The Right Location

The right location increases your odds of winning the business startup game.

Deciding on a location for your business is one of the most important and unchangeable decisions you'll make for your business. Unfortunately, many new business owners approach this as an afterthought -- which may result in the business being placed on the fast track to a liquidation sale. "You can always change your promotion strategy and mess around with your prices," says Sean O'Halloran, founder of [GeoMarketing]Create? Research, a market research firm that focuses on business location analysis. "But once you sign a retail lease or get a mortgage on a place, those are usually pretty long-term contracts that are difficult to get out of."

Here's what to do before you call a realtor or landlord:

• Tips For Starting A Business - Know your market when choosing your business location
• Tips For Starting A Business - Gather information about prospective locations
• Tips For Starting A Business - Look at your competitors business locations
• Tips For Starting A Business - Spend time at a location you are considering
• Tips For Starting A Business - When choosing a location, ask questions at other nearby businesses