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In this article:\nClaim your Google My Business listing\nGet customer reviews and respond to them\nAdd your restaurant to other online directories\nSteps to improve local SEO\nUse Google Ads\nThink about the last time you needed a new service or wanted to try a new restaurant. Where did you go to find it? If you said Google, then you’re right there with about 90% of your customer base. \nConsumers often ask Google first when they are searching for a cool new place to dine out. That’s why it’s so important that you know what you can do to promote your restaurant on Google and improve your search rankings. \nWe have some great tips to help you do just that. \nClaim your restaurant’s Google My Business Listing\nThe first thing you need to do to help your restaurant show up in what we call the local search results (also known as Google’s map pack) is to create and claim your Google My Business listing. \nGoogle My Business is a free platform that allows your business to show up better on Google, get customer reviews, and help guide customers to your restaurant. Most people’s phones are connected to Google Maps to get from place to place, so in order to help them get directions to your restaurant, you need to be on Google My Business. \nHere’s a quick guide to help: \nHow to claim your Google Business listing\nOnce you’ve created your restaurant’s Google My Business listing, be sure to include all of the following information on it to best support your customers:\nBusiness name\nBusiness address\nBusiness phone number\nCategory (what type of restaurant?)\nOpen hours (including any special holiday hours)\nWebsite\nRestaurant description\nPrice range\nPhotos of your restaurant, branding, and food\nGet more Google reviews and respond to them\nOnce your Google My Business listing is out there, it’s time to get some customer reviews for your restaurant. \nThe problem with online reviews is that happy customers don’t always think to leave you a review and unhappy customers are all too willing to go online and share their distaste. We have a few solutions to help with this. \n Simply let customers know you appreciate their feedback. Find the opportune moments to ask your customers to leave you a review on Google. \n Post “Rate us on Google” signage strategically throughout your restaurant. This can be in menus, in the lobby, or on the door on the way out. Just give a little reminder that you’d love your customers’ feedback on Google. \n Consider reputation management software. Solutions like this will help you streamline the process of getting your customers directly to your Google listing to leave you a review. \nOnce you have reviews coming in, it’s important to respond to them promptly. It’s also crucial to respond to all reviews–good or bad. Give those good reviews a personalized thank you message. Respond to the negative reviews with a sincere apology and ask the customer to reach out so you can resolve the issue. \nCheck out our guide on \nresponding to Google reviews\n for some deeper insights. \nAdd your restaurant to other online business directories\nGoogle My Business is not the only online directory that you should add your business to. One way to help improve your online visibility and increase your restaurant’s local rankings on Google is, ironically, to add your restaurant to other online directories. \nGoogle uses other references to your restaurant across multiple sites to help verify that your information on their platform is correct. The more reputable online directories that list your restaurant’s information accurately, the better chance you have to rank higher on Google. \nHere are a few directories and guides you can use to get started:\nHow to claim your Yelp business listing\nHow to create and claim your Facebook business page\n\nHow to add your restaurant to OpenTable\n\nGet even more listings for your restaurant with this article: \n24 free listing sites every restaurant should be on\nBoost your restaurant’s Google rankings with SEO\nBeyond adding your restaurant to other online directories, there are several things that you can do to boost your Google rankings through search engine optimization. Here are a couple suggestions to get you started. \nProvide well-written and relevant content on your website\nContent is king. In order to rank well organically on Google, your website needs to have good content that is valuable for your users and optimized well for the phrases that you want customers to find you with. \nMake sure your contact information is listed on your website\nProvide valuable information about your menu and prices with lots of photos\nStart a blog that offers free tips for people whether or not they choose to visit your restaurant\nGet other websites to link to yours\nA huge factor in ranking higher on Google is getting other websites to link to your website. When another website links to yours, it sends trust signals to Google that help them to know your website can be trusted by their users. \nTry out some of these ways to get links to your website:\nGet involved in your community. Host local events, sponsor community sports teams, get involved with non-profit organizations. This kind of involvement will likely result in mentions on the websites of these organizations. \nGet into the local news. When local news organizations do a story on your restaurant, be sure to ask them to link to your restaurant in their online article. \nGuest post on other blogs in the food industry. Within the bio for your guest article, link back to your website. \nGo deeper: \n15 free tips for better search