Microsoft 365 migration checklist for small businesses

Before you buy another licence

Microsoft 365 is the right move for most growing businesses — but buying licences and clicking "sync" without a plan is how you end up with duplicate mailboxes, broken scanners and a shared drive that half the office can't find.

Start with an inventory: how many mailboxes, how much data, who still uses desktop-only software, and whether anything relies on an old server name hard-coded somewhere (there always is).

Our pre-migration checklist

Email & domains

• Confirm you own the domain and can change DNS
• Decide mailbox sizes and archive needs
• Plan shared mailboxes (info@, accounts@) and aliases
• Check multi-function printers / scan-to-email settings

Files

• Map shared folders to SharePoint sites or Teams channels
• Identify huge legacy folders that should be archived, not migrated
• Agree naming conventions before staff create fifty versions of "Final FINAL"

Accounts & security

• Create users in 365 with MFA enforced from day one
• Remove stale accounts and shared passwords
• Document who needs admin access (hint: almost nobody)

Cutover window

• We prefer weekend or evening cutovers for firms that can't pause email
• Lower DNS TTL a few days ahead
• Have a rollback plan — even if you never use it

Training beats perfection

The tech can be flawless and staff still hate it if nobody showed them where Files live in Teams. We book a short handover session with whoever runs the office — add users, reset passwords, restore deleted files — so you're not calling us for every new starter.

We've migrated accountancy practices, joinery firms and professional services offices across West Yorkshire with Monday-morning normality as the goal. Book a consultation if you're planning a move this quarter.