Moving can be a painful experience.

Yes, it is easy to get caught up in the fun and excitement of moving.  But there is also all the little details necessary to make that move successful that are often overlooked.

I know.  You remember the big things.  Change of address cards.  Terminating your old lease and signing a new one.  Boxing up files and scheduling movers.

But what about the little things?  A few which might be critical to the longevity of your business.

Here’s a few things to add to that already long list.

• Update your phone number and address on your letterhead, business cards, and website.
• Notifying your customers and suppliers of your new contact information and location.
• Determining if you’ll be ready for business at the new location on day one…or if you’ll have a transition period where you’re not open.
• If there is downtime, what will that cost you and how will you cash flow it.
• If you’re in an office environment maybe you have an office copier lease and maintenance contract that needs to be updated – and maybe you need a different rep at the new location.
• Same with water and coffee services, office cleaning services, etc.  And they might not even service you there.
• Are any employees impacted?  And will you likely lose any due to increased commute distances?  Are there work-from-home options you might consider with a few impacted staff members?
• How are you handling any office wiring and server and internet connections?  What about office phone setup?  How is that all being coordinated?  Will there be any downtime?
• What’s the parking situation at the new location?  How does that impact things?

I’m sure I could go on with more to add to the list.  But I think you get a sense of the enormity of a move.

Moves should be carefully planned in advance.

And backup plans for each key item should be in place as well.  You rarely see things go perfectly smoothly.  But you don’t always know in advance what the specific issue will be.  You need to be prepared for it all.

Also expect the cost to be more than you anticipated and the time to complete the move and get fully operational to be longer than what you figured out in your initial planning.  It just comes down to not being able to know everything.  Shoot, yesterday I moved from one apartment to another.  And even though I got a truck one size larger than what the website said I needed, I still had extra that couldn’t be jammed into the truck any more.

You’ll find the same thing when you move.  Stuff will expand.  You’ll find things you completely forgot you had.  And that will add to the complexity of your move situation.

So this Memorial Day weekend, as you move your business or plan for an upcoming move, make you you do your homework.  And prepare accordingly.  Good luck!