#1 Transfer Utilities Before Move In Day
That old saying that the devil is in the details is so true! Jerry and I had planned to move in starting at 7am. We found out on move in day that the electricity was turned off by the previous tenant. That meant there were no lights and air conditioning. We had to re-group and get over to the electric company to get the power converted to our name before we could begin move in. That took a day out of our schedule and brings me to #2.
We planned for the increase in rent and utilities. The other expenses such as deposits for utility conversion, lock changes, a new security system, internet access, and shelving were an after thought that certainly impacts the bottom line for the year. Moving really is a project to manage and there needs to be a timeline, budget, etc. We did save a tremendous amount of money on security and internet upgrade and installation labor. Our friends with expertise in that area volunteered to get everything set up for us during the move.
Jerry and I both can get so focused on managing a project that we forget to take care of ourselves and each other. If we are getting short tempered it usually means we are hungry or tired. We were blessed with friends and some fellow congregants from our church that volunteered to help with painting and moving through out the week. I tried to make sure we all had breaks and were fed and hydrated. Sometimes we fixed the meals; and sometimes we went out to eat. One evening, Jerry, David and I took a break and went to Hunting Island State Park and sat on the beach in zero gravity chairs. We watched the Pelicans and Dolphins while the sun was setting. It was a relaxing moment in a week filled with unexpected challenges.
I can be a little bit like the Rabbit character in Winnie the Pooh at times. I don't really like moving or unexpected challenges that inevitable come up during a major project. I realized about day two that I needed to change my mindset and experience the move as part of that exciting adventure of Being Married and having a small business to raise.
We did not take photos of the organization of the inventory before disassembly for the move. We had to rely on our memory of the organization of the inventory when reassembling the shelves in the new space.
Fortunately, I did remember to take a few photos of our friends that volunteered their time and expertise to help us move. I am so thankful for the gift of wonderful friends that rallied around to support and help us during the move of our small business.
If you have had experience with moving a small business, we'd love to read about it. Any challenges? Any similarities or differences in your move experience from ours? Anything you noticed that was different with your business after you made the move? It's your turn to comment below.