Things to do Before the Move
Set your moving date well in advance and inform all of your staff.
Click on the links below to navigate this web page:
- Packing yourself
- Using our packing services
- Notifying your clients
- Contacting your phone company
- Informing your webmaster / web designer
- Moving office furniture / equipment
If you have chosen to pack your own office:
Make sure to provide each staff member with sufficient packing materials well ahead of the date so they may begin the process of packing their workspaces right away. They will require plenty of moving bins, banker’s boxes, and labels.
Send out a memo informing them of the correct packing procedures. Make sure they tag all moving boxes, bins, and labels appropriately as well as any equipment in their workstation/office such as CPUs, Monitors, etc.
If you have chosen to use our packing services:
Make sure to schedule the packing date appropriately. Depending on the size of your office and the number of workstations/offices involved we recommend packing be completed the day before the move or sometimes on the moving day itself. This ensures your employees have access to their files, computers, and workspaces right up until the move and avoids any downtime/loss of productivity.
- If your new office space requires renovations or new systems/furniture, make sure you have consulted your staff regarding their needs for their new work areas.
- Make sure that the new office space has sufficient infrastructure for both your current and future needs. Now is a great time to ensure all electrical/telephone wiring, and cabling throughout the space has sufficient capacity for expansion and addition of workspaces in the future.
Notification of your upcoming office move
Send an email out to all current clients informing them of the upcoming change of address. Alternatively, a courtesy call can be placed as well. If necessary provide your clients with directions or a map to your new location. If your company has a website, upload an updated map and directions to your new office.
- Get a small red stamp or print labels that say: “Note the new address.” Use this next to your company’s letterhead on any mail or written correspondence for the first couple of months after the move. Most people use addresses/contact info from an electronic or computerized address book and may not make the change when they receive notification of your move.
- Have your receptionist inform all clients/suppliers/etc. of the upcoming move when answering phone calls.
- Make sure to add a notification of the move and new address to the recorded voicemail greeting for your main number.
- If any staff have direct phone lines, make sure they include a brief message about the new address in their greetings as well.
- Notify your suppliers/utility companies, etc. of the upcoming move as well and make arrangements to transfer all accounts to the new address.
Contact your telephone company
Do this as soon as you know you are moving. Make this your first phone call to ensure your new phone lines/systems will be installed and ready to use by the time you move. This is also an opportunity to make sure you meet the deadline for advertising in the following year’s phone book. If you are changing your phone number, arrange to have referral message to be placed on your prior phone number, or have the number forwarded automatically if possible. It is also a good idea to call your old phone number to ensure your requested message/automatic forwarding service is in place.
- Notify Canada Post of the upcoming move/address change and arrange for forwarding of mail.
- Notify your insurance company of the new address.
- Update printed materials.
- Call your bank to order new cheques with the updated address info.
- Arrange to have new business cards printed up. If you do not use computer-generated letterhead, also arrange to have new envelopes, notepads, etc. printed up with the updated information.
- Arrange to update all signage on the new property including street signs and directories if you are located in a complex with other businesses.
- Update your company’s website.
Contact your webmaster/web designer and inform them of the upcoming move.
This should be your second phone call after the phone company. They will need some lead time in order to update your website and the changes should include any links to mapping services such as google or mapquest that link to office location maps.
- Notify any other websites/referral partners/online advertising sites that list your company information of the changes so that your clients are not finding outdated information on the web about your company.
Preparing to move systems , furniture and office equipment
- Make sure your move has been booked and you have corresponded in depth with one of our moving coordinators regarding the details of your move.
- Make sure your telephone company is on schedule to install all telephone, fax, and internet lines well in advance of the move. Make sure these lines have been tested and are operational, and that sufficient wiring/cabling has been provided to outfit all workstations/offices with the appropriate connections.
- Coordinate with your IT department or a computer consultant to ensure your server and network equipment are properly set up in the new location. It is a good idea to avoid scheduling any upgrades to your system at this time as you want to eliminate the possibility of entering your new office space without a functioning computer network.
- Arrange with your IT department or copier company to have your printers/copiers properly set up at the new location.
- Design the layout of all furniture and office equipment in your new space and create a floor plan that will be followed by the movers, installers, utility companies and employees. It is important to verify all measurements in the new space and to create a floor plan that allows adequate space around equipment for repair people to make repairs.
Tips for the actual move
Create a numbering system for all workstations that is clear and corresponds with the floor plan.
Ensure each employee has completely packed their space before moving day and properly labeled all bins, boxes, and workstation/office equipment. This includes things like chairs, desks, floor protectors, filing cabinets etc. This will ensure each employee is comfortable in their new space and avoids the need to adjust chairs, re-configure computer monitors, organize their files for new cabinet drawers, etc. If you have hired our packers to complete packing make sure you have provided them with an accurate floor plan that clearly lays out the numbering system you have created.
When labeling moving boxes make sure to label each corresponding drawer/shelf the contents of the box came from. This helps ensure information is immediately accessible in the new space. E.g. If you have taken files from the top drawer of a filing cabinet, you might label the drawer “#47”. When you need a file that you remember was kept in “Drawer #47” you can simply locate “box #47” and find the information you need.
Call us today to book a free on-site estimate anywhere in Toronto or the GTA, and let us start you on the way to a hassle-free office move! You can reach our operator at: (647) 497-7747
