Blog

Site selection, demystified.

Practical guides on trade areas, zoning, traffic, and competition — written for owners, not analysts.

May 28, 2026 7 min read

How to Evaluate a Commercial Location Before Signing a Lease

A lease is a five-year bet on a street corner. Here's the homework national chains do before signing — and how to do it yourself in an afternoon.

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May 14, 2026 5 min read

Drive-Time vs. Radius: Why Trade Areas Aren't Circles

The classic '3-mile ring' analysis can be off by thousands of customers. Real trade areas follow roads, rivers, and rush hour — not a compass.

April 30, 2026 5 min read

Daytime Population: The Hidden Number Behind Successful Lunch Spots

Residential population tells you who sleeps near your site. Daytime population tells you who's hungry at noon. For restaurants and cafés, the second number wins.

April 16, 2026 6 min read

Reading Zoning Codes Without a Law Degree

C-1, MU-2, PD-H... zoning codes look like alphabet soup, but they decide whether your business can legally open. Here's a practical decoder.

April 2, 2026 5 min read

How Much Competition Is Too Much?

Zero competitors isn't automatically good, and five isn't automatically bad. The real question is demand per competitor inside your trade area.