Blog>Trade>Starting a Business>Top tips on how to choose your working area
Last updated: 8 January 2025
Top tips on how to choose your working area
There are a few aspects to consider when running a trade business, and one of them is where you work. When you choose your working area, you need to consider whether to keep it local or spread a wider net. But depending on the demand for work, it's not always viable.
How to choose your working area for maximum profit
One of the best bits about becoming your own boss is getting to choose your working/service area. Although it's tempting to take on everything and anything, taking on work closer to home makes a lot of sense.
Running your own business means you can:
Save money by reducing your travel costs
Enjoy a better work/life balance
Help do your bit for the environment
Build a local reputation
However, don't just take our word for it. Watch the video below for advice from our successful business owners who've been there and done it already.
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Should you stay local?
Okay, we get it. It's hard to say no when you're in the heady throes of a new business. But keeping it local is top-tier advice many of our tradespeople wish they'd taken on board when they started out.
Location in business is key, so it’s important to take some time to carefully consider where you’ll offer your services. Here are some things you’ll want to consider when deciding on your business location:
1. Affordability
It’s important to set an early budget when you’re location hunting. This means you won’t waste time looking at business locations you cannot afford.
2. Accessibility
You’ll equally want to make sure the location is easy to travel to.
3. Demographics
Demographics in your local area is another key thing to consider. It’s important you analyse the customer base in your chosen area to ensure there is sufficient service demand.
4. Potential for growth
When it comes to business location factors, consider whether, in your chosen area, your business will have room to grow and develop.
Growth strategy ideas for your business
Small business growth is the way ambitious tradespeople achieve greater profitably. There are lots of ways to grow – with plenty of challenges along the way. The starting point is to set out a small business growth strategy. A growth strategy creates a template for success. It’s a checklist of what
How far should I be travelling?
Selecting the right location for your business, and determining how far you want to travel are both crucial decisions.
To mitigate the extra time and costs to travel outside your catchment area, set boundaries and communicate these with customers.
For example:
A time cap of 15 - 30 minutes for travel (each way or round trip - you decide!)
You'll only service homeowners within a 20-mile radius
Longer trips inevitably mean higher expenses (for trips that require travelling for over 30 minutes, you could add a discretionary travel charge upon completion)
If you take on work further away, why not keep costs lower and reduce the environmental impact of your fuel? You can do so by buying or leasing an electric van.
Of course, it's entirely up to you how you choose your working area and go about setting your limits. You're the boss, after all, so it's your business, your rules. It also depends on competitor research, and whether you live in an area with a high demand for your services.
Also, be sure to keep receipts of fuel charges to claim back on your expenses at the end of the year.
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How to find local work
There are various ways to make yourself visible to your local community. Let's take a look at the best ways to do this.
Digital Marketing
Whether it's your website, Checkatrade profile, or your social media pages, it's important to make your content feel local.
In your content, you should mention your business location as well as where you operate. You can do this in:
Headings
Titles
Calls to action
An area map
Images that are local
All of this helps the algorithms to push you higher up the page ranking. That means that when your customers are searching for the services you can provide in their location, you'll show up.
Add a location map to your site and be sure to caption all of your images with your business location too. For instance, that goes with social media too, such as on:
Pinterest
TikTok
Facebook
LinkedIn
The point is to mention your business location in as many places as possible to generate more leads locally. For example, if you're an electrician who lives in Croydon, say you're a Croydon electrician.
Customer lead generation
Becoming a Checkatrade member also lets you choose where you work.
This means we only send you leads for the locations you choose. This stops you from wasting time replying to queries outside of your preferred catchment area.
You can also add your location to your Checkatrade profile, helping to attract customers who are interested in local tradespeople.
If you have national or regional coverage, then you should make sure to make your working area clear. Our example shows a map with 4 offices listed, covering most of the UK. As a locally based tradesperson, your map will likely not look the same.
Start building your local reputation
Pass our checks, get listed as a trusted tradesperson, and start getting local work
Local job sites
Post a job on your local job boards – if you aren't sure what these are, then searching online can help you find the best ones in your area.
Sections in local newspapers – real and online – often have job boards with work requests from people looking for tradespeople.
Print marketing
Ignore what you may have heard! Leaflets, posters, directory listings, and adverts aren't archaic marketing tools.
By making sure you're seen in print marketing mediums – when combined with an online campaign – you'll maximise your local exposure!
The trick is making sure your print marketing links up with your digital marketing presence. So get your digital house in order to make the most of all those paper leads.
Read our guide: Become your own boss for EVEN MORE information, and don't forget to check out our YouTube series below!
Did you find this article on how to choose your working area helpful? If so, check out our blog for more top-tier advice!
So, location in business is key, and it’s important you take the time to carefully consider your service area. And remember, bear in mind travel costs, demographics, as well as potential for growth when considering your options too.
It is important to be definite in your business location when you choose your working area. Make sure you factor in a radius, postcodes or region into your business plan, so that you can really plot your success.
Start building your local reputation
Pass our checks, get listed as a trusted tradesperson, and start getting local work
