Company w/ Multiple Locations

[tmdry]

I remember quite some time ago on ICS someone posted about having multiple locations for their business. This would be a different geographical area, say west and east coast.

Anyone has experience with this? If so, what is your take on it?

Opening different locations, could it work? too much hassle? etc.

We are thinking of opening a 2nd location 800-1000 miles away from ours, starting small, geared towards commercial work, some of the services would be sub out to other companies already established in town, till the company grows. We will still operate both companies at the same time w/ same name.


Your take on it.

Thanks

 

[Chris A]

800 miles? Sounds like a major PITA, why not go an hour out of your service area and capture a whole new market that way? Then you could still run trucks to one or the other if you had to.

 

[tmdry]

We do a hour out already w/ or w/out traffic.

Was looking to do in a different location. I have someone that takes all the calls, scheduling, etc for one location and i can do the other and vice versa.

 

[Brian R]

All depends on the area you are in and the area you want to be in.


Have you exhausted all the areas you are close to as far as advertising and all that?


I have a pretty good area set up here...growing by it's self ...so trying another area is an option.

Not to mention, the areas an hour or so away are not the demo I want to be in.


It may be cheaper to start an area somewhere else rather than jumping to the next level of advertising in the area you are in IE; TV, Radio etc.

If you can grow them at the same rate then it could be benificial.

 

[tmdry]

That's what I'm thinking.

 

[rick imby]

What are your goals?
Do you want to build a large company and your current local is just too small?

Do you think the other market is underserved?

What is your penetration of the local market? I believe a two or three truck operation in your own area would be a lot easier to manage than one 800 miles away.

If you cannot cheaply fly to your new location and have a relative to stay with you will spend a lot of time and money there training help and fixing their messups.

Are you going to build like the Purple truck --Hagopian? Or are you going to build like Greg Olson?

Have you thought about just selling your phone answering service to other o/o and working to build the business in your local area?

How much money can you make in the time it takes to drive 1600 miles. Two full days for a round trip. It says you are a one truck operation in your profile, Do you have someone to manage and GROW your current operation while you are gone? You will be gone a lot mentally and physically.

If you cannot fly cheaply and quickly to the new location and have a free place to stay when you get there I would shitcan this idea.