rankings\nTry advertising your restaurant on Google\nGoogle has some powerful advertising capabilities that you should definitely take advantage of for your restaurant. \nWhile traditional SEO takes a lot of time and effort to show up at the top of the search results, Google Ads can place your listing near the top—if you pay for it. \nGoogle Ads have great targeting capabilities, so you can select the target audience for your restaurant—location, age, interests, other demographics—to show your ads to the customers who will most likely visit your restaurant. \nGoogle Ads are pay-per-click, which means that you pay a specific cost each time a user clicks on your ad. So it’s important to make sure that the cost you are paying will result in profits. \nLet’s say it costs $1.50 for each click your ad gets and you only get a new customer for every 20 clicks that your ad receives. That’s $30 to convert one customer with your ad campaign. If you have a higher-end restaurant where customers pay this much or more for a meal, it may well be worth it, especially if they turn into a repeat customer. \nJust do the math as you determine the costs and decide if the investment is worth the return. \nUltimately, you’ll get a better return on your investment with organic SEO because the efforts you take with this strategy compound over time and stick with you even if you stop doing SEO. With Google Ads, you might see immediate results, but as soon as you stop paying for those ads, your restaurant will no longer be showing up well in Google search results. \nThis is why Google Ads are a great supplemental strategy to help you show up on Google while you’re starting up your SEO efforts.\nRead more: \nGoogle Maps advertising for local business\n

5 ways to promote your restaurant on Google

In this article:\nWhich types of reviews can be removed from Yelp\nHow to flag Yelp reviews for removal\nWhy you shouldn’t be paralyzed by a bad Yelp review\nHow to improve your online reputation\nA bad Yelp review of your business can leave you feeling powerless—and for good reason. You’ve worked hard to build a good business and serve your customers. But since 9 out of 10 people report that they trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from family or friends, online reviews can have a real effect on small business revenue. \nWhen business owners receive a bad Yelp review, they often ask: “How do I remove Yelp reviews?” or “Can I turn off Yelp reviews for my business?” Think about it: if someone walked around in front of your business with a huge sign saying “Don’t shop here!” you’d probably try to have them arrested.\nUnfortunately in our new digital marketspace, anyone and everyone can say pretty much whatever they want about your business, with a few exceptions (which we’ll discuss later). \nSo, is it possible to remove Yelp reviews?\nIn some cases, yes, but the issue is a complicated one.\nYelp will remove reviews if you can definitely prove that they violate \nYelp’s review policies\n, and the onus is on you to do so. We’ll elaborate those policies in a moment, but first let’s clarify what types of reviews you \ncan’t\n remove from Yelp.  \nYou can’t ask Yelp to remove reviews simply because you feel they are negative, “mean,” unfair, or even if you feel the customer totally misrepresented their experience.\nIf Yelpers actually patronize your business and simply share their experiences, then it’s a good bet those reviews aren’t going anywhere. In fact, Yelp’s policies specifically state, “We don’t take sides when it comes to factual disputes.”\nIf the majority of your negative reviews would likely be described as “factual,” the most effective approach is to assume the review is legitimate, engage the customer in good faith, and attempt to resolve any issues you can.\nYou might also like: \nHow to respond to negative reviews\n\nWhat types of Yelp reviews can be removed?\nWhile you can’t remove Yelp reviews just because they’re negative, Yelp may remove reviews they determine have violated their content guidelines.\nLet’s take a look at the 7 main types of reviews that Yelp prohibits:\nInappropriate content: Threats, harassment, lewdness, hate speech, and other displays of bigotry.\n\nConflicts of interest: Reviews of your own, your friends’, or your relatives’ business, or reviews of your peers or competitors in your industry, or of businesses in your networking group. \nPromotional content: Yelp generally frowns upon promotional content in reviews.\nIrrelevant content: Rants about a business’s employment practices, political ideologies, or other matters that don’t discuss the consumer experience. \n(Ostensibly, fake Yelp reviews would fall under this category, but we can find nothing in Yelp’s official documentation that says they will remove “fake reviews.” However, there is some reference to reporting “questionable” reviews and they will ostensibly be removed if Yelp deems them fake.)\nViolations of privacy: Other people’s private information, or close-up photos or videos of other patrons posted without their permission are prohibited, as well as posting other people’s full names (unless the business is known by or commonly shares their full name).\nIntellectual property: Content stolen from other sites or users. \nDemands for payment: Yelpers may ask for a refund, but may not not use removing or posting your review as a way to extract payment from a business, regardless of whether they’ve been a customer.