Join
Connect With Us
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
TM
Loading
Advertisement
BUSINESS/FINANCE/MONEY
Facebook
 | ||||
to review it and update it for any changes.
Use a spiral notebook or create a spreadsheet that you can print and carry with you.
Computer Equipment
Do you have a desktop, laptop, printer, camera, or any other technical equipment in your home office? Make sure to take note of their description, serial numbers and take a picture of each item separately.
In case anything happens during the move, you'll have a record and a picture of proof that you own the item in question.
Product Inventory
Depending on the type of home business you run, you may or may not have products on hand. If you do, take inventory of all your products and their descriptions including size of the item.
When you unpack the boxes, you'll be able to verify exactly what you had before the move.
One Month Before - Time to Purge
The rest falls into the 'other' category. These are things like books, office supplies, marketing materials, business or trade publications. Now is purge time to get rid of anything that is not necessary.
I know I'm guilty of letting business magazines pile up. I have great intentions of going through them to keep the articles I want, and most times, I never do.
Magazines more than 2 months old get tossed. If you haven't looked through them yet, briefly flip through its contents. Tear out the 'must-have' article and recycle the rest.
The same with office supplies... pens that ran out of ink, old brochures or catalogs, out they go.
You can do it; I know you can!
Two Weeks Before the Big Day
About two weeks before the big day, it's time to start packing up items that are not necessary to running your business on a daily basis.
This includes your books, manuals, any ebooks that you may have printed, or unused office supplies.
Smaller tasks spread out over time won't seem as daunting. The last thing you want to do is walk into your home office a few days before packing day and cringe at the task ahead.
If the Army is going to do your physical packing of boxes for you, there may be some you'll want to take with you (computer equipment or a laptop, for example) that don't get packed.
Make sure to keep these items off to the side and marked appropriately.
Clients and the Mail
About a month before you move is a good time to let your clients know that you will be relocating. Personally, for something like a PCS move, I would not send an email. Email is a great tool for quick communication; however, it is too impersonal for something like this.
Your clients and customers need the reassurance from you that they will be taken care of even though you are moving.
Send them a thank you card. This will show appreciation for their continued business. Include a brief few sentences about your upcoming move and let them know that they can still contact you regardless.
Forward Your Business Mail
If you know your new business address at your new location, make sure to notify your current post office to forward your business mail, too.
You don't want to miss or delay any checks or important information!
Three Days Before - Back Up Your Stuff
If you do not have a backup system in place for your computer(s), consider purchasing a portable hard drive or using an online backup service such as Carbonite.
Making backups isn't hard to do and it is crucial to your home business. There is nothing more catastrophic to your business than losing your data and not having a backup.
We use both the Carbonite service (www.Carbonite.com) and a portable drive called "I/O Magic". The I/O Magic drive is not much larger than a deck of cards, which is very convenient to take along and has plenty of hard drive space for most home businesses.
Packing up and moving your home business when you PCS doesn't have to be a big project. Take things in little steps, start early and your business will have little interruption while you're relocating to your new duty station.
You've Arrived!
Once you've arrived at your new location, your household goods have been delivered and unpacked, do a cross-check of your home office to make sure everything arrived safely and notify your clients that you're back up and running.
About the Author:
Patty Gale is a proud Army parent and former Army spouse who, in 2001, turned in her suits, heels and briefcase to work from home. Visit her on www.PattyGale.com to learn more about her passion for helping families start and run a successful home business.
Advertisement
Advertisement
...coming...
Getting your home organized and ready to pack when you PCS is stressful. If you run a home business, packing up your home office may seem like a daunting task. It doesn't have to be if you use our checklist.
Two Months Before - Take Inventory
Before it gets too crazy, take inventory of your home office approximately two months prior to your move date. If you already have an inventory checklist, from a prior move, now is a good time
PCS Packing Tips for Your Home Business
by Patty Gale, posted April 2010
Patty Gale
Contributor
Business/Home Based Biz
patty@pattygale.com
Archives: Business Tips/News
