# Microsoft 365 Migration for Small Businesses Source: https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/microsoft-365-migration/ Updated: 2026-10-18 > dijitul support moves UK small businesses to Microsoft 365 from hosting email, Google Workspace, an old Exchange server or another Microsoft 365 tenant. We migrate mailboxes, calendars, contacts and files, switch DNS with minimal disruption, enable MFA and set up laptops and phones. Every migration gets a fixed quote upfront; small follow-up fixes are £45 an hour + VAT. ## Common symptoms - Your hosting email mailboxes keep filling up at 2 GB - You still run an Exchange server in a cupboard - Staff share one email password or one login - Files live on a single PC that everyone maps a drive to - You are merging two companies and need one Microsoft 365 ## Key facts - Sources we move from: cPanel or Plesk hosting email (IMAP), Google Workspace, on-premises Exchange, file servers, Dropbox and other Microsoft 365 tenants - Mail moved with Microsoft's own Exchange Online migration tools where they fit, with existing mail copied before the switch - Files moved into SharePoint and OneDrive with Microsoft Migration Manager or the SharePoint Migration Tool - DNS cut-over planned: MX, Autodiscover, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records changed in the right order - MFA and security defaults or Conditional Access switched on from day one - Quoted upfront; done remotely, with evening or weekend cut-over by arrangement ## What a Microsoft 365 migration moves A migration is more than copying email. A complete move for a small business usually covers: - **Mailboxes:** every email, folder, calendar and contact, plus shared mailboxes such as info@ or accounts@. - **Files:** file server shares, Dropbox or Google Drive moved into SharePoint team sites and personal OneDrive. - **Users and sign-in:** accounts created in Microsoft Entra ID with MFA, and Windows laptops joined so staff sign in with their work account. - **DNS:** MX, Autodiscover, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records for your domain. - **Devices:** Outlook profiles on laptops, and email on phones moved to the Outlook app or the built-in mail app with a fresh account. Moving from a specific platform? See [Google Workspace to Microsoft 365](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/google-workspace-to-microsoft-365/) and [email migration](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/email-migration/) for the details of each route. If your main aim is to retire a server, our [cloud migration](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/cloud-migration/) page covers file and server moves. ## How we do it, step by step - **Survey:** list every mailbox, alias, shared mailbox, distribution list, file share and device, with sizes. Big archive mailboxes and PST files are flagged early because they take longest. - **Licences:** agree the right plan per person (see [Microsoft 365 licensing](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/microsoft-365-licensing/)). Not everyone needs the same one. - **Tenant setup:** add and verify your domain, create users, switch on MFA, and set up shared mailboxes and groups. - **Pre-stage data:** copy existing email and files into Microsoft 365 while you keep working on the old system. Microsoft's Exchange Online tools handle IMAP, Google Workspace, cutover from Exchange and cross-tenant moves; Migration Manager handles file shares and cloud drives. - **Lower DNS TTLs** a day or two before, so the switch takes effect quickly. - **Cut-over:** change the MX record, run a final sync to catch the last messages, and update Autodiscover and SPF. - **Devices and people:** set up Outlook, OneDrive sync and phones, then a short handover for staff. - **Tidy up:** add DKIM signing and a DMARC policy, check mail flow and only then cancel the old service. ## Avoiding the usual problems Most migration pain comes from a few predictable places, and we plan around each one: - **Lost email during the switch.** DNS changes do not reach every mail server at once. A final sync after the MX change catches messages still delivered to the old system. - **Outlook connecting to the old server.** Old Autodiscover records or cached profiles make Outlook keep asking for a password. We fix Autodiscover and create fresh profiles. Our guide on [Outlook asking for a password](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/guides/outlook-keeps-asking-for-password/) explains why. - **Emails going to spam afterwards.** A missing SPF include or no DKIM signing causes this. We set them as part of the job. See [email deliverability](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/email-deliverability/). - **File paths too long or blocked characters.** We scan file shares first and fix paths before they fail. - **Permissions copied badly.** We rebuild access around teams rather than copying years of individual permissions. ## Security from day one A migration is the easiest time to get security right, because every account is new. As standard we: - Turn on MFA for every user before their mailbox goes live, using the Microsoft Authenticator app. See [password and MFA setup](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/password-mfa-setup/). - Create a separate admin account for whoever manages the tenant, rather than giving admin rights to a daily mailbox. - Block legacy authentication, which bypasses MFA and is a common route into compromised mailboxes. - On Business Premium, set Conditional Access rules and enrol laptops into Intune. - Configure anti-phishing and anti-spam policies and external sender tagging in Exchange Online. ## What it costs Migrations are quoted upfront because the work depends on how many mailboxes, how much data and where it is coming from. After the survey you get a fixed price covering planning, migration, cut-over and the first round of device setup. Microsoft 365 licences are paid separately to Microsoft or your chosen supplier. Small follow-up jobs after the project are £45 an hour + VAT. If you want us to look after Microsoft 365 afterwards, the [Complete plan](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/pricing/) at £99 a month + VAT includes a helpdesk for your team and 3 hours of work a month. ## FAQs ### How long does a Microsoft 365 migration take? For a small business with under 20 mailboxes, dijitul typically plans the work over one to two weeks, with the actual cut-over done in an evening or over a weekend. Large mailboxes, big file shares and slow source servers add time because the data has to be copied before the switch. ### Will we lose any email when we switch? You should not. dijitul copies existing email before the switch, then changes the MX record and runs a final sync to collect messages that arrived at the old system while DNS updated. The old service is only cancelled once mail flow is confirmed. ### Do you have to come on site? Usually not. dijitul does migrations remotely, including setting up laptops through remote sessions. If something genuinely needs hands on site, such as an office full of PCs with no remote access, we tell you upfront and include it in the quote. ### Can you migrate from another Microsoft 365 tenant? Yes. Tenant-to-tenant moves are common after a company merger, a sale, or leaving a previous IT provider who owns the tenant. dijitul plans the domain move between tenants carefully because a domain can only be verified in one tenant at a time. ### How much does a Microsoft 365 migration cost? dijitul quotes every migration upfront after a short survey of mailboxes, data and devices. The fixed price covers planning, data migration, DNS cut-over and device setup. Microsoft licences are separate. Later small jobs are £45 an hour + VAT. ## Pricing and contact This work is quoted to fit. Request a quote at https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/quote/ or call 01623 650333.