\nObviously anything else that is illegal to post online in general should also be flagged if you find it in a Yelp review. \nHow to remove Yelp reviews that violate the content guidelines\nIf you’re sure that a review of your business violates Yelp’s content guidelines, you should definitely report it. You can read our “\nhow to remove Yelp reviews\n” article for details, but the TL;DR version is click the “flag” icon next to a desktop review, or click the three dots to the right of a mobile review and select “report review.”\n\nIt can take several days for Yelp to evaluate the review, so you’ll need to be patient. And you may not receive a response at all. But you will likely eventually receive a response from Yelp about the status of the reported review and a decision about whether or not they will remove it. If you disagree with the decision, you can contact them and resubmit the review for reevaluation.\nWhy a bad Yelp review may actually be a good thing\nStudies have revealed that negative reviews aren’t nearly damaging as business owners might fear.\nIn one study, businesses whose reviews were only 0% to 5% negative actually earn 21% LESS in annual revenue than the average business, while those whose reviews were 10% to 25% negative earned the most revenue.\nThere are several probable reasons for this, but one likely reason is that when people are searching for local businesses online, they may be used to seeing a certain amount of negative reviews in order to feel confident in patronizing a new business. \nBusinesses should use a bad review as an opportunity to not only improve their products and services, but to show potential customers their good character by posting a thoughtful, helpful response to a bad review.\nSurprisingly, data shows that even businesses whose reviews were \nup to 50% negative\n earn nearly the same as the average overall business. Additionally, of all the major review sites in the study, a low rating on Yelp correlated with the smallest drop in average revenue, which suggests that people may be more accustomed to seeing negative reviews and lower ratings on Yelp than on other review sites.\nneon yelp sign for remove reviews\nDon\n’\nt be paralyzed by a bad Yelp review, but take it seriously\nIt’s helpful to know that Yelp does have guidelines in place to help guard your business against the worst types of online behavior. But remember that it’s not likely that you’ll be able to remove Yelp reviews from your listing most of the time.\nNo matter how harsh a review might be, we always recommend that you treat your Yelp reviews like you would an in-person complaint. Take such reviews seriously, take the high road, and follow our guidelines for \nhow to respond to bad reviews\n, and you can often turn the conversation around and come out looking even more credible and reputable than before.

7 types of Yelp reviews that can be removed (and why bad reviews might be a good thing)

In this article:\n15 local business resources in Atlanta, GA\nAs you’re looking to start or improve your small business in Atlanta, you may be wondering where to start. There is a lot that goes into creating and maintaining a successful business, and sometimes we just aren’t aware of everything that we should be. \nThroughout this article, we’ll provide you with resources to help guide your entrepreneurial journey. Learn the best places to go to learn more about business management, funding your startup, networking, and much more. \nWe’ve broken this list down into five categories to help you easily find the resources you need for your Atlanta business:\nComprehensive business resources\nBusiness mentors and courses\nFinancial resources\nLocal chambers of commerce\nRecruitment and employment resources\nComprehensive business resources in Atlanta, GA\nThis first category includes comprehensive business resources that will help you in every aspect of starting and running your small business. \nCity of Atlanta\nThe City of Atlanta has an in-depth “\nHow to Start Your Business\n” guide with a list of all the resources you will need to start a business in Atlanta. From the best places to get funding to the licensing and permits you’ll need. \nTo contact the city:\nAtlanta City Hall Annex
55 Trinity Ave SW
Atlanta, GA 30303\nPhone: 311 or (404) 546-0311
Website: \nhttps://www.atlantaga.gov/doing-business\nYou may also like: \nTop questions to ask before you start a business\n\nGeorgia Small Business Administration (SBA)\nThe U.S. Small Business Administration seeks to help small businesses grow and thrive across the nation. The Georgia District Office runs the SBA branch in Atlanta to help further the economic development of this area. \nThrough this office, your small business can receive business counseling, guidance on business loans, training, and even federal contracting (when applicable). \nGeorgia District Office
233 Peachtree Street, NE Suite 300
Atlanta, GA\nPhone: (404) 331-0100
Website: \nhttps://www.sba.gov/offices/district/ga/atlanta\nAtlanta Business League\nThe Atlanta Business League seeks to help with the growth, creation, and development of small businesses owned by African Americans in the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area. They provide business meetings and seminars for local networking opportunities. \nThis organization also offers membership benefits such as:\nDiscounted ad placements\nReferrals\nExpanded networking events\nAtlanta Business League also has collaborated training and events with Clark Atlanta University, Georgia SBA, Goodwill of North Georgia, and the Georgia Minority Business Development Center. \nContact:\nAtlanta Business League
931 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30314\nPhone: (404) 584-8126
Fax: (404) 584-0445
