Moving offices or expanding can be stressful. There’s a lot to remember, particularly if you’ve been established a long time in your current premises. It can be tricky to keep up with it all, which makes it all the more important that you start planning as soon as you know that you’re on the move: the sooner the better! Start with the basics, like redirecting your post, furnishing your new space, sorting the utilities and making sure that everyone in the team is on board with the move. Who has a key? Do you know how to open and lock up? Who do you contact in an emergency? How is parking going to be allocated?
When you know that the practicalities are dealt with, it’s time to look at making your move go as smoothly as possible. If you know how to take advantage of the situation and save a little time, money or hassle, so much the better. Start with your broadband. Since you’re moving offices, you might want to move broadband providers. Here’s what you need to consider before you make the leap.
Best to switch?
Find out if you’re still within the terms of your minimum contract: it might be 12 or 18 months, which will have enabled you to get a better deal. If you’re still only part way through and you’re getting a good deal, you might decide to stay with your provider: switching will almost certainly mean paying out the rest of your contract (line rental and all!) and sometimes also a penalty charge for breaking your contract early. Check out the facts if you’re not sure.
If you’re still thinking of switching, make sure you contact your broadband provider first, and tell them why you’re considering leaving: they might offer you a solution, or even a better deal! Find out how the service will be in your new location: you might see a significant bump in speed… or a significant slow-down. It’s also worth making sure that changing locations won’t mean that your contract term starts again: if it is, you lose nothing by switching. Do the maths: what will it cost you to stay, and over how long? What will it cost you to switch to the cheapest realistic alternative?
Getting better
Even if you did your research thoroughly when you chose your broadband provider, don’t think you know it all! It’s worth considering that you might have better options at your new location. If your provider has its own dedicated servers nearby you might find you’re in their sweet spot, or low-cost network area. Alternatively, you might find yourself in a high competition urban area where providers compete to give you a good deal: all money in your pocket. You might be moving out of- or into- an area where fibre-optic broadband is available, which is more expensive but much faster, and often more reliable. The longer you spend doing your homework, the better off you’ll be. If the work looks daunting, delegate: incentivise younger team members to sharpen their research skills and find the best deal on broadband for the office.
Author bio
The author is a tech and web blogger with a day-job in IT, who writes about the internet, office politics and living online. She uses the Chess Telecom website to price up UK broadband and find deals.
