Location, location, location Pt 2

Previously we looked at whether location is a big deal for consumers and my take is yes, its important where retail shopping & eating, and maybe retail banking is concerned. But from a business owner’s point of view, the more money you transact, the less important location seems to be to your customer.

That’s how the consumer and business owner looks at it. What about the 3rd player – your staff. Is location important to them?

Again let’s put it to the test by going through a typical day as a salaried worker.

• You drive in the morning to your office that’s tucked in a place where rent is inexpensive. This means you have to drive 20km, spend 1 hour fighting the morning traffic and pass through 3 toll booths. Location: Important.
• Your office building faces a severe parking shortage. On an unlucky day you have to park 1 kilometer away. Since your office is a little remote, public transport is nonexistent. Car pooling is out because no one in the office lives anywhere near where you live. Location: Important.
• Your lunch place is within walking distance of your office. However, you’re sick of eating at the same place for years. There are no other amenities in the area. The next place to eat is 2 kilometers away and driving there means giving up your hard-earned parking space. Location: Important.
• You drive home in the evening. Another 20km to go, another hour stuck in evening traffic, another 3 toll booths to pass through. Location: Important.

Let’s see the score.

Important: 4. Not important: 0.

So while location may not be a big deal to your customers or even you as business owner, it could be a very big deal to the people you depend on to do business – your staff.

And it gets crazy if you run people-intensive businesses like call centers.

So who is more critical to you? You tell me.

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