Website: \nhttps://atlantabusinessleague.org/\n\nBusiness mentors and courses in the Atlanta area\nThe following resources provide training programs and mentorship opportunities for small business owners and entrepreneurs in Atlanta, GA. \nSCORE Atlanta\nSCORE Atlanta has more than 100 business mentors in the Atlanta metropolitan area who are ready to help. You don’t have to learn how to start your business on your own. You can get free mentoring, attend low to no-cost local workshops, and take advantage of a list of free resources that SCORE Atlanta keeps up to date on their website. \nContact:\nAtlanta SCORE
233 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30303\nPhone: (404) 331-0121
Email: admin.0048@scorevolunteer.org
Website: \nhttps://atlanta.score.org/\nThe Atlanta Business Alliance\nThe Atlanta Business Alliance creates networking and mentorship opportunities for Atlanta business owners. They host a weekly forum for businesses to gain education, share business experiences, and make new professional connections. \nContact the ABA\n for an invitation to attend their weekly meetings, held every Tuesday at 7:30 am at The Georgian Club. \nUrban League of Greater Atlanta Entrepreneurship Center\nThe Urban League of Greater Atlanta has an entrepreneurship center that focuses on raising economic self-reliance in individuals. They offer training classes, one-on-one consulting, and additional resources. \nThey want to help business owners take a business from the pre-venture stages to growing enough to hire employees and beyond. \nContact:\nUrban League of Greater Atlanta TEC
229 Peachtree St NE #300
Atlanta, GA 30308\nPhone: (404) 659-1150
Website: \nhttps://ulgatl.org/the-entrepreneurship-center/\n\nAtlanta Small Business Development Center\nThe Small Business Development Center seeks to boost the local economy by providing business owners with the resources they need to succeed. \nThey offer specialized training for experienced entrepreneurs and break it down to the basics for those who are just starting out. They have workshops, training programs, and mentors to help business owners every step of the way. \nContact:\nAtlanta SBDC
75 Piedmont Ave, NE, Suite 700
Atlanta, GA 30303\nPhone: (404) 413-7830
Website: \nhttps://www.georgiasbdc.org/atlanta-office/\nFinancial resources for Atlanta businesses\nStarting your small business may require some financial assistance. So, we’ve included some helpful places that you can contact to help fund your new venture. \nInvest Atlanta\nInvest Atlanta holds seminars and offers informational resources to help you learn more about the business loan process. They also keep an updated list of local and state business loan opportunities that your small business may be eligible for. \nContact:\nInvest Atlanta
133 Peachtree St. Ne, Suite 2900
Atlanta, GA 30303\nPhone: (404) 880-4100
Website: \nhttps://www.investatlanta.com/businesses/small-businesses/small-business-loan-programs\nACE – Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs\nACE provides small businesses in Georgia with small business loans as well as business coaching to help ensure success. With financing and education, ACE has been able to loan more than $69 million to entrepreneurs since 2000. \nObtain a loan up to $50,000 when you meet \nACE requirements\n. \nContact:\nACE – Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs
504 Fair Street SW
Atlanta, GA 30313\nPhone: (678) 335-5600
Email: info@aceloans.org
Website: \nhttps://aceloans.org/\nSBA Loans Atlanta\nSBA Loans Atlanta is powered by Signature Bank and partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Georgia District Office to help Atlanta businesses get the capital they need to start successful ventures.\nThey have several loan options and a quick online application process to help make loan acquisition simple and convenient. \nContact:\nSignature Bank
6065 Roswell Road
Sandy Springs, GA\nPhone: (404) 609-0234
Website: \nhttps://www.sbaloansatlanta.com\nLocal chambers of commerce\nLocal chambers of commerce all seek to further the economic development of their communities. Through membership benefits, networking events, marketing resources, workshops, and much more, local chambers help small businesses get started on the right foot. Contact one or more of the following chambers in the Atlanta area to see what resources are available to your business. \nMetro Atlanta Chamber\n191 Peachtree Street N.E. Suite 3400
Atlanta, Georgia 30303\nPhone: (404) 880-9000
Website: \nhttps://www.metroatlantachamber.com/\nGeorgia Chamber\n270 Peachtree St Nw
Atlanta, Ga 30303\nPhone: (404) 223-2264
Website: \nhttps://www.gachamber.com/\nCobb Chamber\n1100 Circle 75 Pkwy. Suite 1000
Atlanta, GA 30339\nPhone: (770) 980-2000
Website: \nhttps://cobbchamber.org/\n\nYou may also like: \nChamber of commerce basics, what they do, and why you should join\n.\nRecruitment and employment resources in Atlanta, GA\nWhether you need employees from the get-go or you plan to grow your business, you’ll want to be aware of the local recruitment resources available to you. List your job openings with these resources and gain an education on the obligations that you will have as an employer. \nEach of these organizations can provide you with additional resources regarding tax and payroll laws, compliance, and tips for recruiting new team members. \nGeorgia Department of Labor\nVisit the \nEmployer Page\n with the Georgia DOL to learn more about recruitment opportunities and gain valuable recruitment resources. \nMetroAtlantaJobs.com\n\nMetroAtlantaJobs.com\n will help you find the best candidates, promote your brand, and they provide regular webinars for recruiting tips and compliance. 

