West Oak Lane, Pennsylvania is the quintessential Main Street town. While the town’s population of nearly 9,000 people is relatively small, it is home to several large companies. These include the world-renowned Hershey Company, the world’s largest chocolate manufacturer. Additionally, the town is home to the Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company, a division of Hershey. The company owns and operates two resorts, Hersheypark and Hershey Gardens. There are many reasons why launching your business in West Oak Lane, Pennsylvania would be an excellent decision.
The first reason to open a business in West Oak Lane, Pennsylvania is because of the sheer number of businesses that are already operating there. In fact, the city of West Oak Lane has the highest concentration of business per square mile of any town in Pennsylvania. With a business density of 2,095.8 businesses per square mile, West Oak Lane, Pennsylvania is home to more than twice as many businesses as the next closest town, Harrisburg.
The second reason to open a business in West Oak Lane, Pennsylvania is that the town has a high concentration of business owners who are successful. The average income of a person in West Oak Lane is $76,000. This is more than double the statewide average of $36,000.
Another important reason to open a business in West Oak Lane, Pennsylvania is that the town is home to a wide variety of retail and service businesses. The retail sector in the town employs more than 1,600 individuals, and more than 4,100 people work in the services sector. The services sector accounts for more than half of the jobs in the town. The retail sector includes grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, hair salons, and dry cleaners. The services sector includes financial institutions, insurance agencies, real estate firms, accountants, attorneys, and engineers.
Another reason to open a business in West Oak Lane, Pennsylvania is that the town is close to both Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Both Philadelphia and Harrisburg are approximately three hours away from West Oak Lane, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is approximately one hour away and Harrisburg is approximately two hours away.
Finally, the town is only 10 minutes away from Interstate 81, which connects it to I-95 and I-83. These three highways provide easy access to the surrounding cities, including the cities of Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg.
The most challenging decision of any startup company is where to locate its first office. For some, this is the only decision that matters — to determine whether a new company will thrive in its home market or flop in the face of competition. For others, it’s a decision that’s hard to make, as many people believe that location is immaterial. But in reality, location matters enormously.
Whether you’re considering a location for a new business or an expansion of an existing operation, you should look at two factors when choosing a location: the costs and the benefits of the location.
Costs
In most cases, the costs of setting up a new business are fairly straightforward to figure out. You’ll need to set aside money to rent office space, to pay for the services of accountants and lawyers, and so on. These are the costs that you need to consider when calculating the total cost of establishing your company.
Of course, you’ll have to pay for those services whether or not you establish your company in the location you select. But if you’re going to be able to find a location that fits your needs at a reasonable price, it makes sense to locate in that location.
Benefits
However, you won’t know how much the costs of the location will be until you get there and look around. This is especially true when it comes to determining the cost of a location.
The costs of operating a business are typically more difficult to calculate than the costs of setting it up. One of the first things that you’ll need to do is determine the number of employees that you’ll need to run the business. Depending on the size of your organization, you may need to hire accountants and lawyers, as well as IT and HR personnel.
These are the types of costs that you should consider when selecting a location. If the location has a great workforce and is located in a region that you’re interested in, it’s often worth paying the additional costs of locating there, even if the location isn’t exactly what you had in mind.