Week Four: Picking A Location

     This week we are focusing on picking an area to start our club in. While we have previously done research as to where there is a need for a club, we have only begun to narrow down our choices. Right now we are looking for a city that has:

1. The right demographics- "Where there is no market there is no profit." We want to make sure we are in an area that is child friendly. If we are trying to build our club in an town that only averages 1.5 people per household, we will not be successful. Our club is targeting teenagers, therefore we are looking for an area with at least 15% of the population being under 18. The last factor we should examine is the average income. While we can always cheapen our club dues, more competition and training always is more expensive. 
2. Real estate- Being a first year club, it is highly unlikely for us to buy or build a facility. We want to make sure there is a variety of schools that we can rent gym time at. One other option we can explore is branching off an already existing club, or even see if there are any AAU (amateur athletic union) basketball teams with gyms. 
3. Little competition- One problem many businesses run into is believing that they will thrive the most with no competition. This is wrong! Many people do extensive research on an area before deciding to plant their businesses somewhere. Areas with no competition typically have a fatal factor. In addition, have direct competition can also benefit our club. We can offer a niche, or competitive edge, that will assist in attracting more athletes. 

            After the mutual feeling we should stay in the southern region, we begin to research the not to distant Bowling Green, Kentucky. We started by using the U.S. Census to look at the average household. We also researched the competition in the area and what we could do to gain more market share. We created a table to decide if Bowling Green would be the ideal location for us.

Factor	Ideal	Bowling Green
People per household	x > 1.5	2.34
People under 18	x > 15%	20.1%
Average income	x > $20,000	$34,036
Schools	x > 20	42 (with gyms)
AAU Teams with gym	x > 1	0
Competition (Clubs)	x < 3	1

(Bowling)

     While looking at Bowling Green, we found that it meets all our ideal factors except one. While it would be coveinent to have a gym to use, it is not a deciding factor. We were hoping for a higher average household income, but it is still almost $15,000 above our minimum. After discussion we decided to keep looking for other places to start our club, but keep Bowling Green in our possible locations. We would recommend keeping a table like the one above if you are trying to pick a location for your business. It is a simple way to see if a town meets your requirements and also view the pros and cons of each area!

"Bowling Green, Kentucky." (KY) Profile: Population, Maps, Real Estate, Averages, Homes, 
     Statistics, Relocation, Travel, Jobs, Hospitals, Schools, Crime, Moving, Houses, News, 
     Sex Offenders. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

"BRAVO." Volleyball Club. Mar. 2016. Web. 11 Mar. 2016. <http://www.bravovbc.com/>.

"Median Household Income (in 2014 Dollars), 2010-2014." Bowling Green City Kentucky  
     QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau" Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

"Schools Found near in Bowling Green, KY Save This Search Please Name Your Search 
     Save Close List | Map." Bowling Green Middle Schools, 1-25. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.