When it comes to owning a business, especially if you have a brick and mortar store, location is everything. So many businesses have failed or otherwise gone under because they didn’t have their company running out of the right location. And with all the pressure associated with picking the right location, it can be very stressful when this part of having a business is presented. So to help make this easier on you and to ensure that your business has the best chance of thriving, here are three tips for finding the right location for your business.
Shoot For Convenience
When meeting with a real estate agent to look at potential locations for your business, Scott Allen, a contributor to the Balance, recommends keeping convenience in the forefront of your mind. When thinking about a convenient location, you should be considering all aspects of your business. Look for a space that will be convenient for you to get to as well as for your customers to visit. Make sure parking for customers is convenient, because this can make it hard for your customers to want to come to your store. Additionally, if you will be having frequent deliveries or products shipped in and out of your location, this part of your supply chain management should also be made as convenient as possible. If something seems inconvenient, keeping looking until you find the perfect, convenient location.
Go Where Your Customers Are
While convenience has a lot to do with the situation of your building with regards to its location, you should also consider how the demographics of an area could affect your business. To do this, Robb Mandelbaum, a contributor to TIme Money, suggests going to where your customers are already congregating. Survey the areas you’re considering renting space and look to see what kind of people frequent the neighboring businesses or areas. If you’re not seeing anyone who would fall into your target demographic, this may not be the best place to try to set up your business, especially if you’re relying on foot traffic.
Stick To Your Budget
To have a successful business, you have to ensure that you’re not spending too much on your rent. According to Nolo.com, you should have figured out how much you can afford to spend on rent while you were making your business plan. Once you know this number, it’s vital to the life of your business that you stick to this budget and don’t try to rent a space that’s more expensive than you can afford. This could make staying in business very hard if you can’t afford to keep your doors open at the place you’ve chosen to rent.
To make sure you find the right place to start your business, use the tips mentioned above to find the perfect location for your startup.