Planes – Generally the public hates the noise of a nearby airport but wants the convenience of local flights to everywhere.  Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, Ocala is unlikely to have scheduled airline service.  The City’s airport website (http://www.ocalafl.org/airport.aspx) notes:

“Due to several factors including current runway length and strength, economic issues related to the operations of competing airports such as Gainesville, Orlando and Tampa Airport's, the likelihood of scheduled air carrier service returning to Ocala is unlikely.

The City intends to concentrate on operating the airport as a general aviation facility, improving the current infrastructures to levels designed to accommodate air cargo and other large non-scheduled aviation activities.”

The Ocala airport has a commerce park located next to it that is home to several businesses with room for many more.  This presents opportunities ranging from sites for your business to providing construction, machinery and fixtures, or services to other businesses locating there.

The general aviation activities at the airport provide an upscale marketing niche for businesses.  The Aircraft Owners and Pilot’s Association (www.aopa.org) notes that aircraft owners and pilots have more disposable income and higher education levels than the general public.  This may make them an ideal target market for your business.

Trains – When the 17^th Street overpass is completed in 12-18 months, CSX Railroad (www.csx.com) notes that the number of freight trains routed through Ocala will rise from an average of 21 a day to 33 per day.  While the overpass will eliminate the traffic backup on 17^th Street, all other roads with railway crossings will experience more frequent traffic backup.  As lack of ready access to a business often deters potential customers, this may have a negative effect on your business if you are located near a railroad crossing.  On the positive side, property values on such roads often fall after and increase in rail traffic. Findings consistently show that proximity to rail lines has a negative and statistically important influence on values.  (Growth and Change, Volume 37 Issue 3, pp. 460-488, September 2006)  If you are in the market for a location for your business and do not depend on the public coming to your site, you may find some bargains.

Automobiles – Growth brings increased traffic, and the Ocala area has experienced both.  While increased traffic creates business accessibility issues, it also presents new opportunities.  As a business owner, construction on your road will make it harder for new customers to find you and existing customers to access your site, but in the long run will help with both.  You need to be aware of planned road improvements at your location or any locations you plan to lease or purchase.  Marion County’s planned road improvements are available at: www.marioncountyfl.org/EN411/EN_Updates/EN_TIP2007-2012.pdf and will assist you in evaluating various business locations.

Traffic counts for various roads in Marion County are available at: www.ocalafl.org/uploadedFiles/COO_Departments/TPO/TPO_Files/2002-2006_Traffic_Count_Book.pdf and in addition to raw count numbers show the percentage change over a five year period.  Heavier traffic creates new business opportunities as consumers will choose a closer-in location rather than deal with traffic (and the cost of gasoline) to go to their “usual” vendor.

For existing vendors, this implies evaluating your current site in terms of where your customers live.  Their locations and traffic trends may dictate either relocating your business or opening a branch location.  For entrepreneurs, if in any given residential area people have to drive beyond a given number of miles and minutes for a service (deli, drycleaner, attorney, car wash, etc.) there is an opportunity to open one in the local area.