘honey-do’ lists.
- Allocate keys and/or access cards for new location.
- Distribute employee welcome packets at their new destinations.
Post Move Support:
- Move central command post – support employee inquiries, lost & found, honey-do lists, etc.
- Dispatch appropriate team(s) for post move support – hang white boards, equipment fit up, etc.
- Collect all access items including security cards, keys and parking passes for old location and confirm return of deposits held by landlord for items.
- Survey for damage – prepare and submit reports.
- Distribute new contact list and layout of department locations.
- Prepare move punch list and action items – coordinate with appropriate contractors, etc.
- Review final invoices against contracts.