Where should you locate your business? One expert will tell you location is absolutely vital to your company’s success; another will argue that it really doesn’t matter where you are and they’re both right. How important location is for your new company depends on the type of business, the facilities and other resources you need, as well as where your customers are.

If you’re in retailing or if you manufacture a product and distribution is a critical element of your overall operation, then geographical location is extremely important. If your business is information- or service-related, the actual location takes a back seat to whether or not the facility itself can meet your needs.

Regardless of the nature of your business, before you start shopping for space, you need to have a clear picture of what you must have, what you’d like to have, what you absolutely won’t tolerate and how much you’re able to pay. Developing that picture can be a time-consuming process that is both exciting and tedious, but it’s essential that you give it the attention it deserves. While many start-up mistakes can be corrected later on, a poor choice of location is difficult—and sometimes impossible—to repair.

Types of Locations
The type of location you choose depends largely on the type of business you’re in, but there are enough mixed-use areas and creative applications of space that you should give some thought to each type before making a final decision. For example, business parks and office buildings typically have retail space so they can attract the restaurants and stores that business tenants want nearby. Shopping centres are often home to an assortment of professional services—medical, legal, accounting, insurance, etc.—as well as retailers. It’s entirely possible some version of non-traditional space will work for you, so use your imagination

Industrial: If your business involves manufacturing or heavy distribution, you’ll need a plant or warehouse facility. Light industrial parks typically attract smaller manufacturers in non-polluting industries as well as companies that need showrooms in addition to manufacturing facilities. Heavy industrial areas tend to be older and poorly planned and usually offer rail and/or water port access. Though industrial parks are generally newer and often have better infrastructures, you may also want to consider any free-standing commercial building that meets your needs and is adequately zoned.

You have only one chance to get your new warehouse location right, let us help you by providing you with the correct data analysis support to enable you to make the correct decision for your business.