subject: Starting a Local Business in Hampshire [print this page] Starting a Local Business in Hampshire Starting a Local Business in Hampshire
Hampshire is a county that offers fantastic opportunities for developing businesses. Offering major cities like Portsmouth, Southampton and Winchester, there are plenty of locations to set up and pool local talent to form your company's staff.
Whenever you are looking to start a business, in Hampshire or elsewhere, it is important to have a clear objective about where you want to go. If your company is looking to service a local requirement, then finding the ideal surroundings is essential. Work out where demand is highest and balance that against the costs involved.
To do this you need to do your market research. Go to Winchester, see what the people there are looking for and discuss whether there's a gap in the market for your proposed business. Hampshire is an extremely diverse county, blending the rural countryside, big sprawling cities and seaside towns. Therefore it has massive scope for any aspiring entrepreneur or business owner to get off the ground.
But you can find yourself with a good idea in a bad location. Therefore doing the research first - assuming you don't already have local business or aren't reliant on nearby custom - could save you a lot of heartache and money further down the road.
For instance, if you're looking to create a restaurant and want to base it in Portsmouth, you'll have to make sure that you have a good position within the city and have a unique selling proposition. There will be huge levels of competition for diners; therefore being just another eatery in an overcrowded marketplace will see you struggle.
With your business proposition confirmed and location established, you need to make sure that people are aware of you are and what you're doing. Even if you're just going to setup a small store in a quaint Hampshire village, it's important that you get the message out to your target audience.
The Internet provides a great opportunity to contact the wider world, but in terms of precise local targeting you need to be more pro-active. Say for instance you're setting up a shop in Liss. As a large village in the heart of Hampshire it has the potential for decent local trade. Whilst you could rely on passers by taking an interest, a proactive approach will help you secure a more concerted customer base.
To achieve this you need to do a little marketing. So deliver a few leaflets, advertise in the Petersfield Post or sponsor a local event. Whatever you do, it's important that you get your name out into the local community. With this done you can further develop an online presence, to help attract more business from further afield - if demand dictates.
Whatever your industry, there are opportunities aplenty in Hampshire. With excellent links to the rest of the country, including a short distance to London, decent rail network and Southampton International Airport, it's a place that offers huge opportunities for start-ups. So wherever you're setting up your local business in Hampshire and whatever you offer, do the research first, get some solid financial backing and finally good luck to you!
