So you are about to rent a shop or commercial property, and deciding between being on the ground floor or a higher floor, this guide will help you.
Choosing Between a Ground Floor or Second Floor
If you plan to open a shop to the general public, it is almost always a better choice to be on the ground floor for a few reasons –
- It is easier to attract maximum traffic to your location on a ground floor as the ground floor is more accessible
- It is generally easier for people to find, which means they are more likely to visit you
- Builds more awareness of your brand – even amongst people who haven’t heard of you before
- People are more willing to enter a ground-floor shop rather than commit to going to a second-floor retail outlet unless absolutely necessary
- People find it easier to go between the parking lot and a ground floor property, which makes it easier to get walk-in customers to your business
In all these instances, you would rather be on the ground floor to attract maximum customers to your business.
Considerations of a Ground Floor Commercial Lease
When you run any business, you have to look at all the pros and cons. Now that you’ve seen the advantages of a ground floor shop front, it’s time to consider some other factors.
- It is usually more expensive to rent a commercial property on the ground floor. But this could be offset by the fact that you are likely to attract more customers to your store.
- It is likely that you might have more customers so you will need to ensure the store is big enough to accommodate all customers without feeling too cramped. This again pushes up your costs.
- You will need an eye-catching storefront façade to attract all kinds of customers to your business so this must be a big factor when you first start out.
When you first start out your business, it is usually important to be on the ground floor since you are a relatively unknown player in the industry. If you have an existing business or are better known amongst your target audience, then you can probably get away with a second-floor commercial space. Again, this would depend entirely on your own circumstances and the nature of your business.
