Location is one of the fundamental aspects of a business. Locating your business at an ideal place is essential in its overall success and that is why it is important considering a few issues before getting settled with your plan to go ahead. Consider your customers’ proximity to your business as well as the other underlying aspects that may affect the effectiveness of your business.
Demographics
There are two important angles to the issue of demographics. First, consider who your customers are and how important their proximity to your location is. For a retailer and some service providers, this is critical; for other types of businesses, it might not be as important. The demographic profile you have of your target market will help you make this decision.
Then take a look at the community. If your customer base is local, does a sufficient percentage of that population match your customer profile to support your business? Does the community have a stable economic base that will provide a healthy environment for your business? Be cautious when considering communities that are largely dependent on a particular industry for their economy; a downturn could be bad for business.
Now think about your work force. What skills do you need, and are people with those talents available? Does the community have the resources to serve their needs? Is there sufficient housing in the appropriate price range? Will your employees find the schools, recreational opportunities, culture, and other aspects of the community satisfactory?
Sourced from: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244866
A business’ success is greatly affected by its location, the better you locate your business the higher the chances of succeeding. Taking care of the three essential types of locating your business that can be charted; which are the profitable, break-even and Go-broke is inevitable. The size of your business, the budget as well as the management is also vital in locating your business strategically.
A truly profitable location will make money and the business will appreciate in value.
A break-even location will pay the owner a small salary and pay the rent but not much more.
The go-broke location demands the owner continually pour more money in to survive. The example that comes to mind lasted less than three months from opening to closing for one unfortunate tenant. Despite my warnings that this was a go-broke location, the business owners spent over $80,000 into their store setup and, by the second month of operation. couldn’t pay their rent. Usually a go-broke location will not only steal your capital but put you into personal bankruptcy, after you’ve maxxed out your credit and second-mortgaged your home.
If you thought site selection was all about Location – Location – Location you’re right … intellectually. However, when tenants are involved in the site selection process, good old common sense often goes out the window. Consider for a moment that site selection is not a science; it’s an art, part research, part luck, part timing and many other ingredients combined. For example, is the best time to do site selection is before or after you commit yourself to opening a business? If it sounds too obvious don’t be fooled; most tenants do their site selection after – not before – committing themselves to a business opportunity. One such case involved a retailer who began receiving seasonal spring inventory for a new store but he hadn’t finished picking the location for the store or negotiating the terms yet. Consequently, this entrepreneur compromised on the location and on the best deal he could have made … just to finally get open.
Sourced from: http://www.bluemaumau.org/successful_site_selection_good_business_poor_location_will_become_poor_business
It is normal sometimes that people develop the urge to move their businesses to new frontiers. This may be influenced by a number of factors. More importantly, however, what one needs to consider more is the essential factors worth considering when moving to new environments. Among these are the customer relations you will need to establish in the new market, costs and possibilities that may arise.
Ecosystem Support
“If you’re going to try to break into a new market, it helps to have support. Who from your ecosystem has connections or extensions in the new market? What intros can they make? How can you parlay existing relationships into new ones? If you see a great opportunity for your offering in a new market but don’t have the insider track on getting the word out, it will be hard to get traction. ” ~ David Ehrenberg, Early Growth Financial Services
Cost of Living
“Manhattan sounds like a great place to do business, but if you’re moving from Conway, AR, you might be in for a surprise. Don’t let this prevent you from making the switch, but make sure the potential income gains outweigh the increase in expenses you’ll face. ” ~ Nicolas Gremion, Free-eBooks.net
Minimum Viable Move
“Expanding to a new city tends to get us dreaming about new office space, additional hires and other expensive changes to our companies. But an expansion can be as simple as driving to that city once a month and getting a day pass for a coworking space. Consider what the minimum presence you can get away with is, along with how you can test that you’re moving to the right city.” ~ Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting.
Remote Possibilities
“If you’re moving for talent or moving your existing team, ask yourself, ‘Can I do this remotely?’ We have employees in nine different countries and have offices in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the Philippines. It allows us to scale faster and more efficiently than any local company because when we need more talent, we just hire it regardless of where it is.” ~ Liam Martin, Staff.com
Sourced from: http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/02/relocating-your-company.html