Location, Location, Location: It’s as Important as You Think

April 23, 2016

Would you open a surfing business in the heart of Minnesota, or a ski resort in South Beach? Odds are, you probably wouldn’t. So, would you look to rural America to establish a commercial cleaning business?

Again, probably not, but these scenarios that look extreme and obvious on the surface, are more relevant than you think. All too often entrepreneurs have brilliant startup ideas, but face business failure because their concept doesn’t fit with the environment and culture of its location.

The location of a business can affect many aspects of how it operates, such as potential clientele, the presence of competition and what taxes and regulations are required. Even home-based and e-commerce businesses are at the mercy of location-based rules and regulations.

Don’t forget to research these factors before deciding where to set the roots of your new business.

Accessibility
For a company like Image One USA, which sells its janitorial services to commercial customers, it’s pretty much impossible to start business without commercial buildings. It’s equally important to make your business available to those customers — if they can’t find you, how can they use your services?

Competition
Competition in business can be tricky to navigate. On one hand, the presence of competing companies means the goods or services your business provides is desired in that specific area. But, on the other hand competition could mean that need is already being met, and perhaps by a company that is well established. In both situations, it’s important to differentiate your business and express to your potential customers why your business is the best choice.

Operating Expenses
As said before, the location of your business can greatly influence the total cost of operation. If your concept requires a storefront or considerable amount of space, it’s key to make the location selection very carefully. While having a storefront in a highly trafficked area is likely to yield greater success, it’s also going to be cost substantially more during startup than a store in a small, less trafficked area. Sometimes the best option is to open your doors in an area that is cheaper and establishing a strong reputation with community outreach and other marketing efforts to increase customers.

These are only a few of the handful of factors you will need to consider before selecting a location for your new or established business. One thing to always remember though, is what you can offer to an area and be realistic about how desired your service truly is.

Here are some Image One franchise locations to consider when taking that next step to purchase an affordable commercial cleaning business.