Choosing where to place your new business isn't just about finding a building with a nice front. It's actually one of the biggest calls you'll make. Get it right and you're flying, but get it wrong and you'll be fighting an uphill battle from day one. It doesn't matter how good your product is if nobody can find you or if the people living nearby don't actually want what you're selling.
At Atlas Mapping, we spend our days helping people figure this stuff out using logic and a bit of common sense. We've seen plenty of people go with their gut feeling only to regret it later. So that is why a solid franchise location analysis should always come before signing any lease.
Before you start driving around looking for "to let" signs, you need to know who you're actually looking for. If you're opening a high-end coffee shop but the local area is mostly students on a budget, you might struggle to hit your numbers. You need to look at things like age, income, and even what people do for a living.
This is where detailed franchise territory analysis comes in handy. It's not just about drawing a circle on a map. You want to know if there are enough of your "ideal" customers within a reasonable distance and also being realistic with distances because hills, rivers, and motorways change how people actually travel.
You might think being the only pizza place in town is a win, but sometimes being near competition is actually better. Think about a food court or a high street. People go there because they know they have choices. However you do need to be careful about "encroachment" which is just a fancy way of saying you don't want another person from your own brand opening up right next door and splitting your market. A detailed franchise location analysis helps you understand where your competitors are based, where they are coming from and where the true gaps in the market are. At Atlas Mapping, we use our Vision platform to help show this clearly on a map rather than relying on guesswork.
We’ve seen great spots fail because the parking was a nightmare or the traffic moved too fast for anyone to see the sign. If you're a "convenience" business, you need to be convenient. That means easy in, easy out.
Here are a few things to keep an eye on:
Sometimes a "prime" spot on the high street is too expensive, but moving one street back could save you thousands while still keeping you close to the action. The right franchise location analysis helps you balance cost against visibility and potential foot traffic.
It's easy to get excited when you find a building that looks perfect but you should always let the data do the talking. Checking things like census data or local council plans for new housing can tell you if an area is growing or shrinking.
A well planned franchise location analysis gives both franchisors and franchisees map out these territories so everyone knows where they stand. It makes the whole "signing the lease" part much less scary when you know the numbers back you up.
If you want to see how we make franchise location analysis a lot more accurate and clear, you can check out our mapping services. We like to solve complex problems with a bit of grace, and we're always up for a chat about how to get your location strategy sorted. You can contact us today by completing our online contact form.
At the end of the day, picking a location is a big deal. Take your time, look at the maps, and don't just settle for the first place with a cheap rent. Your future self will thank you for doing the legwork now.