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Location, location

Where will you make your idea happen? How will location contribute to the success of your enterprise?  here's no rule for choosing a good business location, but it's important to think about how location will affect you. 

Ask yourself these questions:

  • Is location crucial to the success of your business?
  • What type of location is best for your business?
  • How much rent can you afford?
  • Is your proposed location appropriate for what you plan to do there?

Renting commercial space is a big responsibility. The success or failure of your business may ride on certain terms of the lease. Before approaching a landlord know how commercial leases differ from the more common residential variety. 

Before you sign anything, make sure you understand the terms of the lease, including the amount of rent, the length of the lease and the configuration of the physical space.

Working from home

The other option, of course, is to be based at home. More than 60% of new businesses start that way - and lots gets used to it! There are over 2 million home based businesses in the UK. And many reasons why working from home makes sense:
  • It's much cheaper than renting commercial space
  • You can work your own hours - and not just when the office is open
  • And you don't have to commute, or at least quite so far!
Lots of people think that you'll need planning permission to work from home or that you'll get in trouble with the local council. Neither of those things are true - necessarily. As long as working from home doesn't change the way your house looks, or disturbs your neighbours, you'll be fine.

Facts:

  • 1,400 businesses are started from home each week
  • The average commuter will travel two and a half times around the world during their working life
  • Famous homeworkers include Jamie Oliver, Richard Branson and Prime Minister, Gordon Brown

10 business ideas that you can do at home

  1. Journalism
  2. Design
  3. Plumbing
  4. Hairdressing
  5. eBay seller
  6. Accounting
  7. Law
  8. Pet grooming
  9. Tuition
  10. Catering

5 business ideas that you can’t do at home

  1. Race car driving
  2. Space exploration
  3. Deep sea drilling
  4. Industrial manufacture
  5. Whaling

You can find out more about working from home at www.enterprisenation.com a free resource to help you start and grow your business from home, with tips, forums, newsletters and podcasts - including a special Enterprise Week episode.

Our favourite links

www.enterprisenation.com a free resource to help you start and grow your business from home, with tips, forums, newsletters and podcasts - including a special Enterprise Week episode.

propertyinbusiness.co.uk The Property in Business website from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors  explains all you need to know about finding business premises,  tailoring your premises to your needs and moving location.

businesslink.gov.uk Business Link offers practical advice on choosing and setting up premises.

leasingbusinesspremises.co.uk The Code for Leasing Business Premises in England and Wales aims to promote fairness in commercial leases, and recognises a need to increase awareness of property issues, especially among small businesses, ensuring that occupiers of business premises have the information necessary to negotiate the best deal available to them.

Other useful links

times100.co.uk Times100 explains the theory behind choosing the right location for your business.

ukspa.org.uk The UK Science Park Association website can help you learn more about locating your enterprise within a science park, and find a science park near you.

Regional links

England

East

eeda.org.uk Find out what business support is on offer from the East of England Development Agency. Its Enterprise Hubs initiative aims to drive innovation in science, technology and research across the region.

East Midlands

emda.org.uk The East Midlands Development Agency website outlines the support offered to businesses in the region.

North east

onenortheast.co.uk One NorthEast encourages entrepreneurs, innovation and business growth in the region byy ensuring companies have access to finance, opportunities and intelligence.

North west

englandsnorthwest.com/invest Find out all about the business environment in Manchester, Liverpool and the north west region, on the England's Northwest website.

South west

cornwallpurebusiness.co.uk The Cornwall Pure Business website offers lots of information for people who are thinking of locating or relocating their business in Cornwall, including expert advice and support to help facilitate the move.

West Midlands

advantagewm.co.uk Find out more about what it would be like to run a business in the West Midlands on the Advantage West Midlands website.

Yorkshire

yorkshire-forward.com The Yorkshire Forward website has a wealth of information about the business economy in the region, which includes Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, York and Hull.