“The purpose of advertising is to increase the exposure of a business beyond what’s provided by its physical location. An extremely high Cost of Occupancy (rent) for a landmark location is often the least expensive advertising available. Businesses who save money by investing in weak locations always have to advertise much more heavily.” - Roy H. Williams
Your Cost of Occupancy (rent) should be designated as a line item in your marketing budget. This allows you to analyze your current location in terms of marketing investment:
Am I in a location with the best possible return on investment? What signage is allowed? How much drive-by traffic / foot traffic? How convenient is the parking for customers?
Ideally, your location will offer the best visibility and access for the least amount of rent or mortgage payments.
(Read original article The #1 Thing You Forget In Your Marketing Budget by Michele Miller, Wizard of Ads Partner at WonderBranding.com)