diff --git a/migrations/utils/connect.js b/migrations/utils/connect.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0c1b104892
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/utils/connect.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const MongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient;
+const logger = require('./logger');
+
+let db;
+
+function connectToDb (dbUri) {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    MongoClient.connect(dbUri, (err, database) => {
+      if (err) {
+        logger.error(`Uh oh... Problem connecting to the database at ${dbUri}`);
+        return reject(err);
+      }
+
+      db = database;
+
+      logger.success(`Connected to ${dbUri}`);
+
+      resolve(database);
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+function closeDb () {
+  if (db) db.close();
+
+  logger.success('CLosed connection to the database');
+  return Promise.resolve();
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  connectToDb,
+  closeDb,
+}
diff --git a/migrations/utils/timer.js b/migrations/utils/timer.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..37a75830b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/utils/timer.js
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+'use strict';
+
+let logger = require('./logger');
+
+class Timer {
+  constructor (options) {
+    options = options || {};
+    let warningThreshold = options.minutesWarningThreshold || 10;
+
+    this.count = 0;
+    this._minutesWarningThreshold = warningThreshold * 60;
+
+    if (!options.disableAutoStart) this.start();
+  }
+  start () {
+    this._internalTimer = setInterval(() =>{
+      this.count++;
+
+      let shouldWarn = this._minutesWarningThreshold < this.count;
+      let logStyle =  shouldWarn ? 'error' : 'warn';
+      let dangerMessage = shouldWarn ? 'DANGER: ' : '';
+
+      if (this.count % 30 === 0) {
+        logger[logStyle](`${dangerMessage}Process has been running for`, this.count / 60, 'minutes');
+      }
+    }, 1000);
+  }
+  stop () {
+    if (!this._internalTimer) {
+      throw new Error('Timer has not started');
+    }
+    clearInterval(this._internalTimer);
+  }
+
+  get seconds () {
+    return this.count;
+  }
+
+  get minutes () {
+    return this.count / 60;
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = Timer;
diff --git a/migrations/utils/unique.js b/migrations/utils/unique.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0d222145c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/migrations/utils/unique.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+'use strict';
+
+function unique (array) {
+  return Array.from(new Set(array));
+}
+
+module.exports = unique;