You’ve worked hard to ensure the success of your SME, and now you find you’ve outgrown the facilities that gave you your start. Or perhaps you’ve discovered a new location that offers something more to propel your business toward success. Whatever your reasons, many entrepreneurs find themselves in a position at some point to relocate their office to a more suitable location. Making this move can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to overwhelm you. If you’ve considered relocating, or if you’ve already found the new space you need, take a minute to look over this relocation checklist to make sure your move is a seamless success.
1. Set a hard move-in date
Making a move with minimal operational disruption requires careful planning, so it’s important to have a firm date to work around.
2. Make the announcement to your customers and partners
Once you have an exact move-in date, disclosing your move to your customers should be your next step. Whether you communicate this to them by email, through regular mail or on your website will depend on how you conduct business. To be thorough, alert them through more than one method and make sure to send a reminder when your move-in date gets closer. You can even use this as an opportunity to market your business by explaining to your customers how this move will positively impact their business with you.
3. Arrange any utility changes
Contact any utilities in advance to set up appointments to switch your service to the new location. This can include electricity, internet and phone service. In some cases, you may be able to handle this over the phone, but some companies may require a technician to make the switch at the new location. Make sure to set any appointments for service connection ahead of your actual move-in date.
4. Update your contact information
When you are ready to begin receiving mail at the new location, make sure to put in a change of address and update all your contact information. This means replacing any business cards or stationery with updated versions, adjusting your marketing materials, updating your website and confirming that search engines all have your new information. Make sure to update any shipping partners you work with as well.
5. Back up your on-site files
Backups are a good idea before moving computers to the new location. No matter how careful you are, there’s always the potential that something will be lost. Make sure you have the ability to recover any deleted or corrupted files.
6. Celebrate the move
To show appreciation for current customers and welcome new ones, throw an event to celebrate your new location. This can be as elaborate or as simple as you like; just make sure to focus on the improvements the future holds for your SME.
Before you’ve completed your move, take this opportunity to reassess your technology needs. To learn about your options and potential needs, contact one of EIRE Systems‘ small-to-medium enterprise IT support specialists today.