Atlanta: 15 best local resources to help small businesses

In this article:\n9 events in Atlanta, GA in 2022 that your business should know about\nStart your year off right by planning out the events your business will participate in this year. Community involvement and business conferences are a great way to inspire your team and help grow your business. \nCheck out these events in the greater Atlanta area that your business should know about and get ready for. \nPLEASE NOTE: We have made every attempt to be accurate in our information but as you can imagine, due to the continuing effects of the the COVID-19 pandemic, everything is still in flux. Please consult the websites for the individual events and confirm the status of the events you wish to attend.\nGreater Atlanta Biz Expo\nWhen: February 22, 2022\nThis event is coming up quickly, and your business should attend and gain some valuable new connections. Learn about new products and services that can help your business grow.\nThis event is free to the general public. Fees are only associated for exhibitors who would like to put up a booth.\nFor more info or to become an exhibitor, email \nGreaterAtlantaBusinessExpo@gmail.com\n.  \nTo learn more about the event times and activities, visit \neventbrite.com\n. \n\nFuture Festival Atlanta\nFuture Festival Atlanta\nWhen: May 20, 2022\nFuture Festival Atlanta is back for 2022! Visit \nfuturefestival.com\n or email \nconference@trendhunter.com\n.\nThis is the top innovation conference in Atlanta, GA. Leading business professionals such as NY Times Bestselling Author Jeremy Gutsche have been previous presenters to inspire you to have your best year ever. \nAt the event, you can engage in one-on-one sessions with business consultants, attend workshops, learn from top-tier innovators, and attend the “future party” to end the day and have some fun. \nBuy your tickets now at \nfuturefestival.com\n.\nAtlanta Dogwood Festival\nWhen: April 8-10, 2022\nThe Atlanta Dogwood Festival is back for 2022! Watch for more updates at \ndogwood.org\n.\nAtlanta’s Dogwood Festival was established more than 80 years ago as a celebration to welcome the spring and appreciate the beautiful dogwood trees that surrounded the area. \nSince then, more dogwood trees have been planted and the festival has continued strong throughout the years (with the exception of some time when it was discontinued due to World War II). \nNow people come from near and far, and your business should too. Whether you set up a booth at the festival or simply join in on the fun by getting involved with the community and promoting the event, you need to know about this awesome experience that Atlanta has to offer.  \ndogwood tree in blossom for local business events Atlanta\nHaven Conference\nWhen: July 21-23, 2022\nThe 2022 Haven Conference is on! Visit \nHavenConference.com\n for info and tickets. For more updates, follow their \nFacebook page\n.\nThe Haven Conference is an event for entrepreneurs to connect with like-minded people, learn new skills, and grow their brand. You can become an exhibitor at this conference or sponsor the event to help others learn and expand their businesses, or you can attend the event yourself to further develop your own business skills and relationships. \nDragon Con\nWhen: September 1-5, 2022\nFlaunt your inner nerd at this awesome Atlanta, GA event. While this event is geared toward a specific audience (and local comic book stores will definitely benefit), the more than 50,000 fans that gather are going to need businesses to support them.\nFrom food and drinks to lodging and entertainment to professional and local services, Atlanta’s small businesses can really profit during big events like this. \nSo mark your calendar and think up some fun ways that you can incorporate this event into your marketing and promotions this fall. \nLearn more and sign up for the Dragon Con newsletter at \ndragoncon.org\n. \nstormtroopers at dragon con parade for local business events\n\nYellow Daisy Festival\nWhen: September 8-11, 2022 \nIt’s back for 2022! Get info, tickets, and check back for updates at \nstonemountainpark.com\n.\nBecome a vendor for the annual Yellow Daisy Festival to attract new customers and grow your business! This festival is one of the nation’s top arts and crafts shows and has won multiple awards from the Southeast Festival and Events Association. \nSet up shop at the festival for a few days or be prepared for the crowds that this festival will bring. Always think of ways that your business can get involved with events such as these whether that’s volunteering or coming up with some creative deals in the theme of the event. \nLearn more at \nstonemountainpark.com\n. \nNorth Georgia State Fair\nWhen: September 22-October 2, 2022\nThe North Georgia State Fair is the largest fair in the metro Atlanta area with its nearly 300,000 attendants each year. Become a sponsor of the fair or set up a vendor exhibit to attract new customers. \nShow off your stuff and enjoy the fun festivities that this fair has to offer, from the food and games to the other vendor booths. Connect with other businesses and boost company morale with a day at the fair for your team members. \nLearn more about becoming a vendor at \nnorthgeorgiastatefair.com\n. \nSmall Business Expo Atlanta\nWhen: December 1, 2022\nThe Small Business Expo is a free one-day networking event for small business owners across the U.S. The Atlanta event will be held at the Cobb Galleria Centre this year. \nEven if you haven’t started your small business yet, this is a great event to make new connections and get inspired to get going. \nTake part in awesome workshops, listen to inspirational keynote speakers, and become an exhibitor to gain an even large impact. \nRegister for free or learn more about becoming an exhibitor at \nthesmallbusinessexpo.com\n. \nNew Year’s Eve Peach Drop\nWhen: December 31, 2022\nWhile the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled, Atlanta hopes to bring back this tradition and make it bigger and better in 2022.\nEvery year for the past 30 years (except the past couple of years), Atlanta holds the Peach Drop to celebrate the new year. Carnival rides, live music, family entertainment, and an arcade are just some of the fun. National acts and celebrities perform at this annual event, drawing in attention from near and far. \nMost of the local restaurants, bars, and other entertainment venues stay open until the morning hours of the new year and benefit from the celebration. \nHop on this fun event with your business by joining in. Stay open late with fun activities throughout the night, offer sweet deals and discounts throughout the day, and share all about it on your website and social media channels. \nBe sure to keep your eyes out for announcements of when and where they’re bringing back the Peach Drop!


