AIBU to choose a business location on gut feeling alone?

[Merseymum1980]

I have my own business, im considering three different locations (as current location ending).
There are three in the offering
Two make good business sense
The third doesnt however for some reason i have a really good feeling about the third but it doesnt make sense compared to the others..
Do i go with gut or my mind

What are the reasons it doesn’t make good business sense now?

How long have you been operating for? Is it a business that has brand loyalty, or rely on random footfall?

Unless you have money to throw away, go with your mind.
why doesn’t the third make sense and what gives you the gut feeling?

you need to give more details

It depends. If the ‘sensible’ option is based on it being a 10 min shorter commute to do admin on a business park, then by all means go for the one you love instead.

But if the ‘sensible’ option is to run an ice cream shop on a busy beach rather than in a deserted wilderness, then don’t.

Without context such as the type of business and the type of location for location 3, it’s impossible to give you sound advice.

But I happened across a YouTube video the other day of a bloke whose coffee shop had failed within a year of opening and the one thing that was blatant from the off was that the location and premises just weren’t right: no footfall, cramped, lack of light, etc.

Had he gone with the numbers and actually researched the area and the business type properly, he would doubtless have opened somewhere different and might yet be putting out a video about the reasons why his business succeeded.

So be cautious about your gut instinct. Maybe there is something about the premises that appeal to you more for intangible reasons like aesthetics. Far safer for your money to think about the differences between the 3 properties and think about how you can make one of the mathematically sensible options feel more ‘right’, than taking a punt on vibes.

I think reading this has opended up my eyes.
I think i liked the light, air of the location.
Its reasonably priced, ready to go and requires a lot less intial faff as the things i already have will fit/look nice there.
Its convenient for me due to being close to my ds school but its pretty far for most of my business users and not as nice an area.

Maybe now you’re clearer what you like, you can hang on for something similar in a better location? It may also help you to talk to commercial letting agents with a brief about what you’re wanting and ask whether they have anything in the pipeline that’s not yet up on their website.

Commercial property agents can be incredibly good at unearthing the right place once they have a decent understanding of what you want.

Worst case, getting a professional in to look at the lighting design for the new premises can also be a worthwhile investment if everything else about it is right.

Thankyou

Dont choose a location inconvenient to your customers because it's convenient to you. Suggest you take a really hard nosed look at it, from the pov of the market.

Your customers are unlikely to make a difficult journey on the basis it’s near your kids school. You have to decide if the other aspects of the premises are so exceptional that they will draw people in to an undesirable location - seems unlikely but you will know better. Do you already have regular clients you could survey?