Are you moving and more importantly are you ready?

Your company is growing and it's time to get office space. You've checked the lease and reviewed your monthly payments and are all set!

Or are you?

There are many hidden costs to moving from say a home office into commercial office or from one office to another that a business owner must be aware of. While definitely not an all in composing guide I will cover some of the bigger ticket items that will save you major headaches later on. Let's roll!

Internet Capable versus Internet Ready; is there really a difference?

Just because an office has internet or you have an ISP doesn't mean its internet ready. Often times the impression is simply I will move my equipment from location A to B and everything should work. In majority of cases; the office is not internet ready regardless of your monthly payment arrangement. What do I mean?

The previous tenant in most cases owns any and all equipment that allows them to connect to the internet from their internal network or LAN back. This can include 66 blocks [long orange rectangle block used for phone connections]; Routers, Switches, etc. Often times what a new tenant is greeted with is a bunch of wires that "may" extend down from the ceiling only.

Your ISP or Internet Service Provider DOES NOT provide internal wiring services.

Regardless of your ISP; they ensure you have the equipment to connect; such as a Cable Modem or DSL device. If your ISP provides T1 service; they will typically wire the line to what is called the Demarc and potentially provide a router. There are two definitions of "demarc" which are truly applicable regardless of office type [home or commercial]:

"Demarcation point is the point at which the telephone company network ends and connects with the wiring at the customer premises or it is the terminating point on a customer premise where the LEC's or ISP's responsibility for service ends and the customer's begins."

It is crucial to understand that your ISP is responsible for providing access through their network; not the internal LAN equipment you will need to connect.

So let's break these down even further into bottom-line costs and who pays for what. And it's truly rather simple on who pays for what.

The business pays for it all.

1. If you move; you pay to have the ISP services moved from one location to another.
2. If the new location needs wiring [90% or more always do]; that is another cost.
3. If you are switching ISP's; you will incur disconnect and setup costs unless otherwise previously negotiated.
4. If you are not setting up your systems [router, switch, server, computers, printers, faxes, etc] in the new location; an IT person needs to. 

These are just SOME of the potential expenses one can occur when moving. The cost of expenses will vary based on many variables. When considering office space I advise the following BEFORE signing a lease:

1. Bring an IT Consultant along [call Big G @ 763-390-1317]. A word of caution; just because someone knows how to "fix" a PC doesn't make them an IT Consultant any more then someone changing car oil doesn't make them an "Auto Mechanic".
2. Understand and clearly define with the Landlord what the status of the wiring is and who is responsible for what. In Executive Suite type situations these offices are typically Internet Ready BUT clarify how phones work.
3. Understand what your ISP will and will not do and what you are paying for. Remember the salesperson's job is to close the deal; not verify that you understand you need to pay for any internal wiring.

Hopefully these few tips will allow your next move to go a lot more smoothly and reduce the potential for sticker shock.

Feel free to refer those who are moving to me as I can assist and ensure their move goes smoothly. One of the services I provide is, not only ISP selection based upon your business needs but also serve as Project Manager for the move; coordinating all aspects of the IT side of things; so you the business owner can focus on running your business.