Article Contributed by Tom Walker
Starting a small business can be quite an undertaking; often naïve first-time business owners believe that the hardest step is discovering what sort of business they want to start – not so! Although choosing a business can be challenging, it is a very easy and even unimportant compared to your choice of location. Many a small store or office has been forced to close because an owner didn’t not give proper attention to the area in which they were basing it. This article will help you to tackle the hard decision of what location you should choose to start your small business.
Meet the needs of employees and clients: The first thing you need to realise is that the location of a small business is ultimately only important to you, the customers, and any present or future employees. To run a good business, it is vital that you reach the needs of all three groups.
The location should work for you: When picking an area to base your business, it is important that it will work for you. Don’t choose something that doesn’t mesh with your dream. For instance, if you want to open a clothing shop and have visions of women looking at your selection of dresses through the window, don’t let yourself be shoved into a shabby back room. If you are unhappy about the location of your business, others are likely to be too.
Accessibility: Choose a location that will be accessible to the public and will stand out yet not clash with the surroundings. For instance, if you are opening a pool supply store, try to open it somewhere nearby the local pool rather than a restaurant. Or, if you are going into practice as a counsellor, veer away from scary neighbourhoods, and instead locate in a cheerful, up-beat part of town. Take into consideration the easy access of your customers; will your customers be able to reach your business by foot, is there plenty of parking space, is the area too congested to make your place seem reachable? Take into consideration the type of people you will be serving and strive to meet their needs with the location of your building.
Locate in a good area: Although a rushed, frantic area is not the ideal location for a business, neither should you choose a forlorn or depressing part of town. No matter how nice a business may be, customers are not going to frequent it if it is located between a dilapidated liquor store and an abandoned apartment building. If it is creepy or located in a neighbourhood that doesn’t feel safe, immediately cross it off your list of possibilities.
Find a location where you can be an original: If you are opening a coffee shop, don’t rent a building squeezed between two other places that serve coffee. Unless you have a product that is off-the-charts spectacular, it will be hard to compete in a business setting where the competition has added experience and a good reputation.
Don’t blow your budget: While we would all love to just forget about it, cost is a factor that plays into almost everything. Before settling on a dream location, make sure that you will actually be able to pay for it. If the building is for sale, do you have the funds to buy it, or would it be more sensible to locate somewhere else and pay rent? Also, don’t forget to consider seemingly unimportant details like the cost of taxes and insurance.
Check out all the details before you sign any papers: Before buying or paying rent, make sure that the area of your future business is not zoned as residental only. Also, make sure that your business will have access to important things like internet, phone service, and electricity. Check to see if the area is prone to flooding or bad weather conditions.
Space for expansion: Although your business maybe a one-man operation now, all businesses that survive thrive; before long you will be hiring employees. Try to think like a future employee when deciding on a location; think about the individual needs they may have and how the building in question could make life easier for them. If your business is located minutes away from apartments and schools, employees may thank you!
The location of any business is likely to have it’s pros and cons; however, by taking the time to consider all your options and all of your priorities, you can be certain that location will help your business to thrive rather than hindering it.
About the Author:
This guest article was authored by Tom Walker who works as a full-time writer and a reviewer for Cartridge Save, providing the best ink cartridges.
