Living & New Business planned in Belfast / Northern Ireland areas?

I suppose a start would be looking at the demographics to see who your potential customer base is likely to include.

http://belfast.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm

I'm guessing homes with two better educated working adults would be a good target as they're more likely to be too busy to bother with the stuff you're aiming at and are likely to have the cash to afford it.

http://belfast.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm

Sun Tzu said a load of stuff that works for a lot of things, this paraphrase being handy for business, "Know your enemy".

https://www.yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchActio … =284595866

Hi Aussie Dreamer,
I am currently living in Belfast with my husband. We moved over here for a year or so to spend time with our three adult children, their respective partners and our lively little grandchildren (4 boys under three). Funnily enough all of our children ended up living here in Belfast for one reason or another.
We live out in the Bangor area which is a great area and has exactly what you might be looking for......a great marina, bustling village and easy commute to the city via train or bus.
Don't believe people when they say it rains a lot, there are heaps of calm still days where you can't see a leaf move......don't get me wrong, it's not New Zealand or Australia by any stretch of the imagination but it's certainly a better winter than it is in Wellington where you get lashed by the wind every day. I love the lack of wind here.!!
Summer....Mmmmm?? Not so sure they know what a good summer is like here but they can certainly purchase one cheaply anywhere in Europe if they want a good one.!!
Your business sounds to me like it would definitely work and if you back it up with excellent service I imagine you will be very sought after.  My experience here with tradespeople has left a lot to be desired to say the least.
I am still getting used to seeing all the small semi detached homes over here but thankfully we have leased a huge five bedroom stand alone home and I am a fan of their superbly insulated houses.
Hope I have answered some of your questions.
Cheers.

Thx WellieNZ

I so appreciate your reply filled with valued and appreciated Information on Living and Business  in Belfast. !

Living in England - near London; I've now got use to smaller compact homes.  We left behind in a USA Sale a mini mansion.  So we've downsized our living enormously.  But we are now empty nesters without pets. 
However, currently live in a larger home than most which includes a self contained 1 bedroom Rear yard Cottage with its own side of property access.  Has it's own mailbox and own separate Utility Bills to house. 

So I looked at renting in Belfast but soon discovered nothing currently available within 10 - miles.  One day it was 20 miles out from Belfast B4 anything to rent was available.  We'd welcome apartment living with water views in our next property.   As my business is run from home and customers will provide to cleaners their own cleaning equipment and cleaning products and staff are responsible for their own transport - creating a easy run home business model.  Plus flexibility for staff to grab public transport to and from job and work up to 16 hours over week during daytime hours M-F whist kids are at school is ok too.  The cleaner is self employed and will get paid at end of each completed job by their client.  Opening the door to many stay at home mums in need of some extra cash without effecting any benefits they may also earn. 

My business name and domain name is reserved registered and will be called: "CLEAN WITH ENVY"    Ltd. 
Thx again

My only friend living here in Reading, England is a Kiwi. Wellington. 
She married in May a Brit and relocated to live here.  She's young & finding it tough going.  Her heart is still in NZ I feel.  She's become More restless since the Brexit vote and Winter hasn't helped.   Despite it being a mild winter to date.  Cardiff, Wales, UK (first 12 months I lived there) was definitely a more friendly place to live.  Been living in Reading, England 10 months now.  Not such a welcoming and friendly people compared to Wales.  But it's got location to London and affordable cost if living on its side.  Cardiff was too distant from London for us and best as a retirement and a holiday destination than somewhere to live - as it's pretty with a lot to offer.  Bay, Beaches, Shops and Top Entertainment and Sporting Facilities.  Plus a great Train Station too!

My own experience from the 70's was that it was always raining in Belfast; 40 years later, it hasn't changed much.

Met Office annual stats tell us that Reading gets 636 inches, while N Ireland gets 1136 (almost double).

That said, Northern Ireland is still a nice place; I've never seen so many shades of green in my life.

ROFL.  But seriously I love these water-views
How many miles / driving time out of Belfast Central?


'Sex map' claims Bangor, Co Down is UK's sexiest town - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/ … 93702.html

Compare to Cardiff where it rains daily please??
Then I can compare what it's like.  I'm imagining it'd be more like Cardiff than Reading.
Hasn't rained that much here since we moved to Reading last March. 
We've also lived in Winchester, VA, USA for 15 years - plus 5 yrs in OZ's Darwin Tropics where I could set the click daily for their daily downpour of 1 hour daily at 3pm rainfall.  Just after kids got inside from Bus. 
The humidity was what I didn't like and back in the 70's air conditioners not used.

Aussie Dreamer wrote:

Compare to Cardiff where it rains daily please??
Then I can compare what it's like.  I'm imagining it'd be more like Cardiff than Reading.
Hasn't rained that much here since we moved to Reading last March. 
We've also lived in Winchester, VA, USA for 15 years - plus 5 yrs in OZ's Darwin Tropics where I could set the click daily for their daily downpour of 1 hour daily at 3pm rainfall.  Just after kids got inside from Bus. 
The humidity was what I didn't like and back in the 70's air conditioners not used.