9 Atlanta area events that can be great for your small business in 2022

In this article:\nExamples of commercial space rent by city across the US\nWhy “the average cost of rent for a small business” is not always helpful\nRent to income ratio considerations\nWhat percentage of your business should be spent on rent by industry\nThe “unit cost” method of determining what you might pay for rent\nIf you’re considering renting business or office space for the first time, or perhaps the owner of a growing business wanting to move to a larger commercial space, this article is for you. \nIf you’re a current business owner wondering if your rent is too high, please read our article: \nLocal business owners: Are you paying too much in rent?\nWe’ll discuss the “average cost of rent for small business” in several metro areas, and we’ll show you why this isn’t the most helpful way of determining what you might expect to pay for rent.\nYou’ll also learn how to use unit economics calculations to determine if your business is profitable enough to start paying rent for commercial space. \nThe average cost of rent or office space for a small business varies widely, even within cities\nWhen you’re trying to estimate how much business rent might be in your area, it’s helpful to try to research the average rent for a small business in your area.\nStart by asking around your proposed area to get some idea of what it MIGHT cost you to do this. Of course, since the three most important things in real estate are (you guessed it) location, location, location, you will likely find widely varying rent figures depending on how good the location has been determined to be (and on your industry).\nlocal shop for rent for retail or restaurant\nYou should also consult with your local real estate brokers (as well as local business owners) to get a better idea of how much you might expect to pay. Be sure to clarify whether they’re quoting you the price per square foot PER YEAR, or per month. \nIt’s common to use the yearly figure but some industries or realtors might standardize on a monthly figure. For our purposes we are going to assume that the price per square foot is the \nyearly\n price unless stated otherwise.\nIf you want a prime storefront with lots of exposure and traffic in a typical suburban area, you can expect to pay quite a bit more, even more than double, what it might cost you a few blocks away. \nThe “good spot” in a popular shopping area might be $25 per square foot, while a less swanky location could be $10 or $11.\nSo for 2,000 square foot of retail space, you’re looking at a potential rent cost difference of $30,000 per year ($2,500/month) in this example, based solely on location. \n(Yearly price per sq. ft. x square feet ÷ 12 months = monthly rent)\nThe additional revenue generated by a prime retail location could make the extra cost of rent worth it, but it might not. You’ll need to examine your revenue and determine that for yourself (see below).\nBe sure to ask about additional charges, insurance, and taxes over and above your commercial rent\nIMPORTANT NOTE: Most commercial landlords will also charge you for “common area maintenance” (CAM), which is your portion of the cost for maintenance of the building, parking lot, etc. \nThey may also charge you for property tax, utilities, and your portion of the insurance premium they pay for the space. \nIn addition, for prime locations, a landlord may ask you to pay a percentage of your gross monthly revenue, or a percentage of revenue over a base amount (anything over $40,000 per month, for example).\ncommercial lease agreement for small business or office space\n\nThese extra charges can potentially be hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month, so make sure you read the fine print carefully before you sign your commercial lease.\nExamples of average cost for business rent per square foot by metro area\nEven though you need to talk to a commercial realtor in your area to get actual figures, we can provide some idea of the average rent per square foot for several metro areas across the US.\nInc. has a helpful interactive \ncommercial rent infographic\n that gives their data for some of the larger metro areas, so have a look around and see if your locale is listed.\nEntrepreneur’s data is a couple of years older, but they published \naverage commercial rent per square foot\n that can give you a ballpark idea, from the low $20s per square foot in Dallas and Atlanta, to around the $30s in Boston, Miami, LA, Seattle, Chicago, and Houston, climbing to the $50s for DC, and into the $60s and $70s for San Francisco and New York.\nNote: Inc. cites numbers closer to $40/sq. ft. for New York City and San Francisco for retail space, which highlights the need to do your own research to get a more accurate idea of what business rent should be in your area.