Relocating a Stationery Shop or Business Centre: Paper, Copiers and Counters

Saturday evening, the shutters are half down, and the shop is still full of cartons of A4 paper, exercise books tied in bundles, a big photocopier by the window and a laminating machine that nobody has unplugged in two years. The new shop opens on Monday. Stationery looks light until you try to carry it.

A box of paper reams is one of the heaviest things in a small shop, and it hates damp. A photocopier is delicate and awkward at the same time. Plan the move around those two facts.

Count the paper and the books first

Walk the shelves and the store with a notebook. Write down the cartons of paper by size (A4, A3, foolscap), the bundles of exercise books, the boxes of pens, envelopes, files and folders, and the loose stock on the display racks.

Paper is much heavier than it looks. Forty cartons is a real load, and the driver needs the number to judge whether a pickup van will do or a truck is the safer choice. Tell the driver the heaviest items plainly in the request.

Sort before you pack. Faded exercise books, torn folders and half-empty boxes can be sold off cheaply in the last week or thrown out. Do not pay to carry stock you have already given up on.

Keep paper dry and flat

Damp paper curls, sticks together and jams a copier for weeks. If it rains on moving day, the whole stock is at risk.

1. Keep paper in its original cartons and tape the open ones shut.
2. Load cartons flat, not on their edges, and stack them no more than a few high.
3. Put a tarpaulin or plastic sheeting over the whole paper stack, tucked under at the sides.
4. Keep exercise books in tied bundles and put them on top of the paper, not under it.

Never put cartons of paper against a wall that may leak, and do not leave them on the kerb while the truck is late.

The photocopier, printers and laminator

Photocopiers carry a glass scanning bed, a drum and a toner unit. Rough handling shifts all of them.

• Switch off, unplug and let it cool before touching it.
• Remove the toner cartridge and paper trays if the manual allows it, and carry them separately.
• Lock the scanner carriage if the machine has a transit lock. If you are not sure, follow the manufacturer's guidance.
• Wrap the machine in blankets and carry it upright with at least two people. Never tip a copier on its side.
• Strap it upright against the cab wall, with soft padding between the machine and the strap.

Printers, binding machines and the laminator are lighter, but wrap the cables and keep every plug and tray with its own machine. A sticker on each cable saves an hour on Monday morning. Our guide to moving computers and networking equipment covers the desktops and routers that a business centre usually has as well.

Counters, shelves and the display glass

Shop counters often come apart if you find the screws. Take off the sliding glass, wrap it and carry it with the mirrors and other glass. Unscrew the shelves, put the pins and screws in a labelled bag and tape the bag to the unit. If you move a lot of stock on racks, the lessons in relocating a printing press or print shop on paper weight apply here too.

Order of loading

Heavy paper cartons go first and low, spread across the floor of the truck so one side does not carry everything. Counters and shelving units go next, standing upright and strapped. The photocopier goes in last or near the door, so it is the first thing to come off, and it travels upright. Light stock, school bags and files go on top. Keep the cash box, the keys and the receipt books with the owner, not in the truck.

If the truck has to go through a market or a busy road, read how to stage a truck on a busy Lagos street so nobody blocks traffic while you load.

Opening on Monday

Offload paper cartons first and stack them on pallets or planks, not on the bare floor. Place the copier near a socket, away from the door and from direct dust, and let it settle a while before you switch it on. Test a copy and a laminate before the first customer walks in. Count the cartons against your list before the driver leaves.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app, choose a truck or a pickup van, and add the pickup and drop-off. Describe the load in detail: "about 60 cartons of A4 paper, 25 bundles of exercise books, one photocopier, two printers, a laminating machine, two counters, four shelving units". Say if there are stairs or a narrow shop door. Then propose a price. Nearby verified drivers accept or send counter-offers, and you choose. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer.

Useful pages: truck hire in Lagos and business moves in Lagos.