JM UNENALE vyD 39 859% 36% inlechome ness wer Ne WA ay a News:a ElieS heeSTA Interim Sysin Vet 4 etl Bobi N 137 MafXelLOID 19% F| ote iFacis 7% otes IN BY 144 Marsh -t 14% ~ Lifestyle And Location Can Add To A Bottom Line Somebusiness ownersthink thelifestyle offered by a location can be a businessasset for a numberof reasons,including employeeretention. (NAPSA)—Increasingly, the quality of life a community offers is becoming a factor when executives are deciding whereto locate a business. Manybelieve that if a location offers the right business benefits, such as access to resources, a skilled work force and transportation, then adding quality of life factors, such as a low crimerate, short commutes and access to the outdoors, can only enhance a company’s bottom line. Some business owners think the lifestyle benefits offered by a location can actually be a business asset for a number of reasons: Lower crime rate can mean fewer losses. Less pollution can translate into lower health care costs for employers andfewer sick days. Some think it’s easier to attract high-quality employees to a place their families will enjoy. Employee retention often goes up, and there can be an improved work ethic among workers who are working in a community where they wantto live. A number of employers contend it’s easier to attract a creative, more innovative workforce who place a high valueonlifestyle. If you already have developed a short list of places where you believe your company will succeed, lifestyle could be the decidingfactor. For example, when HewlettPackard was looking for a new location to launch its printer division in the 1970s, a vice president chose Boise, Idaho, because he thought the city would be a nice place for his family to live. While the executive had already screened the city—and several others—for low business costs, he was able to makelifestyle his final consideration. The printer division would go on to becomeone of HP’s most profitable business units. Lifestyle was also an important part of why the biotech firm Alturas Analytics stayed in the small city of Moscow, Idaho, instead of joining the biotech cluster in California. “You can’t place a value on quality of life,” said Alturas’ owner, Robin Woods. “And we’ve found that being in a smaller place doesn’t hamperourability to prosper.” To learn more, www.commerce.idaho.gov. visit