\n\nHowever, if you are trying to decide whether it makes sense for you to move to your first (or a larger) rented business space, you really need to determine the “unit economics” of your small business.\nUnit economics is a more helpful and accurate approach than “average business rent in my area”\nLet’s look at a few theoretical examples to help illustrate the concept of unit economics:\nLet’s say you sell dinguses. One dingus costs you $5 to make (or purchase), stock, and sell. You sell the dingus for $10 retail. Looking at the unit economics, we see a 50% profit margin. \nWe can also look at things in terms of cost of acquisition of a customer (CAC). Let’s suppose you have done the math and determined that for you to acquire one customer, it costs you $30, between product cost, marketing campaigns, employee expenses, and overhead. Your data shows the average customer typically spends $65 per visit. Looking at the unit economics in this example, your CAC is pretty high, but still positive.\nNext, let’s look at rent. We’ll assume one square foot of commercial space costs you $6 per month, and your average monthly gross revenue is $48,000. If your space is 1,000 square feet, that’s $6,000 a month in rent. Run the calculation ($6,000 monthly rent ÷ $48,000 monthly gross revenue) and your rent is 12.5% of your monthly gross income.\nLet’s look more closely at this last example to tell if your small business rent would be prohibitively high based on your revenue and estimates of commercial rent in your area.\nWhat percentage of a small business’s revenue should be rent?\nTo calculate this price to commercial rent ratio, we’ll look at some common “verticals” (types of businesses) and the typical rent levels of each. Keep in mind the following percentages are rough estimates and are not exact, but you might find them helpful in planning or benchmarking.\nRestaurants: Generally, a restaurant’s total occupancy cost (rent and additional fees for property taxes, insurances, etc.) should not exceed 6-10% of gross sales. (\nsource\n)\nHair salons: Combined commercial rent and property taxes for hair and nail salons range from 3% for a more remote location to 10% in a popular, well-established mall. (\nsource\n)\nLaw firms: Law offices may expect to spend 6-7% of gross revenue on rent, but this can climb as high as \n15%\n for a prestigious address. (\nsource\n and \nsource\n)\nRetail stores: Retailers should aim to spend no more than 5-10% of gross annual sales on rent. (\nsource\n)\nAuto shops: A typical full-service auto shop spends 12-13% of annual gross revenue on rent. (\nsource\n)\nThe next thing we need to look at is your gross sales. How much money did your business make last year? What was the total sales for each month? Lots of small business owners know this figure very well, and if you don’t, you should.\nFinally, you need to know (or estimate, based on your local research), your business’s square footage and rent cost.\nCalculate how much your business should pay for rent\nGross sales ÷ square footage = sales per square foot\nIf your average monthly gross sales are $15,000 and you are considering renting a 2,000 square foot retail space, then your sales per square foot would be $7.50.\nIf monthly rent works out to be $2/square foot, divide your monthly rent per square foot by your sales per square foot to determine your percentage of income that would go toward rent.\n2.00 ÷ 7.50 = 26.6%\nIf this number is higher than the average for your vertical—retail shops, in this example, at 5-10%—then you can be confident you would be paying too much in rent.\nIn our example, for every $7.50 in revenue that a square foot generates, $2.00—or more than one-fourth—would be going to the landlord. This is waaaay too much, according to the industry average.\nHowever, if you think you can sell the same amount out of a \n1,000\n square foot space, then your rent would be around 13% of your gross revenue. This is still more than you should pay as a retailer, but much closer to the industry benchmark.\nThe calculation above shows the unit economics of your rent, broken down into the revenue and expense of a single square foot. \nWhy is this important? Because you can use the unit economics of your proposed space to decide whether you can afford to cover the cost of a business lease, or whether you should try to make your business more profitable first.\nSources:\n
\nhttps://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/how-much-does-it-cost-to-rent-an-office-in-your-city/246857\n
\nhttps://www.inc.com/magazine/201806/michelle-cheng/how-rents-change-cities-real-estate-prices.html\n
\nhttps://www.thebalancemoney.com/what-it-costs-to-rent-a-building-space-2890493\n
\nhttps://smallbusiness.chron.com/much-business-space-cost-rent-62366.html\n
\nhttps://www.thebalancemoney.com/commercial-lease-calculations-tools-2866566\n

How much does it cost to rent space for a small business?

