Listen to the tale of a business move from one place to another. There are many factors to be considered when moving a home-based business from one state or city to another. My husband and I run our own business, the main corporate entity, a DBA, and he is employed as CEO of another corporate entity. We wear many hats, often at the same time.

In our case, we are relocating our physical selves across an entire country, not just a few miles away. We are selling one house, buying another. Even though we have a corporate address, we telecommute to work, often wearing our sweats and tees, stumbling out of bed to our 'offices' in our home.

"We chose to move. Clients do not have to understand. They are not paying us for business interruptions."

When we move, the situation will not change. Tev and I will still dress the same, hopefully watch where we're going; because, where we are moving is a two story home, as opposed to the one level home we live in at present.

When we relocated to where we are now, time was essential. We had to get back online, as our business was in its toddler stages. Many mistakes were made in choosing the location where we moved.

This time will be different for several reasons. This is where I want to point out several considerations when changing locations.

Because my experience and business needs are unique to me, each item I bring to your table is essential for us. You decide what's important to you.

1. Find out what kind of Internet Access you will have in your new neighbourhood. Living with satellite and dial up, having to use a small private phone company, has wasted much of our precious work time. Our realtor was told the area where he looked must have either DSL or Cable or both. I have friends who have chosen to live in areas not offering either one and are now stuck with satellite.

Since this is how I earn the mortgage money, a faster connection to the Internet is imperative. Especially after three years of hellish connections. I believe, out of the three years I've been in this part of Georgia, a year and a half has been spent waiting for items to download or upload. 2. Make sure the layout of the house you are buying/renting is what you need to accommodate your computers and offices. I happen to be married to a network engineer; consequently, we have three offices, a server room, and a sixteen computer network. Not one computer, unless it's dead, ever goes unworked. This might not be important if you have one computer or two. Add to the amount of computers we have, two offices, separated from each other, are needed. We are both on the phone often.

It is a distraction for two people doing different things to be in the same space. It worked for a few years; but, as our business grew and diversified; separate offices are a desire, and now, a necessity.

3. Forwarding mail and changing addresses before you actually move sets the US Postal Service into action. Our checks from clients and sponsors are not made out to our personal names, which is another good reason to form a corporation; or, at the very least, a DBA (Doing Business As).

Our company office is located in the same building as my accountant, who graciously rents us space, so we have a business address. We will forward all of our company mail before we ever leave this place, ensuring our checks will arrive in our new city. Personal mail can wait until we are at our new home. Business mail cannot. We have a fax machine which will serve as a means to communicate between my accountant and my current home and I will pay her to make deposits, until I get to my new home and am able change the addresses after my arrival.

4. Because we are incorporated in the state to which we are returning, we will not have the problem of switching bank accounts, which affect wires and transfers, etc. We chose a certain bank while we were still in Washington State that would shake hands with a bank in Georgia. It has involved some very creative banking, indeed. Consider that when moving. Banks do not always share.

Seafirst and Nations banks were merged into Bank of America. We chose our bank when we were still in Washington, which served as a good decision, because we will not have to change anything, other than addresses on our checks. Wires will not be disrupted; transfers from one account to another will continue uninterrupted and that constitutes one less stressor.

5. Consider buying a laptop if you are driving to your new home. Since we have dogs, we must drive cross country. Neither one of us could subject our babies to cargo holds on planes.

6. In order for us to move in such a way as to ensure the smooth running of our business, we are attempting to clean up any and all projects before we leave. We've set a date to stop work, which means working double hours for now. Considering we work approximately 14-16 hours a day, we are going to be very tired. Life, however, and the flow of business client needs, never stops, regardless of what is going on in our lives.

We chose to move. Clients do not have to understand. They are not paying us for business interruptions. While most of the people for whom we do work understand and are willing to give us some time away, lengthy absences do not make hearts grow fonder. There is always someone else to step in to our shoes. For us, we will give my Mom a limited power of attorney, so she can be there for settlement of the property. She can also set up the phones, electricity, gas and DSL lines, get the guy in to run the CAT5. By the time we arrive, all we have to do is unpack and set up, sleep for a few days and get back to work.

7. Because we have business interests all over the country, we talk on the phone for a good portion of our day. Where we live now has no real cell phone reception. Where we are moving, does. Having increased my time on the phone over the years makes cell phone reception extremely important. Cell phone plans save much in the way of expenditures because they offer so many long distance options. We won't have to put in so many phone lines, as we will have two land lines and two cell lines. Since I only have two ears that should be plenty and most efficient.

I will keep a running log of possible snafus or mistakes we've made, perhaps saving you the same annoyances. Most of the problems in moving from one place to another are due to a lack of planning. I've certainly made moves like that before. At this stage of my game, however, I don't see that as an option if I want to continue to grow my business.