Cardiff 1152 inches, so N Ireland is a bit better.

If rainfall is a key performance indicator for your move, check out this link; it gives you an overall picture.

Sun TZU.  I can't find this post?  Was it deleted perhaps?

Without being to Belfast I'm thinking Scotland perhaps would stare the Shades of Green Landscape and
Wales the Rainfalls??

Thanks guys for this info so far!  Very much appreciated.
Bangor looks like a suitable place for us - only concern was it may not be large enough; as were are use to City living with a 200,K plus population.
Although ReDing isn't a classified City; it's tried to obtain a City title 3 times and failed (3rd attempt was towards the end of 2016)
With it's population of 318,014 (2011 census).   This has increased with the arrival of hubby, myself and my Kiwi Friends (couple) plus others arrival since 2011 too!   I reckon it's more likely to be 350,K and growing as Reading has become a Hot Town for new businesses and residents to relocate to - especially popular with London based Working Commuters.  It's also a University Town which brings a lot to into this area.

Smaller towns often offer more of a Warm, Welcoming, Friendly and a Community Spirit of its residence to which I miss since moving to Reading, England.  Cardiff had all of them.  People enjoyed coming out (despite the weather) to socialize together.  It had a vibe / vibrant buzz always going on - even in Winter. 
Appreciated information links shared too.  I look fwd to anything ekes that comes my way?  Thx In Advance!

Bangor is definitely worthy of our consideration. Especially good for my business given it's commutable into Belfast - I'll need to research the geographic of who reside there!  Homes containing Double Income & Retirees are main target.  Times on my side to research areas thoroughly.  Thx for shared links too as this helps.  Plus with a lower population; I also need to consider how many other Domestic Businesses already exist within area - (Competition)?   Although I'm confident my Team will offer a Higher Quality and £ Value.

Aussie Dreamer wrote:

Without being to Belfast I'm thinking Scotland perhaps would stare the Shades of Green Landscape and Wales the Rainfalls??

Scotland is certainly a very nice country and outside of Edinburgh, housing is reasonably priced.  Check out the East cost; we have family friends who live in Leven (Fife); rainfall up there is 773 inches p/year, so a bit more than Reading, but nowhere near as bad as Cardiff or Northern Ireland.

I know you said previously that you were attracted to the sea, so maybe an option for you.

Scotland's not even a consideration as it's way too cold for us. Even after living in USA with -20 temps and 20" of snow.  Scotland also irritates my allergies with their mold spores.  Otherwise, I'd agree.  It's pretty! 

Bangor
"91" existing Domestic Cleaning Co's.   But only 24 ACTIVE with STAR RATINGS

Belfast
"126" existing Domestic Cleaning Co's.  But only 36 ACTZiVE with STAR RATINGS

I need to research more these Company's   Most are Franchise Run Businesses.

So there's plenty of room for "Little Me" - I plan to eventually expand business to other Cleaning Services my clients would desire!  Ironing & Full Laundry Service, All Housework Duties; Bed Linen Changes, Ovens, Windows, Chimneys & Gutters Cleans;  Home Exterior, Decks and Driveways Cleans; new Build Cleans, and a lot of other Services too!   One stop Cleaning & Housekeeping Service. 
Pending on area and demands required:  I may extend into Janitorial - Commercial - Office Cleaning and Cars might also become a possibility in time! 
CLEAN WITH ENVY
We love the jobs you loathe!
We don't cut corners, we clean them!
Life is for living and not just for cleaning!

One thing that stands out here is the filthy road signs, hardly visible most of the time. I think anyone could do well to contract to the local councils to clean them on a regular basis.!!! You could make a fortune and a HUGE difference to how visitors feel about the place. You should prepare yourself for how the general roadside and footpath verge is littered with discarded rubbish as it does take some getting used to. There is a general lack of care by the public who find it acceptable to litter with great abandonment of any care whatsoever for the environment they share and an even bigger shame lies with the local bodies who do nothing to clean up their own backyard.!!
There is green mildew absolutely everywhere.....on fences, pathways, at the lower levels of most homes and structures. It dosent seem to bother people much as it dosent seem to get removed, which would be easy enough.The arc of the sun is extremely low in winter so it can take its toll rapidly.
Coming from a dry climate compared to here it surprises me that houses are marketed for sale with all this green mildew left for visual delight.??
At home the first thing a real estate person tells you is the biggest offout for a purchaser is to see any green mildew on shaded areas and to  waterblast all pathways etc that don't see much sun.
Anyway I digress.....however plenty of opportunity for cleaning absolutely everything over here.
I still disagree about the rain.....haven't seen that much since April 2016 which is when we arrived.......and still live the "no wind".