In this article:\n10 events that Washington DC area businesses need to know about this year\nWhich DC events may be cancelled or rescheduled?\nEvents like business conferences, festivals, and local community happenings can help you grow your business. You and your employees (if any) can develop more skills at a business expo and you gain increase brand awareness and grow sales by participating in community events. \nWe’ve found several Washington, DC area events that you should add to your business calendar. Check them out and see which ones make the most sense for you and your small business. \nPLEASE NOTE: We have made every attempt to be accurate in our information but as you can imagine during the lingering impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, everything is still in flux. Please consult the websites for the individual events and confirm the status of the events you wish to attend.\nSAME Small Business Conference\nWhen: February 24, 2022\nThe 14th Annual Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) DC & Northern Virginia Post Small Business Conference brings together state, local and federal agencies and businesses throughout the DC and Northern Virginia area to network, discuss upcoming contracting opportunities, connect with potential teaming partners, and more!\nGet tickets and info at this \nEventbrite page\n.\nNational Business Federal Contracting Summit \nWhen: March 9-10, 2022\nThis summit helps small businesses secure federal contracts through networking with federal agencies and prime contractors. \nAt the summit your team can gain valuable education and insights into current trends and opportunities for small business contractors, including legal education and information about threats to contractors. \nThis event will help you make new connections and set a course for the future. \nLearn more about the event and register at \nasbcc.org\n.\nSmall Business Expo (virtual)\nSmall Business Expo is Washington, D.C.’s BIGGEST virtual business networking and educational event for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Join other passionate DC business owners virtually and learn how to increase revenue and grow your business.\nRegister at \nthesmallbusinessexpo.com\n.\nNational Cherry Blossom Festival\nWhen: March 20-April 17, 2022\nThe National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC starts in March and extends through mid-April. This is a great time for your business to embrace community traditions and get involved. \nTo get involved directly with this festival, your business can become a sponsor, volunteer, enter the \nretail window competition\n, donate something to the silent auction, and much more. \nYour team can also attend the various events together for some fun team bonding exercises. \nDeck out your store in pink and white cherry blossoms during this festival and offer fun deals that are themed around the events. \nLearn more about getting involved at \nnationalcherryblossomfestival.org\n.\ncherry blossom festival DC business events\nWashington International Strategic Leadership Conference\nWhen: June 12-14, 2022\nImprove your leadership skills and help your team grow into better leaders with this conference. Conference highlights include:\nPresentations around strategic decision-making and leadership\nPresentations on business development strategies and research works\nRound table sessions on strategic development\nLearn more and sign up for the event at \n10times.com\n.\nDigiMarCon America 2022\nWhen: July 7-8, 2022\nDigiMarCon was digital-only in 2021 but is back in person for 2022 in Washington DC. DigiMarCon is one of the nation’s largest digital marketing conferences and you won’t want to miss out. This 2-day event is comprised of sessions with the best thought-leaders in digital marketing. \nTopics of the presentations include, but are not limited to:\nDigital strategy\nUser experience\nMobile marketing and retargeting\nCustomer engagement\nEmail marketing\nContent marketing\nSearch engine marketing\nConversion rate optimization\nGeo-targeting\nPaid search marketing\nLearn more at \ndigimarconwashingtondc.com\n.\nArlington County Fair\nWhen: August 17-21, 2022\nThis fair is one of the largest free events on the east coast. Your business can become a vendor or exhibitor at the Arlington County Fair. This is a great opportunity to increase awareness of your business and gain new customers in your community.\nHave team members take turns manning your booth and give them some time to enjoy the fair and have some fun. \nAnother way your business can participate is by becoming a sponsor or volunteering at the fair. Learn more at \narlingtoncountyfair.us\n.\ncounty fair shops and ferris wheel DC area\nThe Atlantic Festival\nWhen: September 2022\nThe Atlantic Festival went virtual for 2020-21 but plans to return live in the Fall of 2022. Check back often for updates at \ntheatlanticfestival.com\n.\nThe Atlantic Festival gathers the biggest names in politics, business, tech, music, books, and more. For three days, this event tackles challenging issues with their celebrity guests and has several opportunities for entertainment as well. \nPast guests include John Legend, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Joe Biden, and Paul Ryan. \nGet involved by staying up to date on the event and keeping your customers aware of it on your social channels leading up to the festival, showing how engaged your business is with important topics and community events. \nDC Mac + Cheese Festival\nWhen: Fall 2022*\n*no exact date has been specified as of the time of this publishing\nDon’t miss out on the Mac + Cheese Festival. Some of the top chefs from around the nation come to share their expertise with local chefs. Local restaurants submit their own macaroni and cheese recipes to share with attendees and spread awareness of their delicious food.\nOther businesses that are not restaurants can become vendors or sponsors of this fun event. \nOn the day of the event, show your support and involvement by offering mac and cheese themed deals and discounts. Share that on your social channels and have fun with it.\nLearn more about becoming a vendor or sponsor  and check for schedule updates at \nwww.drinkeatmac.com\n.\nMac and cheese festival chefs for DC business events\n


149 articles found in “Growing your business”

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How much does it cost to rent space for a small business?

10 2022 Washington DC area events that can be great for your small business

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