IT HELP & GUIDES

Small Business Office Move IT Checklist

The desks can arrive on time and the office can still be unable to work. Check the internet, phones, files, and printers before you commit to a reopening date.

Moving office is a chance to tidy up the technology, but it also brings several suppliers into the same job. Someone needs to keep track of what depends on what. Use this checklist to organize the IT side of a small business move.

Confirm the connection before the move

Ask the internet provider whether the service is available at the new address, where it will enter the building, and when installation can be completed. An existing socket does not tell you that the connection is active or suitable for your business.

Confirm landlord access, any building permissions, the location of the network equipment, and the responsibilities of the provider and cabling contractor. Put the important dates and contacts in one place.

List the equipment that has to work

• Internet equipment, firewall, switches, and Wi-Fi access points.
• Computers, monitors, printers, scanners, and desk phones.
• File servers, domain controllers, application servers, and backup equipment.
• Label printers, including Zebra devices, and the software that sends their jobs.
• Any existing camera or NVR connections included in the move.

Record the purpose and destination of each item. Label cables and ports while the equipment is still connected. Photographing a rack can help with the handover, provided the images are kept securely and do not expose passwords or other sensitive details.

Walk through the new layout

Check where staff will sit, where printers belong, and which devices need a wired connection. A switch needs enough usable ports; a Wi-Fi access point needs a suitable location and connection. Confirm power and ventilation for equipment that will run continuously.

For phones, confirm number transfer or service changes with the provider. Check how desk phones and any mobile applications will connect, including voicemail and call routing.

Protect the data before equipment moves

Review the backup status of the systems being moved and confirm how important data could be restored. Know who will shut down and transport servers, who will reconnect them, and who can make administrative changes if something does not start as expected.

If a server supports a business application or shared files, ask the people responsible for that work to help define the test. Seeing a server power on is not the same as confirming the office can use it.

Plan for the period between locations

Agree when work stops at the old office and when staff can expect to use the new one. If remote work or a temporary connection is part of the plan, check it beforehand and agree what it can support. Keep a contact list for the internet, phone, software, and IT providers.

Test a normal working day

• Sign in to a staff computer and open the required applications.
• Send and receive business email with an agreed test recipient.
• Open the appropriate shared files and test approved remote access.
• Print and scan through the office’s normal workflow.
• Print a sample label through the application, not only the printer’s test menu.
• Check incoming and outgoing phone calls, voicemail, and a Teams call if used.
• Confirm backups have resumed and assigned systems are recording as expected.

Record any unfinished work, who owns it, and the next action. Keep the updated equipment and network documentation after the move.

For help planning and carrying out the work, see our office IT setup and relocation service and business network support.