Location

  • Factors affecting location including geographical factors, historical factors, cost, infrasturcture, labour.
  • External help for businesses choosing a location including financial assistance, advice and information.
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How geographical factors affect location decisions

  • Closeness to suppliers
  • Closeness to water/gas/reliable electricity supplies
  • Winds/weather - important for companies who may work outdoors or produce smoke pollution
  • Waste disposal - important for businesses that need to get rid of a lot of waste
  • Safety - important for businesses that that make dangerous products and so need to be far away from housing (e.g. a firework factory)
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How cost affects location decisions

  • How long will the site be needed?
  • Is it better to rent it or buy it?
  • Does the site need a lot of work?
  • Is it in an expensive area? - Does it need to be?
  • How much do you need to pay the local council?
  • Is there room to expand?
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How infrastructure and labour affect location deci

Infrastructure

  • Communication facilities - phone lines, internet access
  • Transport systems - roads, trains, the sea (for imported goods), airports
  • Ancillary businesses - these are helpful, additional businesses that can do things for you (like waste disposal companies or repair men). Are they local?

Labour

  • Supply - are there enough workers locally?
  • Skills - are the local workers adequate?
  • Training - are there training facilities nearby?
  • Wages - can the business afford to pay workers the amount needed to get them to work there? (Businesses may find they can pay workers less in areas of high unemployment)
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Financial assistance, advice and information

  • District councils have economic development officers to give advice
  • The RDC (Rural Development Commission) supports small businesses by providing training and other help like top up loans for businesses in rural communities
  • TEC (Training and Enterprise Councils) can give grants and interest free loans to new businesses
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Comments

Casey Barr

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Go on girl!

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