22 Enterprise Management 3.1.3 CHOICE OF BUSINESS LOCATION MEs operated their business from either fixed, variable or mobile location. Several factors like cheaper rent, access to market/customers and competition influenced their choice. Some of the family businesses especially that involved manufacturing were carried out from home as the infrastructure was old and fixed and has been carried out this way for generations. Fixed location: These businesses were carried out on the same place everyday and involved fixed or no infrastructure. Situating at home was a cheaper option for some of the MEs. As an example Lily, Coconut coir rope maker, Mawlamyine, worked from her home only to avoid renting the shop. “Most of the people in this street worked on the same business before but only a few people are still doing this and sell in their shops. For us, we do not have enough money to run a shop, so we only work from home.” Thiri, potter worked from her 80 year old house Some of them however, had rented a market space and were carrying out their business from there. Rent in the market depended on the space one occupied and had to be obtained through the Municipal Corporation. The Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) official interviewed in Yangon mentioned the monthly rent to be MMK 1600 ($1.6) which also covered the electricity and water costs. Some of the MEs carried out their business from the Pagodas which served as a good catchment area. Hlaing (Paper umbrella maker, Nay Pyi Taw) started living in the Pagoda after his marriage. His father in law was the security guard of the Pagoda and helped him in occupying a space. At first, he used to sell Betel quid then he learnt how to make paper umbrellas from his neighbours. He chose this place as it used to be very busy because the railway station is nearby but after the Nay Pyi Taw railway station was built the crowd here decreased and this affected his business and now he makes umbrellas for retail shops on order. Hlaing’s house and shop in the Pagoda