As Sacramento area businesses rely more on technology and the internet, there are additional factors to consider before and during a business relocation to a new building.
Below is a list of vendor categories and several Sacramento area resources for your technology and non-technology relocation-related needs.
This information will help minimize disruption and maintain needed customer communication during a transition.
Technology Vendors
Infrastructure for voice and data is a primary consideration for many companies.
Doug Quiroz, a former commercial realtor and now president of American Surface Pros in Sacramento, California, told us:
“Be sure to think about telephone and internet service early in the relocation process. Often, people wait too long and scramble to get their business’s voice and data communications set up. Partnering up with a solid vendor on these fronts is essential.”
Telephone System
If you use a traditional, in-house telephone system, a pending move is an excellent time to consider a hosted VoIP system.
You can port your existing landline phone numbers to a VoIP provider even if you’re relocating outside the 916 service area.
If your business already has a VoIP system, relocating the phone system will be a relatively simple component of your move. With sufficient internet bandwidth, employee VoIP phones will be ‘plug and play’ at the new location.
Cabling & Electrical
Ensure every workstation in your new office has an electrical outlet and a network ethernet jack. Wi-Fi can be sufficient for employees’ data needs, but they will need a jack to plug in their VoIP phones.
If there’s only a single ethernet cable to a remote part of the new office space, a data switch can split the cable feed to serve multiple employees.
Moving a legacy (non-IP-based) telephone system to the new location requires individual runs of twisted pair copper wire to each workstation.
Internet Service
Ensure that the building you are moving to has cable or fiber internet service sufficient for your bandwidth requirements.
If your internet connection is mission critical, which is the case for most companies, determine if multiple internet service providers (ISPs) offer service to the building.
You can combine internet service from two providers into a single router. This gives you the combined bandwidth plus an automatic failover if one connection goes down.
Servers and Network Equipment
The server room or area in the new office space should first be evaluated for ventilation, AC power, cabling, and equipment positioning.
An internal or qualified third-party IT services team can power down the servers and network gear, remove them from racks, and prepare them for transport.
The equipment must be configured, reconnected, and powered up at the new location.
Relocating your business may be an opportunity to eliminate in-office servers and move the applications they serve into a private cloud.
Security Systems
If you have a security system or plan to get one, contact a security system supplier such as Signal Service.
You may also want to consider a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system at your business’s new location.
Audio Video
Decide whether to use a projector or a big-screen TV in your conference or training rooms. Each has pros and cons.
A high-resolution projector can produce a larger image than a TV. However, people and items can block the image without a ceiling-mounted projector. Projector bulbs eventually fail and are expensive to replace.
AVI-SPL, which provides AV solutions, has a Sacramento office.
Mobile Phone Service
Your employees may subscribe to various mobile carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
Sometimes, cell tower service to a new business location can be unexpectedly weak for one or more carriers.
Since the carriers support Wi-Fi calling on recent model phones, strong Wi-Fi coverage within the new office space can supplement a weak carrier signal.
Non-Technology Vendors
Several non-technology vendors should be hired for and notified of your business relocation.
Moving Company
A company like Chipman Relocation & Logistics can help move your office or warehouse. They can handle packing, transportation, unpacking, and other relocation services.
Space Planning & Furniture Installation
There are multiple office furniture options. You can reuse or repurpose existing furniture. You can purchase new or refurbished furniture.
Creative Office, a professional Rancho Cordova-based commercial furniture company, can help with space planning and furniture needs.
Plant Watering
Depending on how far you are moving, you may need a new plant watering service.
Vending Machines
A Sacramento-based vending company like Liberty Vending can help with your coffee, drink, and snack machines.
Couriers
Be sure to notify couriers such as the USPS, UPS, and FedEx about your new address.
Organizing Vendors and Other Lists of Moving Tasks
Trello is an excellent application for organizing, coordinating, and assigning tasks when relocating a business.
The vendor offers a free multi-user subscription option, allowing coordination among people involved in planning and executing the relocation.
Here’s a link to a public Trello board we created using a moving checklist put together by Subbath.com.
Miro is a good app for creating a custom timeline.
