A Week-by-Week Plan for Relocating a Small Business in Staffordshire
For a small business, moving premises is a big moment. There is no dedicated facilities team, the owner is usually juggling the move alongside day-to-day work, and every hour of disruption costs money. Breaking the relocation into stages makes it far more manageable.
Three months out: confirm the basics
Once the new lease is agreed, check your notice period on the old premises and any obligations to redecorate or repair before you leave. Measure the new space and sketch a rough layout showing where desks, storage and equipment will go. This is also the time to appoint one person to coordinate the move, even if it is only part of their job.
Contact your broadband and phone providers straight away. Installing lines at a new address can take longer than most people expect, and a business without internet on its first morning is effectively closed.
Eight weeks out: bring in a remover
Commercial moves need more preparation than house moves, and good removers book up. Arrange surveys from two or three firms so you can compare their approach as well as their quotes. A proper survey should look at access at both buildings, the amount of furniture and equipment, and anything that needs specialist handling.
In Staffordshire, Evans Removals, based at Hixon near Stafford, carries out a pre-move survey for business relocations and draws up a bespoke plan alongside the office or facilities manager. Its service covers IT equipment such as computers, servers and printers, furniture dismantling, and labelling and inventory, with evening, overnight and weekend moves to keep disruption down. For anyone planning commercial moves in Staffordshire, the company recommends booking six to eight weeks ahead.
Six weeks out: tell people and order supplies
Draw up a list of everyone who needs your new address: clients, suppliers, your bank, HMRC, Companies House, insurers and any trade bodies. Order new stationery and plan updates to your website, email signatures and online business listings so they can go live on moving day.
Talk to your team as well. Staff will want to know about parking, travel times and what the new workspace will look like. Involving them early tends to reduce anxiety and gives you useful practical input.
Four weeks out: declutter and start packing
Use the move as a chance to clear out. Old paperwork, broken chairs and obsolete equipment cost money to move and take up space at the other end. Dispose of confidential documents securely and recycle electrical items responsibly.
Begin packing anything not needed day to day, such as reference files, archive boxes and spare stock. Label each box with its destination room or zone in the new premises, matching the layout plan you drew earlier.
The final fortnight: fine detail
In the last two weeks, the focus shifts to keeping the business running while the move closes in. Useful tasks include:
- backing up all computer data and confirming who will disconnect and reconnect equipment;
- confirming access, keys, alarm codes and parking at both buildings;
- asking each person to pack and label their own desk the day before;
- arranging for phones to divert to mobiles during the move if needed;
- preparing an essentials box with kettle, mugs, cables, cleaning supplies and toilet roll.
Moving day and the week after
On the day, have your coordinator at the new premises directing furniture and boxes to the right places, ideally with a copy of the layout plan taped to each door. Check that internet, phones and key equipment work before staff arrive for their first full day.
In the week after, walk round the old premises to confirm nothing has been left behind, take meter readings and photographs, and return the keys. Then gather feedback from staff and fix small issues such as missing shelves or awkward desk positions while they are still fresh.
A small business relocation does not need to be chaotic. Start early, book your remover in good time, keep everyone informed and work through each stage in order. You will arrive in your new premises ready to carry on trading.