Buying or leasing the right premises in the right location can make a huge difference to your chances of success as a business owner. One thing you must always bear in mind is the zoning restrictions that apply. However clever or needed your business idea is, you will have no luck if the authorities refuse you permission to run it in that particular zone.
Local authorities use zoning to signal what is and is not permitted in a particular area. For example, one zoning code might allow you to set up a hotel, while another would only allow permanent housing. One might allow you to set up a school, while another might prohibit schools, but allow factories.
It is easy enough to find the information that will tell you the zoning restrictions that a particular street, part of town or property falls under. Maybe you can’t set up a store on your preferred street but you can one street over.
Zoning variances are personal
One mistake that some business owners make concerns zoning variances. They assume that because a particular type of business is already legally operating in a location, they will be able to do the same or similar.
For example, you see a cafe in an otherwise residential-only street and assume you can set up on that same street to provide some competition. Maybe that will be allowed, however, you cannot just assume it will. Just because that business got a zoning variance, does not mean you will be able to.
Learning more about how these things work before you commit pen to paper on a contract is always wise.