Small Business Estates
It has taken LED promoters quite a while to note
that the conventional approach to real estate development is not
necessarily adequate to deal with the needs of small businesses. From
the perspective of small businesses, conventional real estate tends to
be oversized. Responding to the needs of small businesses involves two
issues: smaller plots and specific buildings.
In conventional industrial estates, plots often are
much bigger than small businesses need and can afford. However, simply
cutting the plots to a smaller size is easier said than done as this
has repercussions on the road network and other elements of the
infrastructure. Small business estates will usually need a layout
which is different from that of industrial estates and much more
resembles that of residential neighborhoods.
In terms of buildings, a first issue is flexibility
and variability. Small businesses need little space, but that may
change over time. In a given building, it is useful to design it in a
way which permits the relocation of walls. Another issue is the
provision of costly specialized equipment which can be used jointly;
typical examples would be testing and measurement apparatuses.
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