Opening and Orchestrating Multiple Business Locations

Your business continues to grow rapidly, attracting new customers every day and leaving you open to countless expansion endeavors that will create thrilling opportunities for you and the rest of your team. As you grow, you’ll find operating out of one central location doesn’t offer you the space you need to continue operations at the current burgeoning scale. Below are some of the main tenets of operating multiple business locations, giving you much-needed insight into the areas of your business that require the most attention

Choosing the Right Location

Your business’s secondary locations should take into account the industry, community, and goals of your company. If you are establishing a chain of restaurants, for example, consider the area. A lively bar with a dance floor that mainly attracts younger folks should be placed closer to the city or at least further away from the suburban neighborhoods. An upscale Italian restaurant would work well in a quiet area of town with plenty of available parking.

Those who are looking to find additional warehouse locations should find real estate or land that is close to their customer base or goods supplier. The goal is to keep costs to a minimum while maximizing profits, and the best way to do this is to reduce transportation costs as a whole, which can be one of the most expensive parts of running a business. Taking the area tax rate into account is also important – find out which areas offer tax breaks for operational enhancements like energy-efficient machinery. This gives you the opportunity to invest in the latest technology to elevate your developing products without chipping away at revenue.

Other factors to consider when picking new locations for your growing business include:

• Assessing walkability and foot traffic;
• Reviewing space for delivery trucks and staff parking;
• Obtaining sufficient funding (loans, fundraising, investors, etc.);
• Buying vs. leasing the space.

Though your new locations don’t need to check off all your boxes, you should always ensure you are picking a place that makes operations smooth, rather than spending time and effort to work around multiple spatial and functional limitations to save a buck.

Picking the Perfect Team

You have been working with the ideal team for years, and it is part of the reason your business has been able to grow so successfully. When staffing your new locations, you should incorporate your current team into the hiring process. As the owner, showing your team their opinions matter is an invaluable gesture that translates into workplace efficiency and overall happiness.

Often, your team has an incredible network of qualified individuals in their contact list. Set up a referral program so your employees can earn a bonus when they bring a new team member on board. Establishing familiarity and comfort as you transition into a new space makes it easy for everyone to ease into day-to-day operations in a brand-new environment.

Understanding Your Market

Expanding your business naturally requires a good deal of market research. Consider what expansion means for your business. Are you looking for new facilities to increase the development of new products? Do you have a coffee shop and are you looking to tap into an unexplored market in a neighboring city?

As a small business owner, you should prioritize being agile and meeting your customers where they are. Don’t be afraid to try new things or put a slight spin on your business so can reach a new target demographic more effectively.  Figure out what these communities need and offer them solutions they can depend on. For instance, leasing space on the ground floor of an office building where the nearest beverage stop is almost a mile away will attract customers who are willing to pay a slight premium for the convenience of purchasing a coffee made just an elevator stop away from their desks.

Ideally, you should be looking into your competitors when determining when, where, and how to expand your business. Your customers are loyal to your product or service because you offer something others can’t, whether that be an emotional draw or a physical requirement. Figure out the weak points of your competitors’ business and decide how to incorporate addressing these pain points into your new business locations. For example, if other coffee shops in the area are walk-in only, offer a drive-thru option at your latest location.

The best way to do this is to maintain an online presence, ideally through both social media and routine website updates. Leave room for dialogue between you and your customers – use social media platforms for Q&A opportunities and to experiment with branding. It is also helpful to work with a marketing team to create a website that is SEO-friendly. This includes adding rich, knowledgeable content to your web pages, such as service area pages that directly address the needs of the community and the ways your business works to resolve them.

Utilizing Modern Technology

Redesigning daily operations to incorporate modern tech developments increases efficiency and organization in the workplace, making expansion simpler. User sensor-powered technology combined with inventory tracking software can make warehouse operations less labor-intensive, decreasing room for error and employee burnout.

Additionally, inventory management systems that are equipped with features like instant messaging, automated reordering, and supply-demand predictive analytics reduce the occurrence of stockouts, delivery delays, and communication mishaps between your business locations.

Ensuring Safety

Workplace safety should be your top priority. Technology can also work well for maintaining this. Depending on your business, you can offer virtual training or Augmented Reality-based training that helps employees get “hands-on” experience without potentially mishandling dangerous equipment or wasting resources.

Keeping a direct eye on operations and your business locations in general is a must for ensuring the success of your new storefronts, restaurants, or warehouses. Consider adding hidden cameras to the interior and exterior of your business. This can allow you to understand and compare the daily operations of all your business locations without needing to be physically present 24/7. It can also pose as theft prevention, but more importantly, it makes your employees feel safe knowing there will always be evidence for claims of harassment, unsafe conditions, or other common concerns that often need concrete proof.

Final Thoughts

Growing your business isn’t something that occurs overnight. But, there are small things you can do every day to prepare you and your team for expansion and additional locations. It is always a good idea to perform regular market research, even if your business isn’t ready to expand at the moment.

Beyond this, putting safety and security at the forefront of your operation will make your current team and future employees feel comfortable enough to transition to new locations when the time comes. Keep your team aware of your company’s plans and progress with a monthly newsletter, and always leave the door open for feedback, as this is the best way to responsibly and ethically grow your business.