The lifting gets all the attention. The admin is what quietly causes problems three months later, when a cheque arrives at an address you left in spring.
Here’s the full list, in the order it makes sense to do it.
Start early: the ones with lead times
Broadband and phone providers. First on the list, every time. New connections can take weeks, and there’s no polite way to run a business without them.
Your landlord or letting agent — at both ends. Check your notice period and what state the old space needs to be left in.
Insurers. Your business insurance is tied to your premises. Tell them before you move, not after.
The official ones
Companies House — if your registered office is changing, this needs updating.
HMRC — for VAT, PAYE and corporation tax records.
Your bank, and any lenders or finance agreements.
Licensing or regulatory bodies, if your trade has them.
Customers and suppliers
Customers first. A short, friendly email a few weeks out, and a reminder the week of the move. Tell them the date, the new address, and — most importantly — whether anything changes for them. Usually the answer is “nothing does,” and that’s exactly what they want to hear.
Suppliers and anyone who delivers to you. Couriers, stationery, coffee, cleaning, waste collection, IT support.
Anyone with a recurring order. These are the ones that keep arriving at the old address for months.
The digital ones people forget
This is where most businesses lose out, because these directly affect whether new customers can find you.
- Google Business Profile — update the address as soon as you move. This one matters for local search
- Your website — footer, contact page, and any location pages
- Google Maps and Apple Maps
- Social media profiles
- Online directories and review sites
- Email signatures — everyone’s, not just yours
- Invoice and letterhead templates
- Business cards and printed materials
The practical safety net
Set up a Royal Mail redirect. Whatever you’ve forgotten, this catches it. It’s the cheapest insurance in the whole move.
Update your address on any subscriptions — software, memberships, trade bodies.
Tell the utilities at both ends, and take meter readings on the day at both properties. Photograph them.
A simple way to run it
Make one spreadsheet, three columns: who, contacted (date), confirmed. Assign it to one person. Nobody else needs to think about it.
It’s the least exciting hour of your office move and it saves more hassle than almost anything else on the list.
FAQ
Who do I legally need to tell when my business moves? If your registered office is changing, Companies House and HMRC need updating, along with your bank, insurers and any regulatory bodies for your trade.
Does moving office affect my Google ranking? Your address is a local search signal, so update your Google Business Profile and website promptly. Leaving an old address live can affect how customers find you.
How long before the move should I tell customers? A few weeks’ notice, with a reminder the week of the move. Keep it short and reassure them nothing changes for them.