Business Development In The Rural
If you are a person who is interested in starting a small business that is located in the suburbs and not near any major city, then this blog post is for you. The post will give you insight into what it takes to establish an enterprise that caters to the needs of rural customers. It will also guide you on how to get started with the development process and make sure your new business gets off the ground in no time instead of taking forever.
Keywords: Business Development, Starting a Business, Rural Small Business, Entrepreneurship
There are many people out there who wish they had something new or interesting happening with their lives, but don't know where to start looking for what they're hoping for. Starting your own business is, indeed, something that would spark the fire of interest for many people so it's no surprise that the idea of starting your own small business seems like a great option to many who are looking to escape their old lives.
Many people aren't prepared for what it really takes to start and run a business successfully, however. It takes a lot more than having an idea and hoping you will make some money with it. This article will help those who are interested in starting their own small businesses in the country understand what they will need to do to get started, as well as discuss some advantages and disadvantages of being in such an area.
As with anything else that is done, there are advantages and disadvantages to being located in the suburbs. Since this place is supposed to be a microcosm of America, many people like to think that suburbanization is going to be the "ideal" location for many business ventures. While there are certain things that do make life easier out in the suburbs, many people overlook the serious disadvantages of living in such an environment. It doesn't take much thought after one realizes they invest all their money into their new venture and find themselves scrambling trying to maintain their home life while also keeping up with bills and taxes while running a company.
The following is a list of major disadvantages that come with being located in the suburbs.
1. Your location is not very convenient for customers. If you are trying to attract new customers, they won't pop up out of nowhere and randomly show up in your front yard to buy your products. No matter how great your product is, having it shipped across the country will just be too much hassle and can be expensive. For those who live in a suburban area, it's only natural for them to want to see what their neighbors are doing or who are available before spending money on something from a distant place.
2. There are absolutely no jobs in your area. If you venture out and open up a business, the only people who will be interested in working at your place are those who need money to pay their bills and can't find jobs anywhere else. This is not a good situation for anyone involved when considering that it may get extremely difficult to keep up with all that you have to do in your new business while trying to work regular jobs as well.
3. Having a place to live will also be very expensive as you will spend most of your time running your company and working on getting more customers for it. This means you will never be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor and get to "relax" in all the money you have made if you are not careful.
4. You won't be able to socialize with other people who have similar interests and hobbies. Because your business is located in an area where there are no people who share similar interests as you, it will become difficult (if not impossible) for you to expand your network of potential customers and find ways to get new ideas on which direction your business should take. This will make it harder for you to grow your customer base because people who don't live in the same neighborhood or town won't be interested in buying from local businesses.
5. You won't be able to participate in community activities and events. Residents who live in the suburbs are cut off from most of the activities that their towns or cities offer, like local festivals and city council meetings with their own local council members.
6. Due to the lack of a developed infrastructure, it will be more difficult for you to start up your business on a retail and wholesale level since there are many things that will have to be done prior to opening and then it will just be difficult for you to open once you have turned your business into something larger than a small hobby. Generally, a business has to be established and built up to a certain point before it is actually worth opening up on a national or even international level.
7. It will take you longer to build your dream business. The fact that your location is in an area with smaller communities will make it more difficult for you to make connections with people who can help you get the word out about your product. This also applies when it comes to buying large machinery and getting things delivered properly as most stores aren't really interested in taking risks on new businesses located in smaller towns.
8. You won't be able to go places easily. There are also a lot of businesses that are only located in cities and will have no interest in doing business with small towns. You may have a hard time finding employment and higher education for your children if you live in the suburbs, as well. If your child is trying to get into the medical field, for example, they won't be able to do it from your small town since many agencies are only available in big cities.
9. The market is smaller and limited. As previously mentioned, it's going to be harder for you to find people who can help you start off or who will buy from what you have been producing so it's going to be difficult for you when it comes time to expand your business.
10. Your home and personal life will suffer. As previously mentioned, this is not a good idea to begin a business without being on top of all the important aspects of your life including having enough money in the bank to pay your bills and get basic necessities (i.e. food, clothing, shelter) taken care of firmly in hand before getting into it so try to balance things out before you commit to open your store or commit yourself to live there full time. While it will be nice for the first few months and years, you might find that you want out if things don't go your way because there is no place for you to go if you can't make it on your own.
11. You won't be able to enjoy your money for the long run. Due to the fact that you can't afford to take a vacation and because you will be giving all your income (except for what is needed for living expenses) to your business, it's going to be difficult for you to save any money and ensure there is enough in the bank at all times. Running a business with small profit margins means that you are not making much money at all and if something happens (like an unexpected illness or emergency surgery), it's going to hurt not only financially, but also emotionally.
12. You will likely do everything alone.
Conclusion
You may have noticed that most of these reasons are related to keeping your life in balance and the fact that running a business is not all it's cracked up to be. While it can be extremely rewarding if things go your way and you have built a brand or franchise, there are many more pitfalls you can run into if you don't think about everything in advance including the cost of living in an area where there are no jobs for most people who want to start their own businesses on a small scale.
In addition, remember that even though an area with smaller towns might seem nice at first, it won't be very happy for long if you make the decision to move there.